Underwater Summer Beauty

An Underwater Photography Session

A beauty session shot 4 feet under water in a pool

The way hair slowly twirls and fights time.
The way the sun rays break through the surface of the water to dance on the skin.
This is the magic that underwater photography brings. 

Take that visual journey with me.

These images reflect the softer side of underwater photography and the absolute beauty I am slowly becoming obsessed with.
Part 2 where images transition from color to black and white show a darker side of my experience, something with more grit, something that feels less peaceful and more like a photograph you found hidden in your grandmas attic and wonder- who were those people?

I can’t end this story without talking about all the HILARIOUS times we had while trying to accomplish this session.
First- it’s a hot, sticky, summer day and I have 15+ yards of fabric for each girl to drape all over herself, almost resembling a horrible 90s prom dress that I PROMISE them will look fabulous once floating in the water- fingers crossed.
We pin, pull, and tuck, and then head out to the pool.
I’ve rented an underwater camera, and despite all the negative things I’ve read about shooting in a pool, I’m confident we’ll still get something beautiful. Instantly... I find out every article I had read was so so so right. The chlorine causes a foggy mess when more than 3 feet away from your subject and what you are left with is either failure, or breaking personal space boundaries. I decided to invade personal space.
The girls who were brave enough to trust me with this vision were amazing, amazing models. Not only did they fight with unruly fabric, they also went under water and attempted to keep calm, open their eyes, and vogue in order for me to get the shot.
My assistant was in the back keeping the tulle in line, cleaning the pool of beetles and being the moral support I needed when it felt like things were maybe going to be a waste of time.
I was fighting with a fogged up, uncomfortable snorkel mask about every 10 seconds, swimming practically on top of my models. Iif I wanted to be below the model I had to release all my air and sit at the bottom of the pool for as long as I could while they fought and floated back and forth for as long as they could. My hair... well, we won’t go there but that was something else. haha
And then just the typical pool things- water in your mouth, water in your nose, chlorine in your eyes. Underwater Photography is a whole new animal.
But the whole vibe of the day honestly kept this project together. We had 4 young women all bobbing in a pool together, no makeup, hair a mess, horrible fashion sense, and it felt freeing. So I thank them for that!

---

Love the feel of this shoot? Check out Audrey's Artistic Pillow & The Pond Photoshoot

Beauty & Water go so well together, check out Mackenzie's senior photoshoot on Lake Huron

View The full Beauty Gallery and Senior Gallery

---

Watch the BTS video so you can see for yourself! Its hilarious and sums up the day- summer, pool. beauty, lots of laughs.

model seeks out unique portfolio- creativity flies at night

   You see Brooke's modeling portfolio and you see this glamorous beauty. Someone with confidence, someone with way more years to her soul than her flawless face shows. Or at least that's the impression I got the day she contacted me. 
   She found me on facebook and sent a few of her portfolio images to me. She then said she was looking to expand that and sent me a few basic ideas she was interested in. Her main goal- it had to be unique, it had to be different, it had to be artistic. And I knew I HAD to do this project with her!
   The rest of the guidelines? She gave us none. She totally trusted me, and I totally trusted her that no matter what we designed, she would be able to own it. I was right. 
   Then you meet Brooke in person. She's still beautiful, but she's just the sweetest. Where this fierceness in her photos comes from, I'm not sure. It just goes to show you she's a professional at what she does and can transform herself in to these characters. Her smile is so genuine, and her positive personality is truly up-lifting. Again... I can't imagine her NOT smiling when I look at her, but... when she gets in front of that camera, she drops the smile, works it, and owns that area she's in for the time being. 
   We first shot at dusk.  We wanted something dramatic, something with a dark, ethereal feel to it so we shot in the back 20 acres of the studio, loaded up the ORV with lights, chairs, fog machine, clothes, and headed back. Dusk quickly transitioned in to night. We eventually shot outdoors with nothing but the flashlight from an iphone and the headlights. Being outside of your element pushes you to see things differently, so it was perfect for all of us!
   When we went inside Brooke dropped the edginess she had just embraced so well and transitioned in to this delicate, free flowing model, who just so happened to be covered in flour. The way she moved was soft and light. Taylor, my assistant, suggested we shoot through tule we had, which just added to the dreaminess of the whole set. 
   Projects like this make me feel so alive. You're taking your world and expanding it in to this dream like state, which I always have my head stuck in. 
   Watch the beauty unfold below.

