83TO BE HONEST, mermaid photography
has never been at the top of my agenda.
Usually, I prefer to shoot natural
landscapes and animal models. But
this does not mean that I do not enjoy
artistic photography!
On the contrary, my underwater
pictures have often been lauded for
their artistry, their sophisticated lighting
and their room for interpretation.
However, working with a mermaid was
new to me.
Folklore is full of stories
involving mermaids,
ships’ disasters, and
miraculous rescues
THE CHALLENGE
One of my friends and photography
colleagues was scheduled to lead a
group of divers on an expedition to Truk
Lagoon. For personal reasons, he had to
cancel at the last minute and I agreed to
fill in for him. During my briefing I was
told the trip would include a mermaid
and some mermaid shoots had been
scheduled. My first reaction was rather
subdued (something along the lines of,
“Well, if that is what it takes...”). I had
never expected that there was much
behind all this “mermaiding stuff”.
I changed my mind, however, once
I met “Mermaid Kat”, Miss Katrin Gray,
and her husband Ian Gray. I was
surprised by her professionalism and
enthusiasm for the ocean. I came to
realise the great potential that this
special location, Truk Lagoon, could
have for extraordinary mermaid
photography: a place with a sad and
compelling history, full of contradictions.
We know that this is a graveyard,
a symbol of human stupidity and
failure, but on the other hand there is
a haunting beauty to the place. When
you dive through this submerged
museum, this weird juxtaposition evokes
strong emotions. So, why not include
a mermaid in the story? Folklore is full
of stories involving mermaids, ships’
disasters, and miraculous rescues.
LOOKING FOR THE BEST LOCATION
On average, we had two dives per wreck.
The first dive was for location scouting,
to get a feel for the place and check out