A WORKSHOP CONDUCTED BY JENNA MARTIN
Montana water is pretty cold in winter…and spring…and…okay actually it’s pretty cold every single day of the year.
As an underwater photographer I have to admit it’s not the most ideal place for year-round shooting. But the crystal clear glacier water I have access to in the summer (although freezing), makes it all worth it.
Winter, of course, is a different story. Can’t really shoot if the water is frozen.
Which puts me on the search for anyone with an indoor pool willing to lend it to a desperate underwater photographer. Thankfully, one of the nicest couples EVER allowed me to use their pool in Bozeman for a couple shoots, so when Rocky Mountain Entertainment Agency (RMEA) had the idea to do a full model workshop complete with underwater model training…in Montana…in February…we had the perfect place!
I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of shooting with RMEA. Everyone is enthusiastic and nice – and the girls are absolute rockstars. Underwater modeling is tough, and they have to figure it all out within just a couple days. This year, we had an extra little bonus, as one of the modeling spots for my Greece workshop was still available, so one lucky model would walk away with a trip to Greece completely paid for!
The first day of these workshops is usually practice. Hardly anyone, if ever, gets it right on the first day. There’s a lot of choking and sputtering, a lot of “This sucks” and “How do you make the water not go up your nose?”
But the second day – wow! Every time it’s like a whole new group of girls show up. Everyone starts to get the hang of it, and it starts being fun! Then we can play with props, with backdrops, fun poses and outfits.
Plus, with a makeup artist like Olivia, with OMD4 Makeup (who is also the makeup artist that will be on hand for both the Greece and Catalina Island workshops this year), we get to see some really great makeup looks. The girls also had their photos taken on dry land by Katherine, from Katherine Kingston Photography (who was just a blast to work with, btw).
A few shots from day 2 of the workshop…
And the model that won a spot at the Greece workshops is… Riley!
As a follow up, we asked Jenna what Vanguard product she most often uses on a shoot…
“The bag I use is the UP-RISE II 33. It comes in handy because there are so many tiny little components when it comes to underwater photography, and this bag has so many little pockets so I can keep everything organized. I also love that even though it doesn’t claim to be waterproof, I’ve definitely gotten it wet, multiple times (whoops!) and everything inside was dry as could be!”
A huge thank you to Jenna for putting this blog post together!
