Underwater Modelling Lessons in El Quseir: Stuart Philpott on Buoyancy, Photography & Miss Scuba Models

After his attempts to set up an underwater modelling photo workshop in the Red Sea were an epic failure, Stuart Philpott used his time in El Quseir to hone his subjects’ buoyancy skills.

My bright idea had spectacularly crashed and burned. Whether this was due to Harvey Weinstein’s antic shitting the news headlines, a lack of advanced promotion or simply a vote of no confidence regarding my own photographic abilities, the brutal facts were clear-my underwater modelling photo workshop had failed to hit the mark.

Underwater Modelling

Models add a focal point to underwater images. A cave entrance or shipwreck comes alive when a diver is in the frame, torch beam illuminating a shoal of passing fish or highlighting the blades of a coral-encrusted propeller. We can relate to a picture far better when there’s a diver or a snorkeler either silhouetted somewhere in the background, or sharing centre stage with a dolphin or a turtle.

The photographer, working closely with a model, usually plans out the composition – this is not so easy to do with unpredictable marine life, but even so an experienced model knows where to go and where to look. My idea was to provide a variety of models and then show the underwater photographers the best way to get results.

Steve and Clare, the owners of Roots Red Sea (www.rootsredsea.com) based at El Quseir in Egypt, offered me the full use of their facilities and three previous Miss Scuba UK winners, including Miss Scuba California, agreed to help out as underwater models. All the right ingredients were available, but the menu just wasn’t proving to be popular. I had enquiries from both male and female photographers but firm commitments were not so forthcoming.

Maybe the concept of photographing models underwater was not PC anymore? But come on, this wasn’t a Playboy shoot, my idea was to take pictures of women – or should I say ‘divers’ – wearing scuba and snorkelling gear complete with wet tangled hair, snot, slime, etc. How sexually explicit does that look, especially with a regulator or a snorkel hanging out? The girls were not being exploited. They wanted to go diving and were happy to pose during the dives. That was basically the ‘bare bones’ of the week-long workshop. Going out as a group, taking pictures, making a few improvements/enhancements and having a few laughs along the way.

Maybe the word ‘model’ had been misinterpreted? But this clearly described what I was trying to achieve. In hindsight, using ‘diver in the frame’ instead of ‘model’ would have been a better turn of phrase. I guess the thousand dollar question was, why then use attractive-looking women on the workshop? Let’s face it – scuba diving in the UK is predominantly a male-orientated sport. The harsher conditions just aren’t so appealing to the fairer sex, so promoting women in diving surely can’t do any harm, can it? I’m sure this subject is a massive ‘hot potato’ of discussion and there are many different opinions, but be assured my intentions were true.

So I arrived at Roots Red Sea, feeling deflated and a tad embarrassed. Looking on the positive side this meant I had four underwater models pretty much to myself. Steve, pro-active as always, had planned in a two-day reef monitoring course with resident marine biologist Guy Henderson, which left me with about three to four days to kill. I had covered the Miss Scuba UK finals back in 2015 so knew the girls could all dive. Hannah Higgins and Sarah Mariko-Winter bottom had clocked up at least 50 dives, and Alex Talbot Prior, the 2017 Miss Scuba UK, had logged around 20. Miss Scuba California, Marina Inserra, was an unknown quantity, but she was working full-time at a dolphinarium in Dubai, so must be fairly competent in the water.

My biggest mistake was assuming the girls would be ready for action the moment they jumped in the water. I took some test shots during our warm-up dive and could clearly see this wasn’t the case and that we needed to do some work. Being an underwater model is not easy. I think it’s just as difficult as being on my side of the lens.

Models need to have good buoyancy skills and be aware of the surroundings, so no touching coral, no kicking up the seabed and keep an eye on marine life movements. Usually when I go on an assignment I use someone from the dive centre staff (this can be male or female) who are very experienced divers and know the dive sites well. Being 100 percent comfortable underwater is key. The downside to using dive staff is that their equipment is normally worn out and they predominantly wear black-skirted masks and neoprene hoods.

It’s difficult to highlight the model’s eyes when they are using a black-skirted mask, and wearing hoods makes the overall feel of the picture look cold. This is fine in the UK or colder water destinations, but if I am promoting the Caribbean or the Red Sea, it doesn’t look so good.

Several years ago, I gave a dive show presentation about front cover pictures. This described the do’s and don’t’s of underwater modelling and talked about the best equipment colours to use, mask types, body position and even how momentarily holding your breathing can make a difference.

When I use flash guns, it’s the yellows, oranges and pinks that come to life and if colour co-ordinated with matching fins and even a stripe or nifty design on a semi-dry suit, this all adds to the finished picture. We also discussed the importance of good communication. I use a few extra hand signals just to guide the model into the right position, move up and down slightly, etc., I’ve learnt that the camera dome port acts like a mirror and reflects my intended composition. This gives the model an insight into what I am trying to achieve.

Our first couple of dives at Roots Red Sea’s house reef didn’t yield many results and this was probably down to me not explaining what I wanted clearly enough. I sometimes take it for granted that models can assume the position instantaneously without any prompting. Then I remembered covering a tech story at Divewise in Malta.

Owner Alan Whitehead had used a Go-Pro to record the whole training dive and then played it back in the classroom later. It was much easier to explain a problem when you have pictures or a video as a back-up. So I made plans to take a series of in-water test pictures and then review them at Roots Red Sea’s lab-come-presentation room after the dives.

I picked a spot on the north wall where there was a cluster of pretty pink and white soft corals. The plan was to take some face-on shots showing the importance of arm and hand positions.

