I’ve spent years learning how to move, perform, and tell stories underwater. From my early work as a professional underwater model to performing as a mermaid, freediving, acting, and working with photographers and production teams, I’ve learned that creating a compelling image beneath the surface requires much more than simply getting into the water and holding your breath.
There is an entirely different world beneath the surface. The movement, the light, and gravity all change to create something magical. Even something as simple as hair or fabric can suddenly become part of the story.
And in a world where audiences are constantly surrounded by images, videos, and advertisements, I believe that difference can be incredibly powerful.
We are all competing for attention. Every day, people scroll past an enormous amount of content, and familiar visual styles can easily blend together. I know I’m guilty of it myself. When I’m scrolling through social media and see another advertisement that looks exactly like everything else I’ve already seen, I usually keep moving.
But then something unexpected catches my eye. Something makes me stop. That is one of the reasons I love underwater modeling so much.
There is something about seeing a person, product, garment, or story beneath the surface that immediately creates curiosity. It feels familiar and completely unfamiliar at the same time.
And when underwater imagery is created intentionally, it can become much more than a beautiful photograph. It can become a story.
1. Water Creates an Emotional Experience
I’ve always believed that water has a natural ability to pull us in. It can feel peaceful, mysterious, powerful, playful, freeing, or even a little unsettling. Depending on the environment, lighting, movement, wardrobe, and performance, the exact same body of water can tell completely different stories.
That is one of the things I love most about underwater visual storytelling. The water itself becomes part of the creative process.
When I’m underwater, I’m not simply thinking about how I look. I’m thinking about what the image is supposed to make someone feel.
- Is the character peaceful?
- Powerful?
- Lost?
- Free?
- Otherworldly?
- Transforming?
The movement, expression, and positioning all contribute to that story.
Underwater environments also create a visual softness that is difficult to replicate on land. Light filters through the water, fabrics float, hair moves around the body, and everything takes on a slightly dreamlike quality.
For brands and creative teams, that can create emotion without requiring a complicated explanation. The image itself starts telling the story. And when that imagery is paired with a strong voiceover, sound design, or music, the result can become even more immersive.
2. Underwater Movement Changes Everything
One of the biggest differences between traditional modeling and underwater modeling is movement. On land, gravity dictates how our bodies move. Underwater, everything changes. I can float, rotate, suspend myself, move fabric around my body, or create shapes that simply wouldn’t be possible on land.
That creates incredible opportunities for photographers and filmmakers. A simple movement can become cinematic. A piece of fabric can become part of the choreography. Hair can become part of the composition. A slow rotation can completely change the feeling of an image.
But there is an important distinction here. Being able to stay underwater does not automatically make someone a good underwater performer.
You have to understand how your body behaves in the water and how that movement will translate through the camera.
You need breath control. You need body awareness. You need spatial awareness. You need to understand timing and direction. And you have to be able to repeat a movement when the photographer or director says, “Let’s do that again.”
That is where my experience as both a performer and an underwater model becomes important. I’m not simply trying to survive the environment. I’m performing within it.
3. Underwater Imagery Gives Brands Something Different
Let’s be honest. There are a lot of advertisements out there. We see people in offices. People on beaches. People walking through cities. Products sitting on tables. Models standing in front of beautiful backdrops.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those things. But sometimes a concept needs something different, and that is where underwater advertising can become such a powerful creative tool.
Put a person underwater and suddenly the visual rules change. Hair floats. Fabric moves. Bodies become weightless. Light behaves differently. The environment becomes almost dreamlike. And the viewer starts asking questions like:
- How did they create this?
- How long can she stay underwater?
- Is this real?
That curiosity is valuable. For brands, that moment can create an opportunity to make their visual identity more memorable.
Underwater imagery can work beautifully for fashion, beauty, swimwear, wellness, luxury, entertainment, music, travel, film, conceptual campaigns, and brands that want their content to feel imaginative and different.
If your project needs an experienced underwater model, you can explore my underwater modeling work here
4. Professional Underwater Talent Brings More Than a Pretty Face
This is probably one of the biggest things I wish more people understood about underwater production. Underwater modeling is not simply traditional modeling relocated to a pool. The environment changes everything.
Breath management matters. Body positioning matters. Communication matters. Safety matters. Timing matters. Even small movements can have a completely different visual effect underwater.
And when you’re working on a professional production, time matters too. You don’t want to spend an entire shoot trying to teach someone how to move underwater while your photographer, director, crew, and equipment are waiting. You want someone who understands the environment and can take direction.
I’ve spent years developing my underwater skills through freediving, diving, underwater performance, and creative work. My background as an actress also influences the way I approach underwater projects because I understand that a photograph or scene still needs intention.
The eyes matter. The body matters. The character matters. The story matters. I’m not just thinking about the pose. I’m thinking about what the audience is supposed to experience. That’s what I mean when I talk about underwater performance. I’m bringing performance into the environment rather than simply modeling inside of it.
You can see more of my underwater modeling portfolio to explore the different types of work I can bring to a production.
5. Safety Makes Better Creative Work
I know safety isn’t necessarily the most glamorous part of talking about underwater photography, but it is one of the most important.
