Awarded 3rd place and 2 honourable mentions in the INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AWARDS 2021.
A celebration of the bravery, strength and resilience of those women that step outside the comfort of their busy lives and shock themselves into the enhanced reality provided by swimming in cold water.
Cold water swimming has long been recognised for its physical health benefits. My motivation for this photographic series is to represent the powerful physical and mental benefits with the sense of empowerment that this gives, to women. Conveying how female swimmers feel emotionally, especially when coping with such extreme conditions.
Whilst putting this in context of their entire journey; before, during and after the swim, I'm developing a strong connection with the community of women that meet there, each day to confront their fears and literally ‘take the plunge’.
Whilst the surrounding landscape is green and pretty these ponds are not sanitised swimming pools, they are cold dark organic natural waters containing very real wildlife. As such the imagery should contrast the beauty of the surroundings along with the dark foreboding of the waters, in all, the context of the apprehension and eventual triumph of the swimmers.
