Shooting indoor versus an outdoor pool brings with a host of advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is lighting.
Most non-international swimming venues are not well lit. That means any underwater images there have to be artificially lit, which I can do.
But outdoors, where the sun shines brightly, there is almost no need for flash, unless you choose to use it for fill and get rid of some light shadows.
Also, outdoor pools came alive with texture and detail. You see the ripples on the water and the resulting shadows down below. You get accurate coloring in the water. And that huge ball of fire above the Earth allows to you bounce light from the bottom to really edge out the swimmer.
Another advantage of outdoor pools is depth, or, more precisely, lack of it. Rather than treading water during breaks in the photography, you just stand up. Never underestimate how great of a leg work out swimming can be.
This image was shot in the deeper end of the pool, but it is only 5 feet deep.
To offset the shallower pool, I shot farther away, making it seem like the swimmer is alone training in a deeper pool by himself. In reality, there were 3 other people in the pool exercising.
The choice of outdoor or indoor pool for your swim session comes down to drama versus brightness. I'd be glad to discuss there other pros and cons of each. If interested, email me and we discuss the look for your session.
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina.
1/1600; f/4.0; ISO 160; 24.0 mm.9225 Ashton Glen Drive, Zebulon, NC 27597 - (252) 341-0974 - Call Today
