Beautiful "Mermaid" Photo Shoot

Coming across this amazing "Mermaid' photo shoot by Scout Management, I had to share the gorgeous photos of underwater model Sarra Hansen, as she was captured by photographer Drew McGill.

The variety of clothing, lighting and color made this a very compelling group of photos which emerged from the shoot, which has been originally scheduled to be in the ocean, but weather conditions forced it to the pool, which I'm glad it did.

What particularly caught my eye about the images is the whimsical flowing and light feel to the photos. That was largely brought on by the choice and color of clothing chosen by the team.

Another element I thought worked extremely well is the red hair of the model, which in most cases stands out beautifully in front of the background and the choice of wardrobe.

In the first image, you can see right away how the pretty the dark red hair of the model works in contrast with the rest of the underwater environment. The positioning of her legs and the loose clothing and hair make it appear she's sitting on a sand beach rather than on the bottom of a pool. Here facial expression is perfect for the pose as well.

Here you can tell they changed the lighting and moved from the pose above immediately to this one, with the hand extended to her hair, pushing it out a little. The light is a little too much for me in this one.

The black and white photo below really changes the feel of the image. I like how it brings out the detail, and the variety of shadow as a result; including the reflection on the bottom.

One of the strengths of these first sitting photos to me was the way it made the model appear to be outside in the wind. This wonderful and beautiful scene was captured perfectly. The model does appear to be a little distraught in this particular photo. She did say she was nervous about the underwater shoot at first.

This is by far the loudest attire worn by the model in the shoot, and was a good pick in that it helped make that reflection work really nice with the darker color.

This filmy outfit was my favorite of the shoot, and it works fantastic in an underwater setting. The way the hair was captured just moving next to her eye works nicely.

Her face is just about perfect in the photo, which isn't as easy as you think with the slightly opened mouth which had to be held still for the shot while water surely was pressuring her. The right hand captured as it was pushing through the water looks cool, once you get the positioning, which looks funny at first glance.

Also note the way she turned her torso in relationship to her legs. That, and the ability to smile with an open mouth underwater is an amazing accomplishment. Looks great too.

Probably the most impressive thing I found in these photos, is the way the hair of the model was apparently fixed while she was in the water, as each one could have been taken to be on a beach with the wind blowing in certain direction. The water of course adds to the flow, but it's a difficult thing to do, as you see through the many photos, capped by the final different look below.

I like how the model's hands appear to be relaxing on the bottom.

Underwater modeling and photography is a difficult art, and the work done here, in my opinion, was top notch. The positioning, hair, and ability of the model to maintain her poise in a difficult filming environment is impressive. You can see why there was such good results.

Team on the Project

Coordination and Production: Pablo Velho by Scout Management

Photographer: Drew McGill

Assistant of Photographer: Tricia

Model: Sarra Hansen

Make up and Hair: Jenn Kolhagen

Wardrobe Styling: Jennafer Grace