BYRON BAY UNDERWATER portrait photographer

fine art underwater portrait PHOTOGRAPHY

AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

to take your breath away

bookING now

BYRON BAY REGION, NSW

NORTHERN BEACHES, SYDNEY

JOIN THE WAITLIST

underwater portrait PHOTOGRAPHY

welcome to the

UNDERWATER
EXPERIENCE

A bespoke, one-of-a-kind portrait experience awaits! Underwater portraits lend themselves to many different genres - maternity, dance, couples, boudoir. The focus here is on quality over quantity, with attention to the finest detail. Offered from either private pool or ocean location, you will be expertly guided every step of the way; from creating a vision through to posing and image selection. If you look at underwater portraits and say to yourself "I have always wanted to do that", or "I wish that could be me" - then this is for you!

Celebrating strength, love and connection on an underwater canvas.

THIS EXPERIENCE IS PERFECT FOR YOU If you are seeking

WHO THIS IS FOR

1.

To Celebrate. You are looking to embrace self-love and unapologetically celebrate YOU.

2.

To Reclaim. You have given your energy to everyone and everything - except yourself - and now you're ready to embark on a journey of reclamation.

3.

To Cherish. You are here to celebrate a milestone - and here to give it the recognition it deserves.

4.

The Exceptional. You are sensitive to art and beauty and seek what is unique and one-of-a-kind.

A GIRL SHOULD BE

who & what

— COCO CHANEL

SHE WANTS

TWO THINGS,

YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

Underwater Portrait Sessions

Self-love

for the courageous

An exploration of femininity, strength and beauty. A self-love session is all about celebrating you. Treat yourself or gift to someone special. Beautiful imagery showcasing you from a new perspective.

Couples

for the lovers

Celebrate your connection with your significant other. An elevated alternative to the 'trash the dress' trend for the newlyweds - and a beautiful way to showcase your love as a couple.

Maternity

for the mothers

Embrace the beauty of this precious moment. An underwater maternity session is a precious gift, one that will be cherished for lifetimes. With a value only increasing with time - you don't want to miss the opportunity to capture this fleeting moment in a timeless and artistic way.

HOW IT WORKS

THE PLANNING

THE EXPERIENCE

THE ARTWORK

Focus is on preparing for your session, finding your style and creating your vision. We will discuss your experience and comfort level, wardrobe and styling, and concept and creativity.

It's time to create! Your session unfolds at your pace, you will never feel rushed. I will guide you through different poses and looks until we have the imagery we want.

Following your session I will lightly edit a selection of images for you to choose your favourites from. These will then be fully edited and retouched. The editing process is where the art truly starts to unfold.

the art is in the edit

... we're not just capturing - we're creating ...

I WILL MY PHOTOS FOR TO COME

treasure

years

— INGRID

MEET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Hi, i'm HOLLY

My objective is twofold: to craft beautiful bespoke imagery inline with your vision, and ensure you have an incredible experience

As your photographer I approach each session with artistic intent to create images that are both unique and meaningful to you. My aim is not just to produce beautiful images though - this experience is all about YOU and I want everyone who steps (or swims) in front of my lens to feel special, celebrated and empowered. I am here to hold space for you so you may fully embrace and immerse yourself in this experience. You are worthy of having beautiful photos of yourself!

Your session unfolds at your pace, everything will be tailored to your experience and comfort level. We have already discussed styling and done all the prep work before you arrive so this is the time to just be present and see where the water takes us.

What to expect on your session day

Before entering the water we will take our time to breathe, stretch and go over underwater posing and buoyancy control.

We begin the session, often starting out in waist deep water. We will explore different poses and wardrobe items inline with your vision. We will capture, review and capture again, until we have something truly special.

It may feel challenging and less-than-graceful at times, but rest assured you are doing great! We will take as many breaks as needed along the way and the session will just fly by!

HOLLY MADE ME FEEL

confident and comfortable

— JACQUELINE

THROUGHOUT THE EXPERIENCE

HERE'S THE THING...

Imagine looking back at your life, perhaps at the age of 80, and realising that you missed out on celebrating beautiful moments, the photos you never took because you didn't justify it at the time. There was just always something else going on .. the time was never right. Now imagine a different scenario - one where you

PRESERVE THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS as beautiful works of art

I invite you to let go of insecurities, self-doubt, limiting beliefs and unapologetically do this for yourself.

