Basia Baumann
Water Lollipops
During this underwater shoot, I gave no instructions to the models.
Not on when they should dive, how deep, or what kind of movements would work for the camera angle. All the shots were executed without any form of verbal or physical communication whatsoever.
Instead it was a search for genuine beauty and spontaneity. Fortunately, we clicked, the magic began to take place, and it seemed as if the models knew exactly what I wanted from them.
I was not working with professional underwater models, and I am not a professional underwater photographer. But the scenario seemed to create itself… even better than I could have created it.
Is it really possible that information can be transmitted through water? I can’t say for sure.
But what I can say is that – from an artistic point of view – the magic happened. And with the help of Carlos Cardiel, a professional diver and artist, we were able to accomplish this dream of an underwater shoot.
Sometimes less is more, and as an artist, you can allow yourself to enter a state of flow, and let the magic of the moment unfold.
“Sensible chaos,“ that’s what 18th century German poet Novalis called water, an indispensable, life-sustaining element of our planet.
Our actions have a huge impact on water, and in turn, water has a huge effect on us. It’s an eternal back-and-forth.
Water can transmit information, just as images can.
It’s the universal element, which we can somewhat master, but which can also master us. (Novalis again).