A performer who doesn’t feel safe cannot fully concentrate on the creative work, and a photographer who is worried about whether their model is okay can’t completely focus on getting the shot. And a production team without a plan can lose valuable time very quickly.
That’s why I believe underwater safety needs to be part of the creative conversation from the beginning. Before getting into the water, the team should understand the concept, location, depth, wardrobe, props, equipment, communication methods, and expectations for the shoot.
Working with a trained performer also means understanding that underwater shoots require different considerations than traditional photography.
Divers Alert Network has useful information about working with freedivers and the importance of planning, communication, and safety when creating underwater imagery.
I also recommend that photographers and production teams familiarize themselves with appropriate diving and underwater photography practices. PADI’s underwater photography resources are another useful starting point for understanding the unique considerations of working beneath the surface.
For my own work, safety is never something I want to figure out after the cameras are already rolling. It belongs in pre-production.
If you’re interested in learning more about what goes into creating underwater imagery safely, I also wrote about safe underwater modeling and the preparation behind the scenes. It’s an important part of the process that isn’t always visible in the final photograph, but it can make a tremendous difference in both the experience on set and the quality of the finished work.
Underwater Photography Is About More Than Looking Beautiful
I’ll admit it: I absolutely love creating beautiful underwater images. But the longer I’ve worked underwater, the more I’ve realized that the strongest images aren’t necessarily the prettiest ones. They’re the ones that make you feel something.
Maybe you look at the image and feel peaceful. Maybe you feel curious. Maybe you feel like you’re entering another world. Maybe you feel powerful. Or maybe you have absolutely no idea what you’re looking at, but you can’t stop looking. That’s the magic right there!
Underwater photography gives us an opportunity to take something familiar and make it feel completely different, and that can be incredibly valuable for storytelling.
Bringing Acting Into Underwater Performance
My acting background is another major part of how I approach underwater work. When I’m performing underwater, I’m still an actress. I’m thinking about character, emotion, intention, movement, and the story we’re trying to tell.
That becomes especially important when an underwater sequence is being created for film, television, advertising, music videos, branded content, or a narrative project.
The performer isn’t simply filling the frame. They’re part of the story.
That is one reason I love combining my different areas of performance. Acting, underwater work, mermaid performance, and even performance capture and MOCAP all require an awareness of the body and an ability to communicate through movement.
The environment may change, but the fundamental question remains the same: What are we trying to communicate?
What Can You Hire an Underwater Model For?
If you’re a photographer, filmmaker, advertising agency, creative director, production company, or brand, you may be wondering whether an underwater performer is right for your project.
Here are just a few possibilities:
- Commercial underwater photography
- Underwater advertising campaigns
- Fashion and swimwear campaigns
- Beauty and lifestyle campaigns
- Film and television
- Music videos
- Branded content
- Conceptual photography
- Mermaid and fantasy productions
- Promotional campaigns
- Underwater storytelling
- Creative editorial work
- Aquatic and adventure campaigns
And those are only the obvious possibilities. One of my favorite things about this kind of work is hearing a creative concept and figuring out how we can bring it into the water. Sometimes the idea is very specific, and other times, someone simply tells me, “I want it to feel magical.”
That’s where the creative process gets really fun!
What It’s Like to Work With Me
If you’re considering hiring an underwater model for your next production, I want the process to feel collaborative from the beginning. I like to understand the concept, location, timeline, mood board, wardrobe, shot list, and overall vision before we ever get into the water.
From there, we can talk about what is realistic, what will create the strongest visual result, and what needs to be considered from a safety perspective. Once we’re on set, my job is to perform.
I take direction, repeat movements when needed, adapt to the environment, and work with the photographer or director to get the shot. I’m comfortable being both highly directed and creatively collaborative.
And because I understand production from the performer’s side, I know how valuable it is to have someone who is prepared and professional once the cameras start rolling.
If you’d like to see examples of my work, visit my underwater modeling portfolio.
The Possibilities Beneath the Surface Are Endless
I think that’s ultimately why I keep coming back to underwater work. There is always something new to discover. Water can make something elegant. It can make something mysterious. It can make something powerful. It can make something playful or something completely surreal.
And when the right performer, photographer, director, and creative team come together, the result can be something that audiences don’t simply see… They remember it, and that’s the real power of underwater visual storytelling.
The goal isn’t to put a person underwater just because it looks cool. The goal is to use the environment intentionally to create something the audience couldn’t experience in quite the same way anywhere else.
Ready to Take Your Project Beneath the Surface?
If you’re a photographer, filmmaker, creative director, advertising agency, production company, or brand looking for experienced underwater talent, I’d love to hear about your project.
I’m available for underwater modeling, underwater performance, commercial campaigns, photography, film, branded content, mermaid and fantasy productions, and other creative projects that need an experienced performer beneath the surface.
I’m based in Florida and available for travel. Contact me about your project and tell me what you’re creating. Send me your concept, location, timeline, and anything else you’ve already developed.
The more I understand about your vision, the more we can figure out how to bring it to life.
And if you need an underwater photographer to help capture the project, Water Bear Photography is a company I’ve worked with and highly recommend. I’ve spent years learning how to perform beneath the surface. Now I’d love to help you bring your story there.
What will you create underwater?