How to take a beautiful photo in the water: in the bath, pool and pond | Lesson | Photo, video, optics

A non-standard, properly directed and beautifully shot photo shoot is always impressive. There are many ways to achieve the wow effect. For example, use a non-standard make-up and hairstyle, take pictures in an unusual location, use the magical attraction of the elements. Photos with fire or water look spectacular. About how to take a cool photo in the bathroom, pool and pond, in ordinary water and even in milk, they told in this material.

How to secure your camera
General recommendations
Shooting in the bathroom
How to take a photo in water
Photo in milk
Depth simulation
Underwater shooting in the pool
Photo in the pond

How to secure your camera

If the photographer stays on land, and only the model is in the water, then the camera does not need special protection. The main thing is not to accidentally drop it into the water.

But when a photographer has to go down into a pool or pond, you need to put on a special case for the camera. Such waterproof boxes allow you to maintain the quality of images and secure equipment.

Professionals recommend using a special underwater camera when diving. He has the ability to increase the photosensitivity, noise is better suppressed. Due to this, he copes better with work in the water. It also needs a waterproof case. But some models have it included. We have collected for you the top 10 best underwater cameras for shooting underwater in a separate article.

General recommendations

Prepare your shooting space

Poor repair, chipped tiles in the bathroom, debris and mud in the pond — all this will ruin the shot. Or it will take a long time to cut it out, retouch it. It’s better to do it right right away so that you don’t have to fix everything in the editor.

Bathroom design for beautiful photos is also important. It must match the image of the model.

Bathroom in the middle of the room

It is convenient, beautiful and you don’t have to worry about a nondescript wall getting into the frame. Often there is a bathroom in the middle of the room in a hotel. For shooting, you can rent the appropriate room. You can find a bathroom with a good repair, a large window (source of light) and take a lot of interesting pictures.

The bathroom can be replaced with a low inflatable pool

Replacement is not always relevant. But, for example, if you need an imitation of a reservoir (and there is no lake or bathroom), this option is suitable. An example with a photo is below.

sustainable ladder

The main effective angle in such shootings is the top view. The height of the photographer and the length of his arms are not always enough for such shots. A stable ladder will help correct the situation.

Waterproof makeup

A model from a beautiful sea nymph should not turn into a chilling mavka. Therefore, make-up must be waterproof. If shooting underwater, it is better to give preference to face painting or other waterproof cosmetics.

Important: for work at sea, make-up should be brighter than usual. Because colors look duller underwater.

clothing

If there is no specific concept, it is better to choose versatile fabrics that look beautiful in the water. This is usually a curtain veil, organza. Light, unnatural is the best choice. Wet linen, cotton, velvet look dull. And heavy fabrics also add weight — models are hard to move around.

Thin, gaseous tissues are translucent. Therefore (we are talking about a pool or a reservoir), you need to wear flesh-colored underwear under them. Choose dresses without sequins (if shooting in a public pool or at sea), they crumble a lot. Be sure to bring scissors to cut through the clothing if the model gets tangled in the dress.

Lighting and light modifiers

The exact set depends on the concept, the shooting location, the amount of natural light and its intensity. But most often you need at least a reflector to immediately correct the lighting. You can take a 5in1 set or models with a handle, they are easy to hold for the photographer himself.

You can take colored gel filters and highlight the model, water, make a few color accents. If you are indoors and not outdoors, it is better to bring two light sources, softboxes, to make the light softer.

shades of blue

This applies to shooting in the sea, the ocean. The deeper you go, the less natural light you will have. Warm colors are lost first and a blue-green tint appears in the photo. You can fix this by adjusting the white balance (and in some cameras you can select the “Underwater” special mode. For example, Nikon 1 AW1).

Composition

It should be thoughtful, regardless of the location of the shooting.

If the model is in the bathtub, inflatable pool:

• no need to overlay the model with a large amount of bulky inventory. For example: fill closely all the space between it and the edges of the bathroom with sliced ​​\u200b\u200bcitrus slices, large leaves. The composition should be light. Accessories must float freely, otherwise the model will be “lost” against the background of the inventory;
• the areas where the inventory is located are the first to attract attention. This is an opportunity to make accents and remove attention from areas that you want to hide;
• you can give the model a flower, fruit (of those that float in the bathroom);
• props are best laid out after the model has gone to the bathroom. So it will stay afloat longer.

