By Natalie DeYoung
When you think of mermaids, you probably think of Disney, or maybe if your parents read you fairytales as a child, Hans Christian Anderson. Well, put away all your preconceived notions about these undersea temptresses: Long Beach-based photographer Brenda Stumpf will transform the way you view mermaids.
First of all, why mermaids?
“As an underwater photographer, it is only a matter of time before people start asking you about shooting mermaids,” Stumpf replies. “It was something that I knew I would eventually do, but I wanted to do it differently than I had seen done by others.”
Different they certainly are. No Disney in sight among Stumpf’s work, although Hans Christian Anderson might approve of these fierce yet ethereal beauties.
Photography: Brenda Stumpf
“Jubilant, sanitized, caricatures of mermaids don’t resonate for me creatively,” Stumpf explains. “I am more interested in legendary mermaids, the ones that are beautiful, mysterious, seductive, and, well, deadly. They are monsters after all – and that is something I can get fired up about photographing.”
Interested in the mythological concept of mermaids, the project took shape while Stumpf worked with several models on a regular basis, one of whom was a talented designer.
“She designed the first tails we used. They were created to photograph beautifully, although they were not the best for swimming. In fact quite the opposite,” she confides.
“They had about four feet of fabric trailing from the model’s feet, and as a result, created quite a lot of drag. Swimming in them was next to impossible, and we jokingly referred to them on set as our ‘drowning tails,’” Stumpf says with a smile.
As an underwater photographer, Stumpf takes safety very seriously. Certified divers and medics are always on the set, monitoring conditions and the safety of models and photographer.
“I think this is one of the reasons my models always look so calm and relaxed in their photographs. They feel safe – even if everything they are doing goes against natural instinct,” she observes.
With so much involved, shoots take a lot of planning, which usually begins months in advance. In addition to safety concerns, formulating a creative concept and the aesthetics of a shoot, locations must be scouted and trials must be run to make sure the costumes will look right underwater. The Mermaid Project alone took several months of planning, over two weeks of shooting, and an entire year of post-production.
Fortunately, Stumpf’s favorite part of the process is post-production. Though she admittedly loves working with a variety of creative people, from costumers to designers and artists, she explains, “There is a moment during post-production when I’m reviewing and finalizing imagery, when I fall in love with something we made. It’s a great feeling when you know you’ve created something special.”
Stumpf’s photography is indeed special, to put it mildly. Inspired by mythology, Baroque and Pre-Raphaelite artists, as well as contemporary photographers such as Zena Holloway, Anton Corbijn and Jingna Zhang, her body of work reflects not only supreme imagination when it comes to the subject matter, but also aesthetic mastery. Luminous lighting, exquisite costuming, visual depth and a way of conveying an entire story with a single photograph are consistent features throughout her portfolio, whether the subject is mermaids or otherwise. This could be because as an artist, Stumpf always strives for growth.
“I am continually trying to stretch and push through my comfort zones,” she admits.
Photography: Brenda Stumpf
Photo Credit: Daniel Johnson
This growth has sometimes resulted in unusual situations. With a goal to shoot underwater nudes, Stumpf and a skeleton crew headed down to Mexico.
“To further complicate our endeavor,” she says, “we decided to do a lot of body painting (all very environmentally safe and non-toxic).
“This led to some very, very funny and memorable moments,” she recalls. “We’d hang out by the edge of the water and wait – sometimes for hours – for a shooting opportunity.
“My model was covered from head to toe and wearing a hoodie and glasses to hide her ‘painted costume.’ This lead many locals to think she must be someone famous; several even asked us, ‘who is she?’ and we’d have to try to play if off as nothing.
Photography: Brenda Stumpf
“When the scene would clear of people, we’d jump in the water, the model would strip, and we would shoot until we heard voices again. Cue rapid dressing, and reset. We did this for several days.”
The creation of such innovative, beautiful work from a professional designer and photographer prompted us to ask her if she had a philosophy of beauty.
“Beauty,” she replied, “is something I think most people can recognize when they see it. It’s not about age, sex, weight, or material objects, so it can be hard to define in those kinds of terms. I believe it’s far deeper and more complex than that. It’s something that speaks to us on a universal level – an emotion that comes from human experience.”
Photo Credit: Daniel Johnson
Her philosophy about life and art reflects this belief.
“Be kind, and create beautiful things,” she states simply.
A wise philosophy, indeed.
Stumpf’s goal for The Mermaid Project was to create a book of photographs, which is now available for purchase. You may find more of her work, including the book and her other print work, on her website: www.bstumpf.com. You may also follow her on her Facebook profiles, facebook.com/bkstumpf and facebook.com/themermaidproject.
