How Wendy Timmermans Took This Hypnotising Underwater Shot
What depths would you go to get that perfect shot? For this couple, it’s however far their breath will take them. As a vice world champion freediver, Wendy Timmermans has spent some of her greatest moments under foreign seas. When she met her ocean-loving boyfriend, Guillaume Bihet, it was only a matter of time before these jaw-dropping shots surfaced. While the couple teaches freediving at their school in Dahab, Egypt, their underwater photography studio is booming. Traveling around the globe to take some of these beautiful shots, one of their most memorable shoots occurred in the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico.
To get this amazing shot, titled Blue Hypnosis, Wendy explains that she and Guillaume would have to cut through thick jungle and make their way underground via a narrow staircase left by the locals. Together, the couple dove into the water like they do on every trip, working as a team to explore the area and get the perfect shot. The pair are trained freedivers, meaning for this shoot they dove together to a depth of 20 meters on a single breath of air. Playing with the natural and penetrating light in this crystal-clear water, Wendy captured this praise-winning shot while Guillaume floated just feet above the sandy bottom.
CAMERAS & SETTINGS
Sony a6300
24.2MP Exmor CMOS Sensor, UHD 4K Video Recording, Built-In Wi-Fi
As explained in the couple’s National Geographic Your Photo page, these beautiful shots were taken with their Sony a6300 with Nauticam housing, set at a 10mm focal length, f/4, ISO 640, and 1/125 sec.
The duo regularly attributes their success to dedicated teamwork. They routinely switch positions behind and in front of the camera, giving both Guillaume and Wendy a chance to polish their photography skills as they freedive. They rely solely on natural lighting and will dive the same location multiple times in order to get the perfect shot. In terms of their underwater kitbag, the pair tend to take Guillaume’s camera in the water and leave Wendy’s on the shore.
If there’s one thing we can learn from this pair’s amazing shots, it’s that you can never go wrong mixing your two passions. In the above video shot by Guillaume documenting the very dive that resulted in this photo, you can feel the peace and tranquility felt by these two divers. When this pair started mixing their powerful teamwork, their love for the ocean, and the phenomenal sights of Mexico, it was only a matter of time before the world saw such amazing shots.
You can see more amazing underwater photography by Wendy Timmermans and Guillaume Bihet on their website, Seadrops Photography, and on Facebook and Instagram.
