Creating unique photographic moments in the pool

Underwater shooting over a parachute. With a big step, Katharina slides onto the water under the silver reflective surface. After a few seconds, she hovers in the centre, like a fairy over the 12-metre parachute, which has been stretched across the pool like a huge underwater flower. Flash after flash go off as the photo shoot gets underway. Katharina moves skillfully and becomes framed by the pink parachute – it's one wonderful pose after another! The photographer snaps away; his eyes alert, his device in hand not missing a single moment. The first 20 seconds of this two-hour shoot have come and gone. Now, the model and photographer emerge from the water to analyse the images captured so far. There is more to be done before perfection is achieved. It is only after 20 minutes, and several attempts at fine-tuning the settings of the photographic equipment – a total of eight underwater shoots – that everyone is satisfied. From now on, it’s shooting time. Utmost concentration, total commitment and the right photographic equipment are prerequisites for such a shoot. In order to realise the vision, a lighting concept was specially developed, as illuminating a 12-metre-wide pink parachute by artificial light is certainly not an easy task. Furthermore, positioning a parachute in the middle of a pool is a logistical and energy-consuming challenge. After countless adjustments, the lightning is positioned, light guide for the triggering of the slave flashes, the Nikon in the SEACAM housing armed and the screen perfectly cheorographed. The initial images prove that it was a great idea; the images become more and more brilliant as the shoot draws on. Model and photographer are in the moment – Perfecto! After two hours in the water, both underwater model Katharina P. and photographer Konstantin Killer are exhausted but satisfied. The preparation and technical effort for such a complex shoot are extensive, but the images make it all worthwhile. Looking at the photos, one can indeed appreciate what it means to "let only your imagination set the limits of what is possible." Photographer: Konstantin Killer Model: Katharina P. Location of shoot: Heinrich Völker Bad Worms, Germany. A video which shows portions of the shoot is available here