If the model is in deep pool or ocean, sea:

• shoot it not only from above, go down to the same level with it or even lower (point the camera up). So catch a beautiful light;
• do not place the model clearly in front of underwater rocks, corals, algae. She «gets lost» in their background.

What a model and photographer should be able to do

one. Dive. Sometimes in studios for underwater shooting they give small weights with which it is easier to immediately dive to great depths.

2. To swim. It is important for models to be able to hold their breath, not puff out their cheeks, do not flare their nostrils and do not pinch their nose.

3. Open your eyes underwater. If the photographer can be wearing a mask, then it is better for the model to learn to freeze with their eyes open for a couple of seconds.

Shooting in the bathroom

How to take a photo in water

For a perfect photo, a girl and a bath with warm water are enough. It can be dialed in full or up to half. The model can be dipped in its entirety, put in the bathroom, planted. You can shoot from above, from the side, placing the camera on the very edge of the bathroom. A woman can be naked, in a light dress, in underwear.

You can play with contrasts and create a dramatic look. Put the model in the filled bathroom in clothes, shoes, direct the shower from above. It all depends on your imagination.

Water can be colored. To do this, use colored bombs for the bath. Life hack: first dissolve the bomb in water, and then add a little milk. The color will not be as bright, but uniform, and the water will be colored longer.

Photo in milk

The most famous shot with such a plot is Whoopi Goldberg, looking out of a milk bath. Made the famous frame of Annie Leibovitz (Annie Leibovitz). Since that time, shooting in milk has been a popular subject for photo shoots.

Recommendations:

— prepare props immediately. Add to milk: live petals, flowers and plants (artificial ones look very rough), chopped fruits, berries, citrus fruits. The colors of the props should be in harmony with each other — so you need to arrange them in advance. But you need to cut the fruit before dipping them in water so that they do not have time to weather;

— 2–6 liters of milk is needed for a bathso that the shade is uniform and dense;

— milk must be freshand the water is warm, not hot. Otherwise, it may “curl”, and flakes and lumps will look unaesthetic;

— you can replace regular milk to dry or even alternative (coconut). The main thing is that the water is warm and its quantity is enough for the color to become dense;

— avoid inventory with dust, spikes, dirt. They will prevent you from taking beautiful photos in a milk bath. On a white surface, any imperfections will be immediately visible. Pieces of fruit must be washed after cutting and blotted with dry towels. The thorns of the flowers are cut off, the flowers themselves are rubbed.

Depth simulation

If you want a beautiful photo of a girl under water, but there is no lake nearby, you can do it yourself. To do this, you need a bathroom and a dark cloth. It is important that the white surface itself does not shine through it.

Real plants, leaves, water lilies will help to imitate a reservoir — everything that can float aground in a real pond. This is an interesting idea for custom photos that can be taken in the bathroom.

A photograph of black, blue water can be done differently. This is the option we talked about earlier. If there is no lake and a bath, you can take a low inflatable pool. You can take a high one, but a low one is easier to work with.

At the bottom you need to put a dense fabric of the desired color (for a marine theme, black, blue, emerald, dark green are often chosen). Further, everything is as in the previous version. You need to collect some water, lay the model and put algae, leaves and other decorations on the surface.

Underwater shooting in the pool

In this location, photos can be taken completely submerged under water or partially. For example, the model can sit on the edge of the pool, lie on the water, emerge. And at that moment the photographer will take a picture.

Shooting in a pool under water is much safer than in the open sea, lake, river. There is a small depth here, there are no other living organisms that can harm. For example, there are no thorny and poisonous plants.

Photo in the pond

Taking beautiful photos near the water, in the pool or in the bathroom is quite simple. But working at great depths in a lake or sea is difficult for both the photographer and the model. It is important to choose a place in advance. It should be as safe as possible. Not recommended to choose:

• rivers (usually there is a strong current that can carry away);
• areas with a cold current (may provoke a sharp muscle cramp, as a result a person may drown);
• places where dangerous marine life is found: jellyfish Cornerot and Aurelia, noticeable Scorpion (Black, Azov Seas), Sea Dragon (Black, Baltic Seas), Spiny Shark (Black, Barents, Okhotsk, Japanese Seas);
• places with a rocky or polluted (we are talking about household trash) bottom.

Most importantly, the model and photographer must be able to swim, dive and move underwater very well. Otherwise, the shooting will be too dangerous.

But if you carefully prepare, follow all safety rules and use our recommendations, you will be able to take a lot of magical pictures.

We hope our guide will inspire you. And you will be able to take many beautiful photos underwater, in the pool or in the bath.