SHOOTING STEPS
1 GRAB A BATH BOMB
In order for this technique to work properly, you’ll need to purchase a bath bomb that will turn the water opaque and/ or milky so that you can’t see your model’s body beneath the water line. Consult with a member of staff from your local cosmetics shop if you need help.
2 SET UP THE CAMERA
In order to avoid having the edges of the bathtub creep into your shot, it’s best to equip your camera with a decent portrait lens – something like a 50mm or longer would be ideal. This will also help to prevent your model’s facial features from being distorted too.
3 FILL THE TUB
Start to fill your bathtub with warm water.
Make sure that it’s a comfortable temperature for your model, as they may need to spend a fair amount of time in the water while you capture the shot. Run the water deep enough so that they can be fully submerged.
4 ADD YOUR BATH BOMB
With the bath filled to the required depth, drop in your bath bomb. It may take a few moments for it to fully disintegrate and for the foam to disperse. If you need to, place additional bath bombs into the water in order to help reduce the water’s transparency.
5 CHECK THE WATER OPACITY
Place your hand into the water and keep lowering it further beneath the surface, noting how deep it has to be before you lose sight of it completely. Ideally the water needs to be murky enough so that your hand is concealed just a few centimetres beneath the water.
6 TAKE THE SHOT
Very carefully, lean over the bathtub once your model has submerged, ensuring that you have a tight grip on your camera. Ask your model to swish their head gently back and forth to bring their hair to the surface, and to create swirls and ripples on the surface of the water.