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Would you like to join me at my Internet party? With a good WiFi connection, our notebook computers, a few bottles of the sparkling, and a shared smoke, we’ll discover a few more of the wondrous things in this world, like the underwater photography of Libor Spacek.
Who is Libor Spacek?
Libor Spacek was born in 1966 in Czech Republic. As a photographer and diving instructor he came up with interesting idea of bringing studio methods down under the water’s surface. The result is a unique photo collection of “Underwater Fine Art Nudes” which has been exhibited and published worldwide to great acclaim. He is a Czech artistic photographer, scuba instructor, yachtmaster coastal and adventurer based in Prague (EU).
Why do you create?
During an underwater photography session I try to create ever more daring and freer composition, work with light more creatively. In short; with slight imagination one can say that from my initial pictures, where it was obvious they were taken under water, I am reaching a stage where the models levitate in a different, dream-like dimension. It is not water nor air, it is a mysterious material, strange light of which is as if coming from the infinite space. I therefore work with models who move and look quite natural underwater. In this medium fuller shapes of a woman‘s body stand out better.
Blues
Regarding your underwater photography, you say on your website:
These photos are so magic because everybody is alone while creating one joint thing. The photographer is alone with his lights and camera, the model is alone in the swimming pool - without goggles she can’t see anything but contours, half blinded by the chlorine water.
Tell me more about your relationship with your models, both in the studio (or pool, in this case) and out.
Prior to an underwater photo shoot I have a meeting with the models and plan the whole session. The time of the actual action does not take more than 3 hours and I must produce results at the end of it. The three hours are roughly defined by my air supply in the bottles and the charge in my batteries. Also the models are ceaselessly free diving, thus putting up sport performance and it has its limits. Sabina, my girlfriend, is my key model – she is diver and she mostly helps me with shooting other models who doesn’t have any experience with swimming under water.
I photograph models underwater or in studio and outdoor I try to find good friendship and trust between us and at the same time keep professional one’s distance. It’s very important for end result.
Soft Landing
Most scuba divers who are also photographers create vibrant images of coral reefs and tropical fish. You, conversely, have used your scuba skills to enhance your fine art photography. Why did you take the road less traveled?
First I started taking photographs of nature – no underwater. Later I tried taking some pictures in my friend’s photo-studio in NYC. I tried to do fine art nudes in studio. Only after I returned to Czech Republic did I start taking pictures underwater. I wanted to take uw photos for remember of my diving trips like others scuba photographers.
During one diving lesson with my diver, she was fashion model, I prepared my new uw housing before trip to Egypt. The model after lesson took off her neoprene and swam naked in swimming pool during my test of my camera on the bottom. I photographed her on one black & white negative. When I saw developed negative I was very surprised by result. After trip to Egypt I used two nudes from swimming pool together with uw life images from Egypt in PAF Tachov 2002 (International festival of uw photography and movies in Czech Republic). There I got prize in black & white category. It was resolved that I found something where I can succeed not only as uw photographer but as an artistic photographer too.
But I’m still interested in marine life. I publish and exhibit many uw images in Underwater Life collection after my participation on two Philippines projects.
Irina
Your underwater work is adoring of the female form, while Irina – a nude woman standing on her toes, balanced on a plain wooden folding chair in front of a flat wall – is much more raw and blatant, framing the vacant-faced woman as vapid sexual object. Talk about the contrary views of femininity expressed through your art.
My commercial and artistic work isn’t only from under the water. I specialized in glamour and art nude. I‘m a photographer who can manage own photographic work in photo studio, indoor and outdoor, but mainly under the water. I like to show beautiful curves of all female models. Play with shadows and lights and female curves you don’t see on underwater fine art nudes only, but mostly in my photos of art nudes.
I joined my two professions together – as a scuba instructor and a photographer I could play with lights and shadows. I had experience of both work. I can move more easily under the water with my complete scuba and photographic gear than other people. Every time and everywhere I take pictures that they to be look artistic. Many models interested in work with me underwater but mostly they start to work in studio or outdoor before we take pictures under surface.
My thanks to Libor for sharing his work. Please be sure to visit spacekphotos.com to see more of his art.
If you would like to share your creativity, or you’d like to suggest someone for Show Us Yours, please send an e-mail to share@yorkrules.com.
1 Comment
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Support Barack Obama
As usual, wonderful work!!