Discuss with your photographer beforehand!
Waterside shoots can require extra effort and risks. The very first step is getting on the same page with your photographer. Are they willing to get wet? Are they willing to risk their equipment? Are they willing to hand you things and move your bag of supplies and props around while you’re stuck in the water? Communicating with your photographer before a shoot is ALWAYS important, but for waterside shoots, make sure you remember those three questions especially.
Not getting IN the water?
That’s okay! Shorelines can still make amazing backdrops for all kinds of characters, as long as you take your photos at the right time of day. No one wants midday glare to just wash the water out and be a white blur in the background.
Semi-aquatic characters like pirates or various creatures don’t have to be submerged at all for the water in the background to imply that they will get in the water later.
Also, sandy beaches can make a great desert setting if you’re closer to a beach than a desert. Just put your photographer’s back to the water and frame your shots up against dunes or long empty stretches.
Choose the right location.
Like with any photoshoot, you’ll want the area not to be too crowded. For waterfronts, this may mean planning your photoshoot for the off-season for the beach or lakefront of your choice.
You’ll also want to make sure the shoreline has the right environment. For our siren photoshoot, we enjoyed the giant rocks that lined the water’s borders on Lake Michigan, so that we could be sunning ourselves, and have an excuse to come across a sailor to “drown.”
Not all shorelines are sandy, and sometimes that’s fine. Many characters are at home in the swamp, so a reedy pond may be best for you.
Is the shoreline facing east or west? You can usually work with either, but it’s important to know, because it will affect what time you need to take your photos. If the sun is coming up or going down, you’ll need to go pretty early or late to keep the sun from just glaring off the water. Not having the ideal timing CAN be fixed with editing the photos in post sometimes, but it’s usually better to make sure you shoot when the sun is cooperating.
Be patient!
Getting from your parking area to wherever you meet the shore may require a bit of a hike, so make sure you budget in time to find the right spot, and pack comfy shoes in your prop bag if needed.
Taking photos in costume in public can often draw a crowd. When you actually get in the water, we’ve noticed that people tend to get event more curious. You may need to wait for lookie-Lous to move out of the background of your shot, or even politely ask them to step away. Across the water, this effect can be magnified, as people at a higher or lower part of the shore along the water may not even know they’re being framed by the camera.
Currents or waves can make for an awesome, dynamic background, but getting them in the photo just right takes time. Whenever possible, hold your pose for as long as you can to give your photographer the best opportunity to get some seafoam or wake in the photo.
Also, just be prepared to be uncomfortable. Water can be cold, sand can be hot, and wet clothes can chafe. Make sure you’re mentally prepared to suffer for your art. If you’re sick, too tired, or having a really bad day, you may consider rescheduling a water photoshoot even more seriously than you would a dry shoot.
None of this is to say that waterside photoshoots aren’t fun! We had a blast playing siren and luring a sailor in to “eat” when we did our dream mermaid shoot. But we were prepared beforehand, and even then, we were pretty tired after. The better planned your photoshoot is, the more fun and safe it will be.
Speaking of safety…
There are a TON of precautions you need to take if you’re getting in the water.
Can’t swim in your costume, for instance? Make sure you stay way in the shallows then! Also, make sure you have a designated person to drag you back if you start to slip out further into the water than you mean to.
Remember, wet fabric gets HEAVY. Even a decent swimmer needs to consider that wet fabric can create drag, and carrying props can eliminate your use of one or both hands. Swimming in a costume is a whole different ball game from swimming in a costume. If you really want to be way out in the water, you may have to make very heavy modifications to do a swimsuit version of your character.
When posing on rocks or anywhere slippery, consider your poses carefully. If you aren’t stable, you may need to find a different location for that pose, or skip it entirely. Missing out on a pose can be a bummer, but no one wants to stop their photoshoot altogether because they slipped and bashed their head, landing in the water.
Consider having a lifeguard or someone certified in first aid on deck. You can’t be too careful.
Don’t trespass. Aside from the risk of getting in trouble, trespassing policies around water are often designed for safety reasons. You can use someone’s pond or lakefront property WITH PERMISSION. There are also many state parks with lakes and beaches, and public beaches on the coasts. Even in public though, make sure you obey the posted hours. Some locations are much more dangerous after dark, or lifeguards may be off duty.
Finally, wear sunscreen. The light-magnifying nature of water can increase your risk of sunburns, especially when the water is on your skin. Some make-up has built in SPF, but usually, good old sunscreen is still best. There was a whole graduation speech about it in the 90’s. Just wear the sunscreen.
Keep all your props and supplies in ONE OR TWO bags!
Your photographer or helper will most likely be on the hook for handing you everything to minimize you getting up and down in slippery conditions while wearing a costume. So make their lives easier. It’s polite, and you never want make your photog mad anyway.
It may make sense to have a second bag for wet stuff to keep it separate, but really, make sure you minimize the digging around and carrying they’ll have to do.
And in that bag, make sure you pack make up you need for any touch ups, walking shoes if needed, towels, and drinking water, in addition to any props you need for the shoot.
Special effects opportunities abound.
Waterside photoshoots are usually ripe for all kind of effects later.
But we’ll start with a practical effect pro-tip: If you’re supposed to be wet, mix one part vegetable glycerin to one part water and put it in a spray bottle. You will feel a little greasy, but it’ll keep your upper body damp and shiny without having to submerge yourself in the water.
For edits later, feel free to play around with weather effects. Adjusting saturation, adding gray filters, or darkening the photo can make the skies grayer like before a storm, or change the time of day. Just make sure your photographer is okay with you editing their photos first. Many professionals are not, or want you to make sure you label any edits you make.
For both photosets above, Jen Greeley, AKA Orangegofish, played with the images to get different effects on the same photo.
But if they are cool with is, make sure they get plenty of wide shots! Having a massive expanse of water behind you gives you room to play around with edits. You can add a sea monster poking up out of the water, or a massive ship on the horizon.
A note about mermaid tails:
Swimming in mermaid tails requires a monofin (which can be pricey) and TRAINING! Do not attempt to swim in a mermaid tail on your fist try for a mermaid shoot. Talk to a professional before practicing, and make sure to practice in a safe, monitored way!
We didn’t even purchase monofins, because we don’t have the training to swim in them. We made sure to wear swimsuit bottoms under our tails and took the tails all the way off to move from location to location in the water.
No photo is worth drowning for. You won’t get to see how much people liked your mermaid costume if you aren’t around to post them. Just be smart.
Additional costuming pro-tips:
- You can use swimwear as a base sometimes and modify it! Crayle sewed dozens of seashells and sea glass beads onto her swim top.
- Body adhesives aren’t always waterproof. Make sure you check the descriptions and reviews, or you’ll end up losing your chest barnacles in the water like we did.
- Nets (including torn fishnet accessories), large shells that you may already have for decoration, and other items you already have in our home or cosplay closet can make great props! Just make sure you don’t leave anything behind. Littering is bad.
- Waterproof make-up is a must!
- For “scales,” you can do what Kelly did: Take a fishnet item and hold it over your skin before applying iridescent make up.
- Wash your costume IMMEDIATELY! Natural bodies of water are full of bacteria, and it can start to get smelly FAST. Divers and aquarists often use mouth wash to disinfect and remove smells from their gear in the tub, so that’s what we did before washing our costumes on a gentle cycle in the washing machine.
Have fun and be safe.
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