Cenote underwater Trash the Dress - Cancun / Tulum / Riviera Maya
Cenote Trash the Dress sessions for all!
Underwater fin art portraits
I’ve been doing Trash the Dress sessions in cenotes for 12 years. I photograph newlyweds and honeymooners, expectant parents, families, babies, models, and individuals of all ages who simply desire their own unique aquatic portraits. You can bring your wedding dress to get amazing underwater portraits.
A unique experience on the Riviera Maya
The perfect crystal clear water for unique photos
The crystalline waters in cenotes are the perfect location for underwater portraits. That’s why cenote Trash the Dress photo shoots have become so popular for newlywed couples and Riviera Maya honeymooners (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Tulum).
In fact, we shouldn’t really call it Trash the Dress anymore, but rather Wash the Dress. If a bride’s dress gets dirty during the wedding, it will come out much cleaner after a cenote shoot!
Backstage video of a Mermaid in the cenote of the Riviera Maya
Watch as well full sessions on my blog
Discover your ideal cenote for your underwater portrait on the Riviera Maya
We have visited dozens of cenotes on the Riviera Maya (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Tulum) to the find those whose natural beauty, crystalline waters, and light will perfectly suit a Trash the Dress photo shoot.
Seasonal factors will influence which cenote is right for your session. Some cenotes can be too touristy and full of visitors. Others, depending on the time of year, may experience unattractive alga growth, or they just don’t get enough sunlight.
Trust us to find the perfect cenote for your dream photo shoot, according to the month of the year and your skills in the water.
Get your own underwater photo session with us
FAQ - Underwater cenote Trash the Dress
You don’t have to be necessarily a good swimmer
We can take photos in a shallow area (pool, cenote, or on the sea shore). That way, after every immersion, all you have to do is stand up to take a breath. Even at a depth of only 1.5 m (5 ft), we can take amazing photos.
Of course, if you are a good swimmer, we can recommend deeper locations and create other types of image.
Be calm and relaxed
15-20 seconds under the water in a relaxed state are enough for each immersion.
Anyone can hold their breath for 20 seconds. If you try to hold your breath right now, without giving it any more thought, you’ll most likely last longer than 20 seconds. Being underwater can seem unnatural and make some people anxious, causing them to quickly feel out of breath, with the result that they only last a few seconds. To be able to hold your breath for at least 20 seconds, it’s simply a matter of learning to be calm and relaxed under the water.
We have visited dozens of cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula searching for the most spectacular ones for underwater photo shoots. According to the season and your abilities in the water, we will propose the ideal cenote for your dream photo shoot.
We’re always looking for new cenotes, so feel free to propose one we haven’t discovered yet. As not all cenotes are suitable for a Trash the Dress shoot, we would have to visit it in advance and check it out; some are very touristy with too many bathers and we would have to share the space with them. Other cenotes that are too exposed to the sun fill up with microscopic algae at certain times of the year. Others can become murky for a while following heavy rainfall or when a muddy bed is disturbed.
Every cenote is unique and we need to get familiar with them in order to obtain good shots. If you choose a cenote that we’re aren’t familiar with, we’ll visit it to see if it’s suitable and determine the best moment to take advantage of the sunlight.
We can advise you on the most appropriate clothes to bring according to your session type, based on our wide experience. Here are some things to start considering for a successful shoot:
Clothes type
For maximum agility in the water, bring clothes that adjust to your body’s movements. Full, loose-fitting clothes, such as long, wide skirts, and even slips or half-slips are recommended for creating effects and movement underwater.
Bring various items of clothing that suit the location and your swimming ability. When we take photos of movement in deep waters, the right garments will accentuate the contours of your body. If we take still photos, a loose, flowing outfit will nonetheless produce spectacular effects.
Think about design and color when selecting the different clothing items you bring to the photo shoot.
Color
Light and vibrant colors work very well underwater (orange, red, white, pink). It’s best to stick to one color and avoid patterned fabrics or garments with more than two colors, as they can cause unclear images under the water. We also recommend avoiding nude colors so that the body is easily distinguishable from the clothes.
Underwear
We have huge, brightly colored sheets (5 m long – 15 ft long) that we can wrap around you, to give the appearance of a mermaid with a long tail fluttering in the water (see the photos below).
We can recommend hair stylists and make-up artists with whom we have worked before, and who use waterproof make-up.
You can also bring your own stylists. Some clients even choose to style their own hair and make-up.
Yes!
If the location allows for it and provides attractive enough backgrounds, we also take open-air photos
