Epic Underwater Maternity Session in Byron Bay – A Wild & Magical Experience

Karly reached out to me for a maternity session, excited for both land and ocean photos. She and her partner were living life on the road, traveling around Australia in their caravan with their little boy, who was two at the time, while expecting a baby girl.

Since these sessions are highly weather-dependent, I always try to align them with sunrise—it's the best time of day for soft, dreamy light. After sunrise, we usually head into the ocean when the light is higher, creating stunning underwater conditions.

The first time we scheduled the session, we met at Tallow Beach in Byron Bay. The sunrise that morning was absolutely magical, it was a bit cloudy but created this —soft pink hues painted the sky, creating the perfect backdrop. With northerly winds and no crowds (thanks to the small, messy surf), we had the beach almost to ourselves.

It was such a beautiful moment to capture their little family, playing and embracing the journey they were on. Karly was also open to some stunning nude portraits on land, celebrating her pregnancy in the most natural and raw way.

Unfortunately, the ocean wasn’t on our side that day—visibility was too poor for the underwater session. So, we decided to postpone the water shoot for another day, ensuring we could capture the best possible conditions.

The Ocean Session – A Wild & Unforgettable Experience

We waited for the right time to reschedule the session, and by then, Karly was almost due. The ocean conditions finally aligned—the visibility was incredible. But there was a catch… the swell was over 1.2m. It was big.

Karly said she felt confident swimming out, and without hesitation, she said “we are doing it today!” I have to admit—she is fit, she loves exercising and she's very active. Not a surfer or a swimmer, but she trusted herself, and I trusted her.

And hands down, at 38-39 weeks pregnant, her swimming skills were next level. She powered through the surf zone like a pro, and once we got out there, the underwater conditions were breathtaking.

The light was unreal, and everything felt aligned for an epic session.

We started creating, playing around in the water, i was looking at the results to make sure I have the shot I like and I was mind blown by the results, the colours, everything! when suddenly… I saw it.

💦 A drop of water inside the lens port... panic mode on.

I checked the back plate —one finger deep of water inside.

My heart dropped.

No, no, no....please don't!

I stopped everything, trying to understand what was happening. I quickly checked the lens port, and there it was—I hadn’t tightened it properly.

In seven years, this was my first leak. The panic set in, but no more water was coming in, so we had to rush back to shore. Now, mind you, Karly was completely naked at this point, as we were in the middle of shooting her stunning nude portraits.

But without hesitation, she said, “Don’t worry, Marina! Let’s swim back, and I’ll grab my bikini closer to shore.”

So we swam back to shore as fast as we could.

The waves were huge as we approached the shore. I passed her the bikini, but in the chaos, we lost the top somewhere in the waves. We still don’t know if I dropped it or if it disappeared during the set transfers. It was a wild session, and we couldn’t stop laughing. Luckily, the beach was empty—no unexpected audience for our unplanned adventure.

Finally, back on land, we checked the camera.

Miraculously, no water had made it inside. The SD cards were safe. And then, I saw it—the most incredible thing had happened out there.

A full rainbow flare had appeared in some shots. 🌈✨

Because of the water inside the housing, the light had refracted in a way that created this stunning, magical effect—sitting right on top of Karly’s belly. It was surreal, like the universe had gifted us this unexpected beauty.

The camera survived, the images were beyond anything I could have imagined, and despite the panic, this session turned into one of my all-time favourites—and definitely one of the scariest.

Karly was an absolute legend, and though she confessed she was exhausted swimming back (especially with the stress of the camera flooding), we both walked away with a story to tell—one that holds happy memories, big laughs, and pure magic. ✨💙

By the way you can follow Karly's family adventures on IG@wakingupinaus

If you would like to have your own underwater maternity photographs to capture such. a special time in your life, reach out here and let's plan it together :)

I hope you enjoy this read.

with Love,

Marina