Take the Plunge—Underwater Wedding, Portrait and Art Photography

Underwater photography does not have to include sharks, whales, or seals and, for that matter, does not even have to utilize scuba equipment or be near the ocean. Our second episode on underwater photography profiles two photographers who have found their niche shooting wedding, portrait, fine art, and dance themes beneath the surface.

Jenna Martin walked away from a career in psychiatry, built her own underwater housing and began using friends and models local to her home in Billings, Montana, to shoot portrait and fine art images. Surprisingly, Martin doesn't use scuba gear or a wetsuit when shooting in pools, lakes, and oceans—she often utilizes props and, most notably, the texture and flow of fabric to create her sensuous and imaginative photos.

Adolfo Maciocco started as a dive instructor and eventually turned to underwater photography while working in the Red Sea and Thailand. Upon his return to his native Sardinia, Italy, he began to combine wedding photography with his passion for the water, and now specializes in underwater wedding photography. He has also collaborated with ballet dancers and free divers in a series of images shot undersea, then flipped upside down to create a wonderful, disorienting effect.

We speak with these two photographers about their technique and gear, and focus on their DIY approach, as well as on issues regarding safety, working with non-professional divers, and the differences between shooting in a pool and in open water.

Guests: Jenna Martin and Adolfo Maciocco

Photograph: Jenna Martin