For years, Alix Martinez has shot portraits of children not on dry land but submerged under water. With the help of some highly creative kids, she comes up with fun and imaginative scenes of little ones playing almost every sport imaginable – like golf, football, and tennis. Most of these photos could even be categorized as fine art – like the one of the two dapperly dressed children enjoying a cup of tea or the haunting image of the two Catholic girls holding hands and twirling in the water.
“I have always loved photographs that display ripples and reflections,” Martinez told us when we asked her why she enjoys underwater photography. “There’s something magical and beautiful when water is photographed. Since I am a children’s photographer, I am always trying to come up with ideas to photograph them in a unique way.”
Of course, shooting underwater comes with its own set of challenges. As Martinez explains, “Underwater photography can be quite difficult especially with little subjects. The first time I almost drowned because I saw a shot I did not want to miss, but It is so rewarding when you look at your images. When I started, I could only hold my breath for 25 seconds and now I feel like a marine going under for 2 minutes.”