Then we moved over to a statue in the middle of the bay just to practice keeping legs together and pointing fins downwards. I chose a pinnacle located on the south side for the rest of my exercises. It sits at about a maximum depth of 18m and is about four metres proud of the seabed. Resident marine life includes shoals of anthias and glassfish. The focal point is a bright red anemone complete with a family of very photogenic anemonefish.

The girls took it in turns to hover next to the pinnacle, firstly with fins pointing down for a portrait shot and then posing either head or side on to the anemonefish for a landscape composition. We tried hair tied back and then flowing (apparently tied back is more modern and professional, and although arty, flowing hair looks out dated and very 1980s) and eyes and head pointed at the subject, looking away and finally looking at the camera lens. Most models will automatically look into the camera. But if I am taking a shot of a fish in the foreground, the model should be looking at the subject not at the camera lens, otherwise the composition looks confusing. When we reviewed all the pictures later on, the girls could clearly see the differences and what worked best. Facial expressions can also make a difference. Even when a regulator is in the way, a smile can still be seen at the corners of the mouth and in the creases of the eyes.

As a special treat, Steve made arrangements for us to visit ‘the rock’, a dive site located just off the coast of El Quseir and only accessible by boat. This gave me a chance to play with torches – although slightly too small to have much effect, the beam of light managed to add some extra magic to my pictures. This dive site is loaded with anemonefish as well as the full range of predators including lionfish, octopus and moray eels. I managed to get a great shot of Hannah complete with floaty ankles. Her yellow mask really did make a difference.

My original plan was to include some snorkelling and breath-holding shoots in the workshop. Most diving courses teach the basics of snorkel clearing and duck diving, but this doesn’t make divers proficient snorkellers. We spent a few hours in Roots Red Sea’s swimming pool going over some breath-hold skills which included static work and swimming lengths underwater just to build up confidence levels before going in the sea.

Sarah had brought along a new swimwear range from a well-known high-street brand and wanted to get some promo pictures. But the wind was blowing onshore creating quite a swell. There was a small boat moored in the middle of the bay and I thought this would make a good backdrop for some pictures rather than just having an empty blue vista. Instead of using a snorkel, Sarah was just going to take a deep breath and swim under the boat. This meant I could get a clear shot of her face.

On this occasion, I was also breath-holding so we both duck dived at the same time and met somewhere in the middle. We tried a number of different angles and compositions. The waves really stirred up the silt, which created a layer of murky water which meant I had to spend quite a few hours post-processing, but the finished shot didn’t look too bad and Sarah’s swimsuit definitely stood out.

As to be expected, Roots Camp’s top-rate hospitality kept everyone in fine spirits. Late afternoons were often spent sitting around the pool. There was even time for some sunbathing. The week finished off with a beach-side barbecue and a few ice cold beers just to drown my sorrows. Although my workshop had been a disappointment, I had learnt a valuable lesson. If I was ever going to try again, I should first make sure that the underwater models could actually model.

If the workshop had attracted more attention, I would have been left with a logistical nightmare. This was entirely my oversight and no fault of the models. There was even some talk about writing a new PADI Underwater Modelling Specialty course outline. I certainly had enough material, practical and presentations to fill a two- to three-day course. But would there be any interest? I also made another surprising discovery.

The perfect model – with big round eyes, pouting lips, white teeth and colourful complexion – that would pose for me all day long could turn slightly aggressive, especially when hassled by photographers. Yes, the one-and-only Amphiprion bicinctus, aka two-banded anemonefish!

FAQ

Q: What was Stuart Philpott’s original plan in El Quseir?

A: He set out to run an underwater modelling photo workshop at Roots Red Sea dive centre, using Miss Scuba UK winners and Miss Scuba California as models. The idea was to teach photographers how to work with models underwater to improve composition and storytelling in their images.

Q: Why did the workshop fail to attract participants?

A: Despite strong preparation, the workshop struggled due to poor timing, lack of promotion, and possibly the perception of the word “model.” Philpott later reflected that using the phrase “diver in the frame” might have been better.

Q: What did Stuart focus on instead?

A: With the models already present, he turned the week into a training opportunity to improve their buoyancy, positioning, and awareness underwater — essential skills for effective underwater modelling and photography.

Q: Why is buoyancy so important for underwater models?

A: Good buoyancy allows models to hover gracefully without damaging coral, disturbing the seabed, or constantly adjusting position. It also ensures smooth, natural-looking poses that enhance the overall composition of photographs.

Q: What photography tips were highlighted during the training?

A: Philpott emphasised using bright-coloured gear (masks, fins, suits) to make models stand out, avoiding black-skirted masks and hoods that obscure eyes, and practicing facial expressions. He also demonstrated how small adjustments to arm, hand, and fin position could improve images.

Q: What exercises did the models practice?

A: They worked at Roots Red Sea’s house reef and local pinnacles, practicing portrait and landscape poses near anemones, using torches for creative lighting, and experimenting with tied-back vs flowing hair. They also reviewed photos post-dive to analyse what worked.

Q: Did the workshop include snorkelling and freediving?

A: Yes. Philpott included pool-based breath-hold training before taking models into the bay for freediving-style photo sessions. This allowed for clear shots without regulators or snorkels obscuring faces.

Q: What unexpected discovery did Stuart make?

A: He realised that his “perfect model” was not a diver at all, but the two-banded anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus). With its big eyes, colourful features, and constant presence, it posed beautifully for photos — though with a tendency to get aggressive when hassled!

Q: Could this concept become a formal course?

A: Philpott noted that he had enough material to create a two- or three-day PADI Underwater Modelling Specialty. However, it remains uncertain whether there would be demand for such a course.