Why underwater?

After 40 years of traditional, terrestrial photography, I’d done just about every kind of photography there is to do. Looking for a new challenge, I began to experiment with underwater photography in 2018. I was hooked immediately, and determined to learn all I could about this new format.

It’s much more involved than I expected, and also much more rewarding when things go right. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, and this provided a new way to learn how to do photography all over again.

The number of factors to consider with traditional photography are multiplied when moved underwater. It’s even more of a collaborative effort, in which both the photographer and the subject have to be in complete sync.

Communication underwater is next to impossible, planning is critical, and trust is paramount. It’s tiring work, but so rewarding when all the pieces come together.

If an underwater photography session is something you’re interested in booking for yourself, your partner, or a family member, please take a look at the packages below, and contact us to discuss details.

about Aquatic Pictures

My name is Jim Hobart, and I have been photographing people for most of my life. I started with a Pentax 35mm film camera, and have been capturing photographs of people, places and things ever since.

After a career in advertising & marketing, I decided to go all-in on this photography hobby I’d been tinkering with for several decades. So in May of 2006, I started Macbeth Studio, got some new digital photography gear, and got serious about photographing people. For the past 16 years, I’ve worked with every kind of person…. from those who love to be in front of the camera to those who’d rather get a couple of root canals.

I’ve said many times that professional photography is 10% technical and 90% psychological. To be good at this job, you have to be able to read people, and say what they need to hear to become calm, confident, capable people, and you have to do that in 5 minutes.

So all that has been great training for this next venture: into the pool.

There are a lot of challenges with underwater photography that have nothing to do with the subject. I won’t go into them all here, but suffice it to say that the variables are vastly more complicated than a simple studio headshot. And I like it that way.

I’ve learned a lot since 2018 about shooting underwater subjects, from professional dancers and performers to folks who rarely get in the pool or in front of a camera. The goal is always the same: make each person feel that they are doing a great job, looking good, and feeling great. And the photos will reflect what they’re feeling.

As Aquatic Pictures has evolved, we’ve worked with individuals, couples, performers, and clients who need underwater photos for advertising purposes.

Contact us with any questions, or to schedule an underwater session!