Liminal Drift

This is what it looks like when something exists just outside your reality

Model: ellethemermaid on Instagram

This was one of those days where everything was happening all at once. Multiple models, multiple looks, water set, rain set… the kind of organised chaos that you know is going to leave you exhausted but also quietly pleased because you know there is going to be something good in there no matter what you do. This image came out of the tank setup, but interestingly, it never really felt like a water image to me.

That is usually the first thing people latch onto with Tank Space. It is underwater, so the assumption is that everything should feel fluid, soft, aquatic. And yes, that is absolutely there if you want it. But every now and then you get something that slips sideways into a completely different space, and this was one of those.

Elle has a way of holding herself that makes this kind of image work. There is a stillness in the expression, even while everything else is moving. The fabric is doing its usual job of creating motion and shape, but it is not chaotic. It is controlled, almost like it is responding to something rather than just drifting randomly. That is what pushed this away from “underwater portrait” in my head and into something more abstract.

In my mind, this is not a person in water. It is something that exists just outside of reach. Not quite present, not quite absent. That awkward in-between space where things feel real but also slightly disconnected. Liminal is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, but it does actually fit here. It is that sense of being between states, between places, between definitions.

Technically, there is quite a bit going on, even though it looks fairly simple at first glance. Shooting through glass and water always softens things slightly, so you have to work a bit harder to maintain clarity where you want it. The key areas for me were the face and hands. If those hold, the rest can afford to drift a little.

The lighting was already giving me a base to work from, but the real decision came in the colour grading. I leaned into warm orange tones, which might seem counterintuitive for something that is essentially a dark, cold environment. But that contrast is exactly what makes it work. The warmth gives it a point of focus and stops it from becoming too distant or sterile. It pulls you in just enough before the rest of the image pushes you back out again.

The background is deliberately kept very dark and minimal. There is no context, no environment to anchor it. That lack of information is what allows the image to sit in that undefined space. The moment you give it a clear setting, it becomes something else entirely.

If I am being honest, this is one of those images that I did not fully understand when I took it. It was only when I sat down to process it that it started to reveal what it wanted to be. That does not always happen, but when it does, it is worth paying attention to.

Also worth noting, Tank Space continues to be both brilliant and mildly infuriating. Brilliant because of what it allows you to create. Infuriating because you know there are ten other ideas you did not get to shoot and now they are all sitting in your head waiting for another booking.

Inspiration
I was drawn to the idea of something existing just outside of reach, not quite part of our world but still able to interact with it in a limited way.

Want to see more photos like this?
👉 Check out my Fantasy portfolio

Interested in darker, mood-driven work?
👉 Explore my Dark Photography portfolio

Want to see what is going on behind the scenes in other areas?
👉 Visit my Creative Blog

Summary
A dreamlike underwater fantasy portrait exploring liminal space, movement, and contrast through controlled lighting and colour grading.