New underwater images showcase world's deepest underwater photo shoot

 December 17, 2023

Incredible underwater images showcase world’s deepest underwater photo shoot: Record-breaking project used model who could hold her breath for SIX minutes

  • A new project has broken the world record for the deepest underwater model photoshoot at 100ft below the surface
  • Photographer Steve Haining snapped incredible photos of model Ciara Antoski on September 19 in the Georgian Bay in Tobermory, Ontario, Canada
  • The water was a bitter 44 degrees Fahrenheit and the shoot lasted 30 minutes 

A series of incredible underwater images showcase the world’s deepest underwater photoshoot which used a model who could hold her breath for six minutes. 

The record-breaking project took place 100ft below the surface of the famed Georgian Bay in Tobermory, Ontario, Canada. 

Photographer Steve Haining, 34, captured stunning pictures of model and free diver Ciara Antoski on September 19 at the bow of the abandoned Niagara II Shipwreck. 

The entire attempt lasted 30 minutes long, including cleanup, equipment removal and safety stop, while the photoshoot itself lasted just 16 minutes long, according to Guinness World Records. 

‘The real hero of the shoot, every time we do something like this, is the model,’ Haining said.  

Photographer Steve Haining, 34, captured stunning pictures of model and free diver Ciara Antoski on September 19 in the Georgian Bay

The photoshoot broke a new world record for the deepest shoot conducted underwater at 100ft below the surface

https://youtube.com/watch?v=PJdWDgjPePQ%3Frel%3D0

One of the biggest challenges the team faced was the bitter 44 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature. Everyone but Antoski was able to wear wet suits to keep them warm. 

As Antoski donned a white and pink dress instead, she was more likely to suffer from the extreme conditions, but Mareesha Klups and Mario Medarevic, two experienced dive trainers, kept a close eye on her and the rest of the crew. 

Haining said that Antoski ‘loves pushing the limits creatively with me’ as the pair have worked together in past shoots. 

Antoski is no stranger to daring scenarios as she performed in the underwater escape act for American magic act Penn & Teller. 

In the 16 minutes it took to capture the pictures, Antoski experienced spasms in her diaphragm from the cold water. Haining then made the call to end the shoot in order to keep her safe.  

The photographer went on to say that he knows that he could’ve shot the project in warmer waters like the Caribbean, but he chose the cold water in the Great Lakes to ‘make it as challenging as possible.’ 

The breathtaking shoot officially passed the previous world record that took place, but Haining said that the entire expedition was ‘about safety and having fun.’ 

‘When we beat the record I felt like it was an honor to be recognized but my team and I really wanted to set the bar as far as the record goes and that’s why we chose to go much deeper, colder, darker and over all more challenging and exciting as a personal goal,’ Haining said. 

Antoski is a model and a free diver that was able to hold her breath for six minutes under water for the shoot 

She was not able to wear a wetsuit to stay warm in the freezing 44 degree water as she wore a white and pink dress instead 

Antoski posed at the bow of the abandoned Niagara II Shipwreck

The same team held the previous world record after they conducted another deep dive during the Covid pandemic at 30ft deep.

Everyone involved in the shoot had to be advanced open water trained, and in preparation for the deep dive they conducted reconnaissance of the site, multiple rehearsals, and learned a series of hand signals. 

The signals were used for the team to properly communicate underwater, so they could tell each other when they were out of air, needed to go up, or if they felt that they were done. 

Everyone wore underwater masks with tanks, and between shots, Antoski was given a mask as a breathing aid that helped her stay in the water for as long as she did. 

Everyone wore underwater masks with tanks, and between shots, Antoski was given a mask as a breathing aid 

Antoski is no stranger to daring scenarios as she performed in the underwater escape act for Penn& Teller- two American magicians

The entire attempt lasted 30 minutes long, including cleanup, equipment removal and safety stop

‘Ultimately it was a reason for the team to all come back together and do something really fun again,’ Haining said.

‘It’s just really exciting to have the efforts officially recognized. But having those challenges and limitations and then getting the end results we did is so incredible the location we shot at 30 meters is a place we have all dove before and love so to be able to incorporate the passion of diving in Tobermory with my professional work in photography is really special.’

The newest record that the team set is five times the old one. All of the pictures with Antoski were taken during the practice run, and the record-setting photos were captured the day after. 

The two photos of Antoski at the bottom of the sea, with the sand and ship behind her were the images that certified the new Guinness World Record for the deepest underwater model photoshoot. 

Haining said: ‘Ultimately it was a reason for the team to all come back together and do something really fun again. It’s just really exciting to have the efforts officially recognized.’ 

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