Playing In The Pool

The pool offers a quiet space of light and breath, where every movement becomes clear.

"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it." — Lao Tzu
A swimmer wearing a white swimsuit and goggles arches backward underwater with arms extended and legs bent above the tiled pool floor as light reflections ripple across the scene.
The swimming pool shows a different side of the water, a place where light is sharper, movements are clearer, and the body finds a natural balance. Here, the usual challenges of underwater photography are still there, but the water is calm. It is a quiet, controlled space where breath and movement can be shaped more easily. Within this environment, there is more room to explore. It allows for longer breaths, different shapes, and the freedom to experiment. Many of the ideas born here are later carried out to the open sea.
A swimmer wearing a light-colored swimsuit reaches upward underwater in a vertical position above the tiled pool floor as light patterns reflect across the scene.
A swimmer in a patterned swimsuit sits cross‑legged underwater with both arms lifted while bubbles rise toward the surface above the tiled pool floor.
These photographs are not just practice. They are real moments of presence, creating a mix of light, motion, and instinct just beneath the surface.
A swimmer wearing a one‑piece swimsuit, swim cap, and goggles leans back underwater against the tiled pool wall as light patterns ripple across the scene.
A swimmer sitting cross‑legged underwater with arms raised as bubbles rise toward the surface above the tiled pool floor.
The pool also brings out something simple and honest in the people I photograph. Without waves or the deep ocean, their focus shifts inward: to their breath, their balance, and the quiet feeling of being held underwater. This calm attention is a constant thread throughout the Nereids Photo Project, no matter where the image is taken.
A swimmer wearing a light blue swimsuit and goggles stretches forward underwater in a streamlined position along the tiled pool wall as light reflections ripple across the scene.
Part of the Waterscapes Series
Continue to Wetlook Portraits

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