Story Behind the Shot "Underwater Circus"

Lucie Drlikova shares the story behind her Ocean Art category-winning image

Text and Photos By Lucie Drlikova

Underwater Circus was created as a series of 3 pictures in March 2014, Prague/ Czech republic.

My first idea was to create a walking ballerina on rope, but somehow I was still missing something, something different, special for me. One day I saw a yellow clown wig and at that moment I got the idea about the underwater circus. I love circus from my childhood, all the clowns and acrobats. Sad soul behind the happy face. So it was decided! I knew I needed experienced models, as it would be quite difficult to synchronize them all. The girl on the rope was clear for me from the first moment - my best friend Zela is always ready to help me with all my crazy ideas and she is a certified freediver, therefore comfortable underwater. I started to tailor the costumes on her.

Finding two male models was also not so difficult either. Laci and Robert voluntarily offered themselves. Actually, I am very lucky with underwater models in the Czech. As a certified scuba diver and freediver, we have a big community in Prague and everybody knows each other. I have shot the Czech Championship in freediving many times and I also support many free diving activities, so if I need something, the community is happy to help me ni return.

There are only a few swimming pools in Prague with a depth of around 13 feet. The Czech freediving team uses one of them for their training, and they were so kind as to offer me the use of this deep pool and to help with divers' safety for this picture. Safety is a very important part of a shoot like this. When I am shooting in such deep pool, I always use safety diver/ freedivers. 

Training and Setting Up the Pool

I always have to cover the swimming pool wall, as I do not want to have the tiles visible in the picture. First, I made a very big white fabric backdrop (I sewed 6 white blankets together), but then I figured out that it was a little transparent underwater and I could still see the tiles. So I prepared the same big fabric, just in a light blue color (for this I used 2 big photographic background fabrics sewed together). 

Next, I bought a 17 foot rope and we started to train and practice the position that I wanted to see in the picture in my living room. 

I always try to prepare the position with models on surface, before we go in the water. I believe that when everybody understands exactly what I want from them on the surface, they will also do it in the water. 

Approximately 2 hours before the shoot, I started to work on the makeup of the girl and to glue the mustaches on the men. I always do the makeup by myself. I use colors which are waterproof or creamy, and stay on in the water.

Then we started to cover the pool with the fabrics. The edges of the fabric were weighted with diving weights to tighten the fabric. 

When everything was ready, we went through all the details and position once more with all 3 models. 

The Pool Shoot

First, we needed to synchronize the two men with the rope. We tried for about 20 minutes, making them the same weight, which means taping some weights on the one floating to the surface first. We tested until we found exactly how much weight was required so that both men were on the same level. 

Next, we brought in the girl and started to synchronize all of them. It was definitively not done on the first shot, we just continued to try and try until the moment came when all were in the exact right position.

We did the same with the other 2 planned pictures, which were easier as it was only 2 people and then 1 person in the pictures.

All together it took us approximately 3 hours (including the work covering the pool).

Everybody was quite tired but happy! It was 11 pm and we were so hungry, so I invited everybody out for pizza :-)

The next day I started to work on post-production and prepared the final pictures for print. I was excited - the pictures turned exactly how I imagined them in my head. 

View the gear Lucie used, settings and the Ocean Art prize she won

"Underwater Circus" Companion Photos

Underwater Circus II

Underwater Circus III

View all the Ocean Art winning images

About the Author

Lucie Drlikova was born in the Czech Republic, is domicilied in Prague, and presently lives and creates her art in Miami, Florida.

She has spent many years in top managerial positions abroad, with photography being her hobby and escape from the reality. Her biggest passion has always been scuba diving, from which it was only a small step to underwater photography. Lucie starting shooting marine life and not long afterwards she added her desire to create her own scenes.

She studied at the Institute Of Digital Photography in Prague. Lucie has won a number of awards, at home and abroad, in the area of underwater photography. Her work has been published internationally.  www.luciedrlikova.com

Further Reading

• Underwater Photography for Beginners

• UWPG's Best Destinations for Underwater Photography

• Lighting Fundamentals for Underwater Photography

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