There’s something ethereal about everything underwater. Adventure photographer Daniel Woods knows this well. He also knows the unique challenges that come with working in the aquatic environment. Besides the obvious, being in an environment where humans aren’t normally accustomed to surviving, there’s the difficulty in communicating effectively and efficiently with the model. To overcome that, Woods had an idea to use the Sony α9 and take advantage of its tethering capabilities. Using a large monitor set up poolside, Woods set up his α9 in an Outex data housing that allowed him to tether his a9 to a computer and display the images on the monitor. This allowed the models to see what was happening on a big screen which made communication and feedback dramatically easier.

Besides the tethered capability, the α9 made Woods’ job behind the camera more efficient in other ways. “I knew that the water clarity would be dropping. It was cloudy and [the a9] was getting focus for me quickly and accurately. The other thing that was a sheer joy, was the joystick. My models are floating all over the place…I may be drifting. For me to be able to quickly use that joystick to control my focus point is a dream.”

See more in the behind the scenes video Woods produced and check out some of the photos form the shoot below.

All photos by Daniel Woods. Follow him on Instagram @iinspiremedia.