Models Swim with Whale Sharks in an Underwater Fashion Shoot Telegraph UK
go to original January 12, 2013

Hannah Fraser swims with a whale shark in Oslob, Philippines, for a one-of-a-kind photo-session. The underwater fashion shoot was the brainchild of US photographers Shawn Heinrichs and Kristian Schmidt.



Hannah and fellow model Roberta Mancino dived up to 25 feet deep into the ocean to pose with the world's largest fish - measuring 30 feet long and weighing 20,000 pounds.



Whale sharks survive by consuming tiny sea creatures called plankton. However they continue to be the victims of poaching, with their fins being sold in the markets of China for thousands of pounds. Photographer Shawn Heinrichs said: "Whale sharks are gentle animals and present zero threat to people. The fishermen we worked with welcomed us to their village. and helped us interact safely and respectfully with the whale sharks.



"Each day the whale sharks come in to the shallow waters of the village and the fishermen feed them small handfuls of tiny shrimp," Shawn said. "For a few hours a day, the whale sharks sit peacefully beneath the canoes waiting for a tasty treat.



"People are blown away by the images," Shawn said. "Most find it hard to believe they are actually real - many people assume the models are Photoshopped into the pictures. "Though cleaned up and enhanced with colour and lighting effects as in any fashion shoot, nothing has been added to the images, including the models."



All photos: Shawn Heinrichs / Barcroft Media | For more information see www.bluespheremedia.com

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