Your child needs to have undertaken at least 6 weeks of lessons and be comfortable being submerged, and have good breath control. If you are unsure speak to your teacher or the office before booking.

As a rule we have five children in a 30 minute slot, this allows lots of opportunity for your child to take a rest and have a few goes in the underwater studio!

There is always another time we will never force an unhappy child to submerge and even if we did the images would be of an upset child underwater, sometimes submerging with your child can help so make sure you practice smiling and opening your eyes underwater.

Of course, there are however a few things to consider during the family shots please look at the child not the camera. Avoid the blown out cheeks look or exhaling bubbles on the descent. It is best to exhale all air before submerging (this will also help you sink). Try to look natural and serene and descend to your knees and bottom calmly (no reason to jump upwards before descending). Ladies please make sure any make-up is waterproof! Please practice, most disappointing family shots are caused by the inexperienced parent rather than the child. If earlier in the session your child appeared to be getting a little distressed please be aware that your child will be so much calmer when descending underwater held in your arms. As well as the MacBook laptop there are 2 splashproof 21″ HD monitor screens mounted poolside, one faces the water atop the backdrop at eye level, this allows you, the instructor and the photographer to see the image seconds after it is taken. The duplicate HD poolside monitor points towards family/partners so they can also evaluate the shots in real time. (The small screen on the back of some cameras, used by others, is never used by us for shot evaluation). How cool is that you can see your image in seconds!

Please be realistic about your expectations on the shoot: This is an unpredictable environment with very unpredictable subjects. Your child may look very different underwater. Some can refuse to open their eyes, some put both fists to their face so making a clear shot impossible. Others dislike being handled by the instructor. If one child in the group begins to vocalise their disapproval it can unsettle others. Be aware also that most infants do not float naturally in a horizontal manner whilst underwater. This has to be something they become used to doing with practice. Some will adopt a vertical pose with arms above their heads, some diving headfirst downwards, others will attempt to run in a crouching stance and some will float ‘bottom’ upwards with arms, head and legs dangling beneath. Some are extremely vigorous underwater creating bubble clouds around their heads and distorting their skin. Please practice with your child holding them horizontal and lowering them into the water, gently correcting any tipping or rolling. This enables them to learn how to compensate and hold a level position. It is almost like fledglings learning to fly. Also submerge together with your child in your arms. Practice with your child really is the key to avoid disappointment and practice with the garments they will be wearing on the day of the shoot. Please be aware that water clarity can have a detrimental effect on photo quality. We will try our upmost to achieve that perfect shot, but we must be realistic.