Jim Hobart & Michelina Moen

Jim Hobart had a camera in his hands for most of his life. At age 14, I started photographing middle-school track meets with a Pentax 35mm film camera, and has been capturing photographs of people, places and things ever since.

After 40 years of traditional, terrestrial photography, (the last 18 years as a professional studio photographer) he had done just about every kind of photography there is.

In 2018, looking for a new challenge, Jim began to experiment with underwater photography. He was hooked immediately, and determined to learn all he could about this new format. And buy all the gear, of course.

The number of factors to consider with traditional photography are multiplied when it’s moved underwater. It’s even more of a collaborative effort, in which both the photographer and the subject have to be in complete sync.

Communication underwater is next to impossible, so planning is critical, and trust is paramount. It’s tiring work, and one of first rules of an underwater photo shoot is that anyone can end a session at any time for any reason. It’s unpredictable and difficult, but so rewarding when all the elements come together.

In the past year, Jim has started a new division of his studio, called Aquatic Pictures, which has worked with individuals, couples, performers, and clients who need underwater photos for advertising purposes.

He recently worked on a music video with his first and best subject, Michelina, which we can show if anyone’s interested.

Michelina is an Orlando based professional dancer for the past 20 years. Classical trained in various styles, she has been seen dancing on stages at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios. She is a member of BlueLALA Entertainment frequently dancing with the collaborative dance company VarieTEASE and the burlesque group The Ladies of The Peek-A-Boo Lounge. She has also produced her own solo improv dance shows for the last 10 years. She loves to explore dance and how it can relate the raw emotion of the human experience. She and Jim met at a photo shoot 10 years ago and started their underwater exploration in the fall of 2019. She’s excited to share her experiences in her underwater journey along with Jim Hobart in Creative Morning.