To be an underwater model sounds very interesting, especially for many girls and young adults. Photos under water, with a reflection on the water surface and ball gowns that show the most beautiful shapes under water. In addition, a hairstyle with blowing hair, which could hardly style itself - such photos differ seriously from the typical Instagram selfie.
Before you even think about becoming an underwater model, certain basic requirements are required. Of course, you should feel comfortable in the water first of all. You should be an experienced swimmer and you should have no problem diving underwater with your eyes open and without pinching your nose. If these basic conditions are present, everything else is just a matter of training, exercise and experience.
An underwater model should be able to control his / her body underwater. In order to control your buoyancy, experience in scuba diving are certainly beneficial. Also, facial expressions and controlling long hair and underwater clothing should be practiced. Especially long dresses can quickly become heavy in the water and wrap around the legs. This can be very tiring and therefore each underwater model should have a certain basic fitness.
There are different types of modeling underwater
In principle, one should distinguish between two different types of underwater modeling.
1. Modeling in shallow water, such as in a pool, where the model comes back to the water surface every time to breathe.
2. Shoots where the model breathes compressed air underwater.
When modeling in shallow water and with controlled conditions, in principle, it is enough if the model has learned the basics of freediving. If the model is able to hold her/his breath for about 2 minutes at rest, this should be sufficient for an underwater shoot.
If the model breathes compresses air under water, even in shallow water, everything changes. This type of underwater modeling is clearly classified in the category of "stunt work". A model working under these conditions should definitely have a good training in freediving and also have a base of at least 500 dives in scuba diving.
Being underwater on a breath hold, water in the nose, sinuses and eyes, without being protected from the cold and without your own diving equipment can quickly lead to a panic attack, if the model is inexperienced. This is very dangerous and can lead to serious accidents.
There is always a risk with every underwater shoot. In order to minimize the risk of accidents, it is important that both, the model and the other team members, are experienced under water. It is important that the model has at least one or more safety divers, depending on conditions.
Before the shoot begins, certain things, such as hand signals and other communication signals and emergency plans, should be clearly discussed with the entire team.
As seductive as a shoot on a shipwreck at 15 m depth sounds - a model, which has completed only 20 dives, is not the right one for this job. Safety should be paramount at any underwater shoot and no photo is worth risking your life or the life of a teammate.
How do you get such great photos?
If you want to achieve other, very special results in addition to the pool shoots, you can plan an underwater shoot in open water. Coordination is not always easy. What is the water temperature? How is the visibility? Are there any waves or currents? Which photographer has time and desire? Where do we get our safety diver from? Many questions that do not always make planning easy.
DiveSSI
22nd August 2019