---

Check Out Our Full Beauty Gallery!

This whole session was shot indoors and outdoors at the AJBC studio in the Fall!
See how different the SAME area can look in the Summer during Daycee's Fairy tale Rapunzel shoot and
in the Winter for Aubrey's Senior Shoot!

---

The Pillow and The Pond- Fine Art + Short Film by Port Huron, MI Photographer- ajbc photography

I've been told, "Go to The Pond, that is where you'll find your dreams." 
Dreams full of color, and dreams full of life, where everything has meaning. 

I never dream in color so it's hard to imagine where this journey might take me. 
What will I see and how will I feel? I can't imagine the awakening. 

So I set out on a path full of ferns and full of fantasy. 
But that trip is stopped short when I see a pillow longing for me. 

It tells me, "Don't go to the Pond, stay here with me.
Rest your head on my pure white sheet."
All those things you travel to see, 
You can see them here with me."

I close my eyes and know where I'll go. To the dreamland that's never exciting. 
For everything I've ever found there was meaningless, but maybe, just maybe, it's been hiding.

My mind goes blank and I feel like I'm spinning. The earth shifts from green to gold. 
And I can't help but wonder if I'm dreaming. This goes against everything I've been told.

"Go to The Pond,' they said. But what about The Pillow?
These ups and these downs. I can feel it now. 
My body has been planted on the ground. 

Don't open your eyes. You know not where you are. 
And surely this isn't right. 
You've tossed and turned, and the sky has reversed.
Is it morning or is it night?

Something is cool, was there mud under The Pillow?
I crack my eyes and can not believe what I see in my palm. 
For behold, I'm at The Pond.

The colors. The life. The meaning I am feeling. 
There's no way I am dreaming. 

I can feel the water on my face. 
I absolutely know I am 100% present in this place. 

But wait, I'm feeling so dizzy, I better sit down. 

I'll rest upon the water, watch my hands release smoke. 

But right before I float, I get an overwhelming feeling that I may choke. 
Or drown. Or never resurface to feel my feet upon the ground. 
I inhale and exhale and soon I can see.

The Pillow that I so trusted, he tricked me. 

---

Watch The Pillow and The Pond short film (with your volume up or it's NOT the same):

Uploaded by Autumn Carufel on 2015-07-23.

---

I consider this more "Dark Beauty," which I adore! Check out the first time Taylor and I ever shot together when she modeled for me at my first dark beauty shoot ever!

The Pillow and The pond Inspired me to create "Floating Through the Veil" for Halloween.

And exactly 1 year later we shot "The Burning Shack Short Film and Burning Shack Trailer together!

Check out the full beauty gallery here!

---

Abstract depiction of Sia's- Chandelier by Port Huron Artist AJBC Photography

Party girls don't get hurt
Can't feel anything, when will I learn
I push it down, push it down

I'm the one "for a good time call"
Phone's blowin' up, they're ringin' my doorbell
I feel the love, feel the love

1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink

Throw 'em back, 'til I lose count

I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn't exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

But I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes

Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cos I'm just holding on for tonight
Help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cos I'm just holding on for tonight
On for tonight

Sun is up, I'm a mess
Gotta get out now, gotta run from this
Here comes the shame, here comes the shame

1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink

throw 'em back, 'til I loose count

I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn't exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

I'm just holding on for tonight

based on the Chandelier video by Sia 

SUBSCRIBE to Sia: http://bit.ly/1sudphS The official director's cut for the 4 time Grammy nominated hit "Chandelier" directed by Sia and Daniel Askill, featuring Maddie Ziegler. Download "Chandelier" on iTunes http://smarturl.it/SiaChandelier New album "1000 Forms of Fear" out now!

---

As ridiculous as this series appears, I love it. I personally don't use alcohol to cope with life, and I don't find myself depressed (regardless of if my art makes me look like a hot mess, haha!) but I can imagine the haziness depicted in these images is what that would feel like. 
I urge you to watch the video to make sense of all this. I enjoyed this song but was totally blown away by the video. So simple yet so powerful. And Maddie Ziegler is downright brilliant! 
I chose to do this series out of focus because you don't need my face to understand what the individual might be going through. You just need the movement. Of course I had to play up the hair, because that IS Sia. That's all Sia is, which is even more cool. Which brings me back again to- It's not about the artist or the specific person, it's about the story.