This underwater shoot was a spontaneous project. Helen was keen to try her hand at photographing the human body in water – for the past 10 years, she has focused on shooting the kelp forest, captivated by the light and shade; the colours and the creatures. Her friend Xia was a perfect human creature – open to any experiment and excited about the challenge of being photographed in water. It’s difficult to maintain a serene face while holding your breath and twirling below the surface.

We chose Long Street Baths for its exquisite reflections – it must be one of the most beautiful pools on Earth. The station tiles and the black lane markers on the bottom create warped reflections that seem to hold the body in space. We did the shoot on a weekday. There was not a soul around, which added to the beauty of the experience: the hush inside, the light streaming through the back windows, the slap of water. And the burble of giggles, as we played and played like kids.  

‘I’d not done any underwater work before and was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to hold my breath. Or that I would twirl around and look dorky,’ says Xia. ‘But Helen made me feel so relaxed. We laughed so much. I kept saying: “Look! I’m blowing bubbles.” That has kind of become a saying between us. At one point, I almost felt stoned with pure childlike joy. Or maybe it was all the water up my nose. The whole thing was like diving for coins when you’re a kid.’  

For Helen, the shoot was more challenging than she expected. And more exhausting. Wearing a weight belt and going up and down, up and down, while finding the right moment to shoot, was hard work. But the giggles and the flow of both water and creativity made up for it.  

‘Xia was amazing to work with – she’s such a natural. I’ve done many other body shoots since this one, and only a handful of people can move so slowly and with such focus. I was a bit nervous about the topless shots and hoped a squad of burly swimmers wouldn’t suddenly arrive. Xia and I communicated so well – I didn’t want a cliched shoot. I wanted something a bit gritty, and Xia got it. There’s an almost melancholic, angsty feel to some of the images.’