Photographer breaks world record for the deepest underwater shoot
Steven Haining took ghostly pictures of model Ciara Antoski at a depth of almost 50 metres. The shoot required a lot of preparation and training.
Photographer Steven Haining and model Ciara Antoski (both from Canada) have set a curious world record: the deepest ever documented underwater shoot with a model. It took place 49.8 metres below the surface. The "Hydro Atlantic" shipwreck from 1987 near Boca Raton in Florida served as the backdrop. The resulting images are eerily beautiful.
Source: Steven Haining
This is not the first time that the two artists have collaborated underwater. They already set the record in the same category in 2021, with a shoot at a depth of 9.7 metres. However, the idea was not born from a record hunt, but from a joke about how to organise a "safe" shoot during the coronavirus lockdown. As a result, the two took a liking to the concept and dived deeper and deeper.
According to Haining, the most recent shoot lasted around 52 minutes at a depth of almost 50 metres - 15 minutes of which were spent on the seabed. The world record rules stipulate at least ten minutes. The team behind the idea planned the portraits for over a year. Haining and Antoski trained specifically for this and were accompanied by a safety diver both on the preparatory dives and during the photography.
Taking photos at this depth poses several challenges. For example, Antoski did not dive in a wetsuit as usual, but in a dress. She had to hold her breath while posing and was attended to by a crew member in between. Communication was limited to hand signals. As there is little light at this depth, the model was also illuminated.
Source: Steven Haining
Header image: Steven Haining
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Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