The Underwater Experience covers everything that goes into crafting beautiful bespoke imagery including:

REQUEST PRICE GUIDE

UNDERWATER SHOOT

VISIONS CALL

CLIENT WARDROBE

POOL HIRE

REVEAL AND IMAGE SELECTION

IMAGE EDITING AND RETOUCHING

PRIVATE ONLINE VIEWING GALLERY

RETOUCHED DIGITAL PRINT READY IMAGES

with guidance and coaching on underwater modelling so you look relaxed and natural

to discuss individual project and planning prior to session

access to a beautiful selection of bespoke dresses, robes and fabrics

and use of any props specific to the vision including backdrops and fresh flowers

select your favourite photos. five digital images are included as part of the experience with the option to add on more favourites

magazine quality editing and retouching (2 to 6 hours per image)

high and low resolution digital photos for downloading and sharing

fine art, one-of-a-kind portrait images created just for you. images to cherish for lifetimes

INCLUDED

CUSTOMISE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

Fine Art Prints

Proudly display and gift your work's of art. Fine art prints are created using museum quality fine art paper and archival inks - this is not something you can
source from a retail lab.

Additional Images

Purchase only what you love. Five digital images are already included as part of the Underwater Experience with the option to add more favourites.

Drone Photography

Float above the surface of your pool or ocean based session and incorporate drone photography for a creative new perspective (weather and flight zone permitting).

This is for you if:

It's probably not for you if ...

you seek quick, shoot and burn photography

you don't like the water MUCH

you don't see photography as art - it's just pushing a button

you value quality over quantity

you are open to new experiences

you seek something truly special and unique - images to treasure for lifetimes

I can't wait to create something truly special with you!

- holly

Frequently asked questions

WHere are you based?

Pool based sessions are arranged in Ballina in Northern NSW, just 30 minutes from iconic Byron Bay. If you live in the area and have a pool that is suitable I am also happy to travel to you. Sessions are additionally periodically arranged in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Join the waitlist for the next availability.

DO I HAVE TO OPEN MY EYES UNDERWATER

Having your eyes open or closed is entirely up to you and depends on your level of comfort and the look you’re wanting to achieve. When reviewing photos it is often the ones where the client has their eyes closed that are the most loved. Closing your eyes can create a sense of relaxation as you bring your focus inward and immerse yourself in the sensation of being underwater. It can also be easier to maintain a relaxed facial expression and avoid squinting and other facial distortions.

what do i wear? do you shoot nudes?

You can wear as much or as little as you’re comfortable in. I shoot nudes, implied nudes and boudoir / lingerie. Your boundaries will always be respected and we will discuss styling and wardrobe in detail at time of your visions meeting.

HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO HOLD MY BREATH?

We will submerge for only a few seconds at a time. You set the pace and we will take as much rest as needed. It is also not essential to fully submerge if you are not comfortable with this; anonymity can be an interesting feature of a piece.

WHEN DO YOU DO UNDERWATER SESSIONS?

I run sessions in the warmer months between November and March. If you are wanting to explore an underwater session outside of these times get in touch and we can discuss further.

HOW LONG UNTIL I RECEIVE MY IMAGES?

After you have selected your favourite images it will take approximately 2 to 4 weeks to receive the final edited digital images. I put a lot of love and care into crafting each image with special attention given to colour correction and touch-ups, which is why it’ll take a little more time to deliver your final images. Wall art and prints may take approximately 4 weeks to arrive once the order is placed.

HOW LONG IS A SESSION?

I don’t put a time limit on the session as everyone is different, we go at your own pace. As a guide you can expect to be in the water for up to 1.5 hours plus breaks as needed. It depends largely on your comfort in the water, the number of looks, and outfit changes.

what if it rains?

One of the things about an underwater photoshoot is that it doesn’t matter too much if it rains – we’re underwater and wet anyway. In saying that, too much rain just prior to and during the shoot can impact water clarity and make visibility difficult. I want the experience to be positive so will speak with you about rescheduling if it looks like conditions would be less than ideal.

ready to DIVE IN?

LET'S CREATE

Something Beautiful

Underwater Portrait Photography for Byron Bay's Northern Rivers and Sydney's Northern Beaches

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Join the waitlist to be notified when session dates are next open for booking.

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You are now on the waitlist and will be notified when bookings become available. In the meantime, if you have any questions please send a note to hello@hollymclean.au.

Please fill in your details below or send a note directly to hello@hollymclean.au. I'm here to answer any questions you might have.

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