Title is from one of my favorite songs, Stubborn Love by The Lumineers.

I did it! The underwater shoot. If you haven’t read my previous post, last week’s theme was underwater. I had mixed feelings about it because I did two underwater shoots and they didn’t go so well. When I did the second one, I got one picture I actually liked (out of 800), edited it and posted it online.

Honestly, I had mixed feelings about it. I liked it then I didn’t, then I did. But now I like it for sure haha.
So, on Saturday, a friend of mine from university came over for a shoot. I’d contacted her a few days before and she instantly said yes! Which was super awesome.
Meet Larissa.

For this shoot, I wanted to do something inspired by The Little Mermaid. But not by Ariel – Ursula. So I knew I needed a black dress, with flowy fabric to look like tentacles. But I didn’t have anything I could use. I asked Larissa if she had a black corset that she wouldn’t mind ruining and she said yes. So we paired that with a black skirt, and I made the “tentacles” out of trash bags (which was so much fun by the way). I also went and bought the cheapest fabric I could find to use as a backdrop, I think I ended up getting around 4 or 6 yards just to make sure it’s big enough (and it was, thank god). I bought black and blue, just in case.
We had so much fun shooting underwater, that even after I got the shot I wanted, we just kept shooting and trying out different stuff. I even got Larissa into a red dress and we just kept taking lots and lots of pictures. I didn’t have a specific idea for the red dress, we were just experimenting. I’ll be posting a picture with the red dress some time this week, or next week. But for now, here’s the image for the 52 Week Project:

I guess it’s not such a bad thing that I watch cartoons with my niece every now and then.

I feel really good that I managed to get a picture I liked. I know that I will keep experimenting and keep practicing with underwater photography, because I absolutely love it. But it’s amazing what you can do once you set your mind to it. A few months ago, I would’ve easily dismissed the idea. I would’ve given up after the first try. But not anymore. I feel like the fact that I actually “announce” this here, and tell the world what I’m going to do, keeps me going and trying harder and harder. Like I’d be held accountable if I didn’t do it lol. I know it isn’t true, but that’s one thought that keeps me going.

Nooww, onto next week’s theme (drum roll please while I draw a paper)
It’s going to be: keys.

Oh wow. Let’s see how that goes.

2014-2017 52 Week Project Thoughts 52 week project amani alshaali challenge fairytale fine art photographer fine art photography photography photography challenge photoshop edit the little mermaid thoughts underwater underwater photography ursula