Underwater photo shoot in the icy water of a Canadian lake — a new Guinness record

Photographer Stephen Haining and his favorite underwater model Ciara Antoski set a Guinness World Record by performing a photo shoot on sunken ships at a depth of more than 6 meters without using scuba gear. In one day they made several dives, each of which lasted from 10 to 30 minutes. To ensure safety, there was a scuba diver-assistant next to the model, who gave the model a scuba bib before in between filming.

A professional underwater photographer, Canadian Haining, usually works in pools with a comfortable water temperature at depths up to 2 meters. But for this project, which required diving to a depth three times greater and in the cold water of the lake, Chiara and Steven spent several months undergoing special training in the pool and cold bath. The model mastered the techniques of holding her breath, posing in front of the camera in zero gravity and non-verbal communication with the photographer and his assistants.

The photo shoot took place on June 26, 2021 and was originally born out of a desire to do something visually interesting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then the Canadian authorities banned indoor work, so the photographer decided to shoot "outdoors".

As a result, Stephen and Chiara spent months preparing, and for the shooting they chose a place on a lake near the town of Tobermory, in the Canadian state of Ontario.

The team went to the Fatom Five National Marine Park on the Great Lakes. For the first test dive, the schooner Sweepstakes was chosen, which sank in 1885, sinking to depths from 3.6 to 5.4 m.

Then the team moved to the wreckage of the bulk carrier Niagara II and the steam tug U. L. Wetmore, which sank in 1901, for the longest photo shoot, which lasted half an hour and gave the most spectacular shots.

To ensure safety, there was a professional scuba diver next to the model, who assisted the photographer and let the model breathe through the scuba bib in between shots.

Shooting underwater has a number of features and difficulties. Usually, in an underwater studio, a photographer can communicate verbally with a model, but at the bottom of the lake, of course, there is no such possibility.

With the wrong approach, underwater photography can be dangerous both for the equipment and for the health of the people who are engaged in it. A person working with a camera at depth should have good swimming and diving skills.

It's amazing how Chiara stood for several hours in the icy water without scuba gear, but she is absolutely delighted with the resulting pictures.

6.4 meters under water is not so much, but it is very important to apply, then the chance to get into the Guinness Book of Records is much higher.