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Underwater Photography Tips

Underwater exploring in the Mediterranean, yes please! We packed our GoPro, stripped on our new Mika SWIM suits and went on the hunt to find the perfect cove to practice underwater photography. 

Our 1st attempt was in the Costa Brava area of Spain & after a few shots, we quickly learned underwater yoga & shooting is NOT as easy as we thought! We got a handful of good ones & a whole lot of bloopers so in the end, learned a ton. We had the opportunity to practice a couple more times on the island of Menorca and we wanted to share some helpful tips & tricks we learned along the way! We are still learning and eager to practice more so if any readers out there have any other tips, we'd love to hear! 

 

5 Underwater Photography Tips

1. Shoot on a SUNNY Day. The water will be more clear and the chances of capturing pretty reflections are higher.

2. Shoot LOW. You are more likely to capture rays of light coming through the surface when you are below the subject.

3. Follow the SUN. Have subject face the sun.

4. Shoot & Check. If possible, do a few rounds of shots and check out how the photos are turning out. Share with the model so you both can see what is working, what isn't, and then jump back in and try again!

5. Pick the right COLORS. Have the model wear colors that will POP. We found reds, white & black photographed well at our location.

 

10 Underwater Yoga Tips

1.  Think PUSH & PULL. Pick a pose where you can create some resistance with your body. This will help you hold a position easier.

2. Go DEEP. Before you get into the pose, go low so that as you float up the photographer can capture the progression. Hold it for as long as you can because sometimes the shots close to the surface end up turning out pretty cool too.

3. EYES: Open or Closed? When in doubt, eyes closed is your best bet- however give both a try to see what look you like best.

4. RELAX your face! Especially your cheeks & eyes.

5. BUBBLES. Blow out as little bubbles as possible when in the pose. (Easier said then done!)

6. Have POSES in mind. Before you shoot, test out a handful of poses so you can see what works best.

7. HEAD movement awareness. If you bring your head up, you will flip, so keep this in mind! 

8. S T R E T C H it OUT. Elongate and use as much space with your body as possible so that the shape you are creating is shown clearly. 

9. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. You never know if magic is being created or not so give it a few tries and take as much advice from the photographer as you can.

10. HAIR. Hair free and flowing can look dreamy but can also be all over the place. I personally have not in any way mastered this (as you can see in a few of the shots below!) however, if you can, pull your hair out of the way or opt for a pony if you are worried about your hair covering your face.

Check out our favorite shots from the trip! Let us know if you have any yoga pose ideas you'd think would be cool to try and next time we are in the water we'll give it a go! 

Mermaiding

Sea Ommmm

When in Spain

No GoPro, no problem. Try some floating shots!