Noosa photographer Liz Harlin won a Silver Award at the 2021 Asia Pacific Photography Awards for her ethereal underwater portrait of a pregnant lady.
Hosted by the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography, the Asia Pacific Photography Awards celebrate and promote the diversity of photographic genres worldwide.
Liz’s award was in the Maternity category, a genre that has become immensely popular in recent years as more pregnant women want portraits of their bodies in its beautiful, yet fleeting form. Photographing those moments underwater takes the genre to the next level.
“My clients are celebrating a remarkable stage of life and they want meaningful artwork that they can display in their home and share with their future child,” Liz said.
“Underwater maternity photoshoots are definitely trending – even Beyonce, who can pretty much treat herself to anything she wants, chose to immortalise her pregnancy with an underwater maternity photoshoot.”
Australia has experienced a COVID-19 mini baby boom which in turn drove demand for maternity and family photography. The pandemic put an end to normality during 2020-21, and shifting priorities led many couples to start a family earlier than they had originally planned.
The pandemic also brought an uptick in demand for novel experiences. With on-off restrictions on travel, dining out and traditional entertainments, people have looked for new ways make memories with their loved ones.
“An underwater portrait experience is a break from the everyday, a chance to experience something you’ve never done before,” Liz said.
“My clients come to the pool studio to make memories as well as artwork.”
Liz’s maternity client, Jamie, chose to display the award-winning portrait in the family living room.
“I loved being pregnant,” Jamie said, “so this portrait is a beautiful reminder of how much I enjoyed that time. It’s lovely to look at, it makes me feel proud that I got through pregnancy and childbirth. And the photoshoot itself was such an amazing experience in its own right, I highly recommended it.”
At her purpose-built pool studio in Noosa, Liz creates artistic underwater portraits that celebrate family, milestones, transformations and love.
For more information visit lizharlin.com
