Nicholas S. 0 Posted January 1, 2013 In middle of November I was invited by a friend to take on the task of shooting underwater 12 women athletes, members of water polo team OXYGEN for the needs of their 2013 annual calendar! Before the shooting I was thinking about this task and waited to meet masculine athletes with their competition swimsuits and the classic water polo hats but instead of this classic cliché image I met 12 beautiful girls full of joy and energy more models than athletes in body shape, ready to transform into colorful mermaids! The girls had already chosen the fabric color and were fighting for the month they wanted to represent. While I was preparing the underwater studio, my assistant Rabea was given the task to dress the models with the long fabrics creating improvised dresses and give brief instructions on how to pose underwater. All girls surpassed the given instructions and all expectations posing with extraordinary grace and confidence, giving me dozens of grate shots! After a six hour shooting without stop we celebrated and laughed a lot with backstage incidents just to regain energy for the editing. As a result, the girls had many stunning images to select for their calendar, which was designed and printed with extra care just two days before the official presentation in a modern bar in center of Thessaloniki. I have to mention that the calendar was not made just for the experience but because the girls were looking for an interesting way to fund their participation in the final phase of the national championship on July - August 2013 So, if someone wants to have this stunning calendar and help the girls in their cause can order it and receive it in a few days! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicholas S. 0 Posted January 4, 2013 Thank you Jeffrey!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CamDiver 5 Posted January 5, 2013 Great images but one critique. I think the time taken to mask out the bubbles would have resulted in spectacular imagery. Well done. Mark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raarsen 9 Posted January 5, 2013 I'd say these girls won their championship already, fabulous shots! I don't mind the bubbles, they add a touch of 'underwater-ness'. Can you please explain what lighting setup you used? Compliments, --Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicholas S. 0 Posted January 5, 2013 Thank you all for the comments! Mark the critique is always welcome! Rob I used two Sea&Sea 250Pro strobes on camera and one off strobe with trigger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loftus 42 Posted January 5, 2013 This issue of bubbles in pool studio images comes up often when I show my pool images. I don't think there is necessarily a right or a wrong answer, rather the photographer's intent is important. First question to ask is whether the idea is to convey that the images are underwater, or to try to hide the fact. In the series above - these are water polo players so it would seem that one wants to convey that these are 'water' people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicholas S. 0 Posted January 5, 2013 At this shooting the concept was to be obvious that the athletes were underwater so that was my goal too. In some of the uploaded photographs this is more noticeable than others because of the air bubbles number. Personally I find more interesting the photographs with the surface reflection like the second and the fourth shots I uploaded, but the final selection was made by the athletes themselves with their own personal criteria of how they looked and how they felt with each photograph with their image. I believe that the existence of air bubbles is more useful to people that are not so familiar with underwater photography shots to understand that those are indeed photographs taken underwater. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CamDiver 5 Posted January 5, 2013 The bubble thing is just my preference. I think it adds to the value of the image in a sense of achievement way if the shot can be achieved without them. This pays tribute then also to the models discipline and the execution plan of the photographer. With the reflections of the model, if lit that way, appearing on the underside of the surface and the general look of the eyes clearly indicate the model as being submerged. Nice images. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spencerjb22 4 Posted January 14, 2013 Superb stuff my friend. What are you using for the back drop? it looks super clean and neat? Also where do you find your off camera flash works best? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
