In Conversation with Phoebe Fitz
Growing up with a background in natural history filmmaking alongside your father, how did those early experiences shape the way you see and tell stories through photography?
Working on documentaries taught me patience and to embrace not having control. You are at the whim of nature on a wildlife shoot, and all you can do is prepare yourself with good equipment in a hopeful spot and try your best. It’s fun to collaborate with nature in this way and humbly relinquish control. But I also love getting to have a bit more say in the image, which is why I started working with people. I really enjoy color manipulation, backdrops, and photo montage, which are less factual (though not less true!) than strictly documentary images. Working in conservation story-telling gave me an immense appreciation for nature as well as the scientists working to protect it.
How did you first discover your love for creating underwater imagery, and when did it shift from exploration to a true career path?
My dad is a wildlife filmmaker and after I graduated from college I became his assistant. Our underwater jobs were always my favorites. I loved the serenity of scuba diving - working in complete silence underwater keeps you present, which is such a luxury in today’s world. So I worked underwater as assistant and safety diver, and then later as behind the scenes photographer and second camera operator. I quickly realized all my favorite images had a person in the frame, and I started to gravitate towards capturing people in water over strictly wildlife.
Who or what has been the greatest influence on your visual style?
I think my color palette is reflective of an upbringing in the tropics - bright blues and greens, bronzed skin tones, dancing rays of sun. I really love the simplicity of black and white so I’m of course a big fan of Helmut Newton and Bill Brandt. In school I was particularly inspired by the surreal photographs of Jerry Uelsmann, who pioneered photomontage in the darkroom, and Brian Oglesbee’s water series.
What does it feel like to shoot underwater, and how do you find the balance between meditation and choreography when directing your subjects?
When you’re underwater, your mind can’t be anywhere else. I try not to talk too much when I’m shooting so the person can lose themselves in the dance they’re essentially putting on. When it’s my first time working with someone I ask them to swim freely and get comfortable in the water so that I can see how they move without my instruction. I think that helps keep the images interesting because every model brings in a part of themselves. Once I get a sense of their bodies and movement the instruction can start creeping in and I can go through my usual procedure of poses and motions.
Your photographs often unfold like dreamscapes. What emotions or subconscious states do you hope viewers encounter in these images?
A sense of calm and a reverence for nature. Immersing in water is very meditative for me and I hope a similar feeling transcends to the viewer. I think a water environment can easily seem reminiscent of our subconscious or a dream - its so otherworldly, but also very familiar. I’m in awe of the way light dances, the ways hair, fabric, and air bubbles move through water. There’s so much magic in our marine environment and I hope that sense of wonder and playfulness comes through, whether the image is taken in a pool or the ocean.
The female form is a recurring presence in your work. What does femininity mean to you in connection with water and the worlds you create?
Women and water have a lot in common. We’re both nurturing and life-giving, tied to the cycles of the moon. I like the idea of strength through softness and adaptability, which both can embody. Water has been a place of calm escape for me throughout my life, and it makes me feel very grounded in my body to hold my breath and swim. I find focusing the female form underwater allows me to do so with an air of freedom and lightness, in a way that’s more sensual and playful and empowered than sexual. I love when ripples on the surface and the curves of a body can melt into one another.
How does it feel when your photographs become part of private collections and live within someone’s home?
There’s no bigger compliment than when someone wants to live with my work. Its an honor I don’t take lightly.
What advice would you offer to someone just beginning their journey as a photographer?
Follow your curiosity. You don’t have to know why you’re drawn to something at first - many times the answers come later, or that subject will lead to another shift in focus. Trusting your instincts and not overthinking is a great exercise in exploring your own subconscious and finding a lens through which you can see your life and the lives of others most clearly. ‘Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good’ is also a saying that’s made a big impact on me because I struggle to get things over the finish line - the images I like most end up tucked away the longest when I put too much pressure on making them my best ever.
If you could imagine your ideal shoot, what would it look and feel like?
My ideal shoot would be in a crystal clear body of water somewhere warm and tropical, with the weather alternating between heavy rain and bright sun, a model who doesn’t mind getting water up their nose, and friendly marine life swimming in and out of frame.
