42 Breathtaking Underwater Photos That Look More Dramatic Than Baroque Paintings

Hawaiian photographer Christy Lee Rogers has been obsessed with water all of her life, and her latest work, "Muses" perfectly highlights it. Regarded as a pioneer in underwater photography, Rogers has developed style and technique so advanced, she earned universal international acclaim. Her work embraces the unique quality of light refraction between the surface and layers of water, and her personal approach is to honor and explore the frailty of our existence within the elements around us. Swirls of intertwined figures and their flowing drapery make Rogers' photographs look as dramatic as 17th-century paintings.

"I love water and I'm happy when it’s raining, so it was a natural bond," the photographer told Bored Panda. "I grew up surrounded by water, on the island of Oahu. I was first drawn to these natural dichotomies in water of freedom, weightlessness, space, and serenity and then on the other side – an inability to breath, vulnerability, pressure and chaos; so it’s a powerful tool to express these same manifestations in life and especially in mankind."

"We’re all so connected to water, made up of water and given life by water, so it should be important. But we do take it for granted, and pollute our oceans and rivers like ravage animals. My images are only made possible with the water as an artistic source and tool. It’s like in the movie 'Moana,' where the water comes to life."

"My mind is chaotic," she added. "Inspiration comes in from all directions, almost in a non-comprehensive way many times. I would say music is my main lifeblood, film and poetry. I find huge inspiration in the wild and romantic stories from old folklore and Greek Mythology, J. R. R. Tolkien's Elves, Atlantis, the poetry of Michelangelo, the ideas behind the Renaissance, films by Federico Fellini, texts about space and time, the stunning costumes and sets of Baz Luhrmann, Muse, U2 lyrics, the old films of Georges Melies, the music of Itzhak Perman, Hans Zimmer, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons and Danny Elfman for Cirque du Soleil. But through all of this, my main inspiration is still the beauty and madness of mankind, including myself."

Searching for hope and freedom, Rogers felt like she just had to express herself in this particular way. Either "Muses" comes to life or she rots away. The process, however, wasn't a free-flowing one. "Before every shoot, I'm a nervous wreck inside and I don't know why," she said. "It feels like it will be the last images that I ever take. I’m trying to take the viewer to a place that’s not here, and there’s some cloudiness to that. Something that I have to feel and not overthink."

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