I've been Shooting Babies

By -
Yes, I admit it, I have indeed been shooting babies.  Underwater, even.  The water housing, camera and I have been sitting on the bottom of various swimming pools as part of a project with the good people at Baby Aquatics, while a stream of brave little nippers are skilfully put through their sub-aqua paces.



While at first it might sound outrageous to plunge your darling 3 month old beneath the water, in fact the babies retain a reflex action to close the epiglottis, and are completely safe and happy beneath the surface.


There are a lot of technical challenges in getting these photos - including avoiding the legs and arms of the trained baby diving professionals and watchful parents when photographing underwater, while at the same time avoiding getting the same objects into the shots before the child is safely whisked back into the parental arms.  Subsequently coping with the underwater blue shift in the colour of the light and removing extraneous arms and legs that have crept into shot means a lot more computer time than swimming time.

,
Twins
It's only when the shots are on the computer that you fully notice the look of wonder on the children's faces. Once they go beneath the surface, their eyes open, and they often seem amazed at the serene blue room they've suddenly discovered, the one with the sparkling, dappled light ceiling.



It's very calm and relaxed shooting in a pool, especially compared to shooting surf in the line-up, and the results of these first trials have been pleasing.  What do you think?

Free diving

Thanks to Abi and Holly at Baby Aquatics.

Return to Ocean-Image.com
Location: Penzance, Cornwall, UK

Comments

Mel Sedgwick said…
Excellent stuff Mike, prompted me to think I must take jasmyn in a pool soon.. she loves the sea but not had her fully submersed as yet :) love the shots bro I think you've caught a little piece of magic there :)
June 15, 2012 at 1:52 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tom Bawcock's Eve

By -
Image
This article appears in the December issue of Cornwall Today magazine  if you want to see it in its full technicolour design glory. Tom Bawcock’s Eve A merry place you may believe, Was Mouzel 'pon Tom Bawcock's Eve It's December 23 rd , very nearly Christmas, ‘Just two more sleeps, s o exciting!’ as my four year old informs me, at half past three in the morning . Later that day, in the warmth of the Ship Inn, Mousehole, glasses chink and holiday conversations flow. Outside, families stroll around the picturesque harbour, absorbing the village's famous lights as they twinkle in the gathering winter darkness. It’s a picture perfect portrait of a Cornish seaside village at Christmas. But there’s something more in the pub today, a subtle undercurrent of expectation, a buzz in the air, a reason the pub is so densely packed. Oddly, the pub bell rings out quite soon after sunset, and a hush quickly spreads through the pub’s warren of nooks an...
Read more

First Law of Surfing

By -
Image
I was out on a shoot last week, which just happened to be at a secret spot which only works once in a blue moon. It was a rare sunny, blue sky winter's day with a light offshore breeze grooming the swell perfectly onto a cranking A frame bank. Of course, I had no time to go in, stopping only to grab this picture before sadly driving away, crushed, under the cursed weight of the First Law of Surfing. The First Law of Surfing states simply, that : The size and quality of the surf will be inversely proportional to your ability to get to it. In other words; busy all day with no window of opportunity ? It'll be six foot and going off. Got the day off and time to search for a decent wave? Blown out two foot mush everywhere you look! Oh well, at least I got a picture this day...... Return to Ocean-Image.com
Read more
By -
Image
 What to put up on your wall Here at Cornish Seascapes we believe in putting a seascape print up on any wall space that's available!  But we would say that wouldn't we, so here's a few ideas from an amazing whole building design project we helped with, which was completed last year.    There were some very specific areas that needed an image, and having chosen a certain picture, the rest of the room was designed around colours picked from the photos Straight edged Aluminium prints fit well with the architectural lines.  The image is UV printed directly onto the panel which hangs flush  with the wall, so it doesn't protrude into the room. In a holiday setting it's also great not to have to worry about glazed picture accidents Seascape bedroom prints Wood framed larger XL panel, about 2m x 2m  For stairways, lobbies or hanging walls Colour matched bedroom interior  Large aluminium print from  Ocean-Image.com Wall hanging wave print for seaside ...
Read more