Most people who see the images from Aqua Spirit Club's underwater photography workshops are captivated by the visual result. What they don't see is the quiet, precise preparation that makes those images possible. I sat down with Hoa, our lead mermaiding performer, to find out what happens on the other side of the camera.
The Preparation "People imagine I just jump in the water and look graceful," Hoa laughs. "In reality, the morning of a shoot starts with 45 minutes of breathwork on dry land. I need to know exactly where my breath hold is that day — temperature, how much sleep I had, stress levels — all of it affects your capacity."
She arrived at the pool two hours before the first photographer. The lighting rig had to be tested and repositioned, the tail had to be fitted and checked, and she walked through the planned poses mentally before entering the water.
Working with Multiple Photographers Each photographer gets a 30-minute dedicated session, which Hoa calls "incredibly intense." Between shots, she surfaces, receives direction, descends again. A typical session might involve 20–25 breath holds of 15–35 seconds each over the 30 minutes.
"The key is not letting the creative pressure transfer to the breath hold," she explains. "If a photographer asks for a specific arm position that I have to think hard about, my CO₂ rises faster. I practise most poses so many times that they become automatic — so my attention can stay on breathing, not on the shape."
What Makes a Great Shot Hoa says the shots that look most effortless are almost always the ones that required the most preparation. "The dramatic shots — a large trail of bubbles, a full tail flip — those require very precise timing and coordination with the photographer. The effortless shots, where I'm just floating, those sometimes take longer because stillness underwater is actually hard."
If you're interested in experiencing underwater photography from either side of the lens, our Photography and Mermaiding workshop runs monthly. Details on the Events page.
