Action photography in a portrait setting can be tricky. Adding in water, poor lighting conditions and a fast-moving subject, it becomes very difficult. We at Robert Bowden Photography love photographing in this type of challenging environment because when done correctly the images really stand out.

Lighting is the key to capturing swimming and water polo senior photos. We use anywhere from one to four off-camera strobe lights depending on the effect we are trying to achieve in each image. Directional lighting is a must otherwise the background is not a striking black which gives the stunning contrast to the water. With high school water polo senior photos, the water flying off the ball would not be visible without the side lighting.


When capturing images with strobe lighting you have to balance the shutter speed with the cameras max sync speed. Robert Bowden Photography uses two different lighting systems, one of which supports a newer technology called High-Speed Sync (HSS)

Seniors can also make a splash outside of the pool. From standing on the pool deck having your mom toss buckets of water at you, (For some reason mom requested multiple attempts at capturing this image 🙂 ) to posing with a water polo ball in a field on a beautiful fall day, athletes don’t have to look the exact same as they do in competition

For seniors who want to be in the water on the same day as their outdoor or studio photos be sure to practice doing your makeup and hair. All of our senior photo sessions are based on time, an extra 30 minutes goes a long way to ensuring you look your best for the rest of your session and eliminates the stress of rushing between outfits.


Robert Bowden Photography looks forward to helping you make a splash with your senior photos. Our studio is based in Dexter, Michigan and our team of photographers will travel to your local swimming pool. From swimming to water polo we can create a unique senior photo for you. View even more senior photo examples on our website https://www.robertbowdenphoto.com/Portfolio/Seniors