Underwater Shoot FAQ

LOCATION

From June 15 to September 15, pool sessions take place at my home, 30 rue du Général GOURAUD, in PESSAC, France. There's parking in front of the house, and the Saige tramway station (line B) is 50 meters away. It's very accessible.

Outside this period, I use private indoor pools for shoots (which increases rates if a slot has to be rented). In this case, the conditions are specific to each location and will be communicated to you before the shoot.

MY SWIMMING POOL

It's an outdoor pool, the water temperature is 29.5°C and the depth varies between 1.15m and 1.65m. The water is treated with ultraviolet light and a little bromine. There is no chlorine or salt. The water is soft and many animals come to drink it (our cat and many birds). So there's no risk of clothes, lingerie or accessories being damaged or discolored during a session. We have 10 years' experience and no problems have been reported by fashion designers who have lent us clothes.

If you use another pool, I will inform you of its characteristics at the time of booking.

WEATHER

As my pool is outdoors, the weather has to be very good to organize a session. Several sessions have already been cancelled in the past, due to stormy weather, rain, wind or outside temperatures below 21°C.

Indoor pool shoots are no problem.

DURATION

A session in the water generally lasts between 0h45 and 1h30, depending on your resistance to the cold. Even if the water is 29.5°C, you're bound to feel cold because there's little movement and we lose a lot of calories in contact with the water.

SCHEDULE

Daytime sessions start at 2pm and finish at 8pm at the latest. As the sun turns, I benefit from different lighting depending on the time of day, i.e. from 2pm to 4:30pm and from 6:30pm to 8pm. Night sessions start 30 minutes after sunset, so around 10.30pm at the end of June and around 9pm in September. Depending on the type of image you want, we'll find the best time for you.

MY UNDERWATER STUDIO

It's usually 30m2 with a black or white background. I have a 730W surface light that can be positioned above the water and protected by a dedicated 30mA differential circuit breaker, two 15,000 lumen underwater stand lights, and two 150W underwater flashes. For the backdrops, I use bubble walls of various sizes, artificial plants and so on.

THE HOUSE

If the shoot takes place at my place, you have a room with a bathroom where you can change and shower to warm up after a session. If we use another pool, I'll let you know how it works when you book.

SWIMMING

You don't need to be a freediving champion to take part in an aquatic photo session. You just need to be at ease in the water, i.e. be able to swim and put your head underwater. Unless otherwise indicated, the proposed projects are accessible to beginners. A 10-second apnea is all it takes to make good images. The important thing is to be relaxed.

BE ACCOMPANIED

You can bring someone of your choice to a shoot if you wish.

CLOTHES

These are usually your own. They need to fit well, and you need to feel comfortable wearing them. Sometimes a designer will lend us clothes to get different images. I also have a stock of dresses, bodysuits, drapes and lingerie at your disposal.

PLANNING

We usually meet an hour before the session to discuss outfits, poses, safety rules in and around the pool, breathing, positioning in the water, etc.

PHOTO EQUIPMENT

I use a NIKON D850 (46Mpixels) in a SEACAM housing. I only use two Nikonos RS lenses for fully underwater shots, a 13mm fisheye and a 20-35mm zoom that were made exclusively for diving. I can also shoot half-air/half-water with a 14-24mm lens.