[Week 14/52] Underwater in the Dark, Self Portrait

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I have a phobia of swimming in open water. It's not because of the movie Jaws or all those episodes of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel I grew up watching, I just hate not being able to touch the bottom when I'm swimming. I didn't learn to swim until I was 12 and the bottom of the pool, lake, ocean, or whatever was my safety. It's what kept me alive.

You're probably expecting me to say something like, "Now that I took this image underwater my fear of swimming in open water is cured!" but it's not. In fact, I'm not even underwater in this image.

In preparation for last Valentine's Day I took some images intended to develop into a beautiful heart gown flowing in the wind. It never worked out the way I wanted but I still had images in motion on hand. I also went to the zoo this week and took some quick snapshots of the seal aquarium for an image just like this--all without getting wet. Someday I might conquer my fear of swimming in open water, but since I live in a desert I didn't put it at the top of my list...

Here's a peek at the components:



And speaking of fears...next week I'm planning the biggest shoot I've ever done. Ever. I've got models! I've got hairstylists! I've got makeup artists! I've got props and wardrobe! It's a circus! Really though. It's a circus-themed shoot and the most complicated shoot I've ever planned. Strangely I expected to be scared of such a big shoot but in reality I'm just unbelievably excited!

What will your mind see today?

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