If you’re looking for a unique way to show off saying yes to your best friend proposing and celebrating this exiting chapter in your life, consider underwater engagement photos! Underwater portraits are an upcoming trend I am seeing with adventurous couples who have out of the ordinary activities on their bucket list and are planning an adventurous wedding or elopement.

Although these underwater photos look majestic they’re not as easy as it seems. It can take multiple tries to capture one good photo and need a lot of time but the experience is super fun and so worth the hard work!

couple wearing a red dress and a white outfit underwater at the three sister springs

CRYSTAL RIVER FLORIDA SPRINGS ADVENTURE

Emilie & Jeremy’s all day adventure was nothing less of exciting. From 9am – 5pm we adventured the ocean and the many different springs Crystal River, Florida had to offer.

Once the sun was in the sky at the perfect time we adventured to a private springs location to capture their underwater photos. Believe me when I say, yes the water was actually that clear and blue!

I knew ahead of time that the water was cold and I should have brought a swim suit, but I wasn’t expecting the springs water to be ice cold! We only lasted about one hour because of how freezing the temperatures were. One tip to definitely consider if you’re looking to take underwater engagement photos in Florida, go during the hot summers instead of the Fall.

The temperature of most Florida springs is between 66 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. So the warmer it is outside the water the more comfortable you’ll be underwater.

But E + J were troopers and we all had so much fun taking photos and boating around Crystal River. After warming up in towels and the warm sun we boated back to the dock and watched the sun set over the Florida Springs.

WHERE TO TAKE Florida UNDERWATER ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS

Underwater engagement photos can be taken anywhere! Your backyard pool, the ocean, or for this couple the Florida Springs in Crystal River! Swimming pools are great for easy accessibility and you don’t have to travel far. Because of the already clear water you don’t have to worry about dirt floating around you or objects in the water getting in the way. If you aren’t the best swimmer this is also a great choice for your underwater engagement photos.

The ocean and the Florida Springs are always the first place I will recommend taking your photos because of how clear the water can be. The colors and clarity your photo background will look. And the way the water moves! Imagine going underwater and watching the waves move on top of your photos! So cool, right?!

girl wearing red flowy dress underwater

WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR UNDERWATER PHOTOSHOOT

Clothes or swimsuit? It’s up to you! If you aren’t the strongest swimmer or have no experience swimming with clothes (which weighs a lot heavier and is extremely difficult to swim in), I recommend wearing no clothes or a lightweight swim suit.

Do you prefer to wear clothes underwater? My favorite outfits are neutral colors and flowy dresses (if you’re a strong swimmer). If you’re wanting to wear a train with your outfit, a detachable train is the best option. Wearing a long dress affects the difficulty of swimming because it often wraps around your legs and weighs you down when trying to stay afloat.

Adding some color to your underwater portraits with a solid colored dress is another great option. Patters can be difficult to edit and being underwater can change the colors into weird tones. White, black, red, and yellow dresses are always the best!

Underwater Crystal River Spring Florida Engagement Session Elopement

TIPS FOR YOUR UNDERWATER ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS

If you’ve never taken photos underwater and want to after seeing this post, do not be afraid! Underwater photos are more work than normal engagement photos but with how unique and stunning your gallery turns out I think they’re worth it!

After contacting, before your photoshoot we will either communicate through a phone call to consult about what to wear for your photoshoot, how good of a swimmer you are, and the best place to take underwater photos.

TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING FOR YOUR UNDERWATER PHOTOSHOOT

  • Wear an outfit you are OK with getting dirty. Moss and algae stain fabric if you rub against it.
  • Depending on where your underwater photoshoot location is you will need access to a boat and boat driving experience! If you are considering the ocean or one of Florida’s beautiful natural springs you may need to park at a boating dock and drive your boat for miles until we get to the photoshoot location.
  • You will need more than one hour for photos. Because of how much energy you will be using to swim and float, rest breaks are a must! Depending on where you’re underwater photoshoot location is you may need extra time to take a boat to your location and swim.
  • Bring goggles to see underwater! Photographing couples with goggle is awkward and in my opinion takes away the emotion from the photo. Depending on what water type you are shooting in (fresh water, salt, or chlorine) it can burn your eyes so closing them before taking your googles off for the photo is my best advice for you.
  • Bring a floatation object. If you are in deep water and cannot stand or hold onto anything to stay afloat, having a hard surface like a surfboard or boogie board is an item to add to your packing list! Believe me from personal experience.
  • Don’t forget snacks and water! Underwater photos will feel like a workout once you are done. You will be holding your breath, swimming, fighting against the underwater anti-gravity, and moving around a lot. Having snacks and water with you is so important.

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7 Comments

  1. Wow. These are gorgeous! Thank you for including tips for those trying to create their own underwater photo shoot!

  2. WHATTTT???!!! These underwater photos are so incredible!!! I also love that you included information about how to do a session underwater!

  3. These are stunning! Like a frame out of a movie! I never thought to take engagement photos underwater, thanks for sharing these tips!

  4. How cool!!!!! These photos are so neat! What a cool idea and a great way to create some unique memories.

  5. I would loooooove to do an underwater session! either behind the camera or in front, i just can’t hold my breath for that long LOL but your photos are amazing!!

  6. This content is gold. I haven’t seen such a cool engagement shoot for a while. Underwater photography is such a unique experience for couples. Thanks for sharing the tips too!

  7. Whoa!!! These underwater images are really well done! Your underwater housing for your camera must be top notch – the clarity is just divine! And yes, sign me up for an all day underwater photo shoot!

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