1st Place Underwater Art
Sarah Teveldal
“A Happy Bunch“
The Story: Underwater performer, free diver and four-time World Champion Synchronized Swimmer Kristina Makushenko and I worked together to get this colorful, fun-spirited image. Balloons can be difficult to work with underwater, but we are both underwater enthusiasts who appreciate a challenge! The trick to working with the balloons is achieving a nearly neutral buoyancy. To do this, you must fill them with the right water-to-air ratio which is mostly water and just a tiny breath of air.
It took two sets of balloons to get the balloons just right. The first set was negatively buoyant and Makushenko had a difficult time getting them in the right position. We were successful with the second set of balloons when I left a little more room for air. Makushenko was then able to achieve the playful pose and look we were aiming for with just several submersions.
Post-production on this image included enhancing the colors to make them “pop”, removing the tile border and cleaning up the pool debris (as there had been a heavy tropical storm just the day before!). While it might be a slightly “ordinary” image above water, we were ecstatic to bring this concept to life in the water – our preferred medium that always adds a touch of magic, whimsicality and unpredictability!
Location: Private Residential Pool, Miami
Equipment Used: Canon 5D Mark IV, Sea & Sea Housing, Canon 16-35mm Lens
Camera Settings: ISO 400, F13, 1/250 sec
