Sinking stuff in a swimming pool?

<p>Hi,<br>

<br />just throwing this one out there. The idea made my mother laugh so much that she will pay me £5 if I make it work!<br>

I want to put a large (as in 24'x16') flag at the bottom of a swimming pool to create a backdrop for a photo. The flag will be cotton or polyester so will have a good tendency to float.<br>

So, the question is - anybody got any deas for keeping it on the bottom of the pool floor (we are talking 4m down)? My idea is to put some weights around the edges and through the middle, but I have to think not to put in anything that would cause any harm to the water in the pool......<br>

rgds<br>

andyc</p>

<p>If it is a standard public pool and has the proper chemicals in it, any non-lead based fishing weights would work fine... also you may want to look at plastic dive toys that are designed to allow water into them to carry them to the botton of the pool. </p>

<p>Chlorine in the water will take care of almost anything.</p>

<p>The next question - do you have permission from the pool owner or is it a private pool?</p>

<p>David,<br>

thanks for the swift response. It will be a public pool and teh diving pool part of it at that, so I would have to use my contacts to get the permissions sorted out, but at the moment I'm just working out if it is actually feasible to even try to put a backdrop into a pool without it continually floating to the surface!<br>

rgds<br>

andyc</p>

<p>First ... that's a big flag! You may need to ask the pool operator to turn off the filtration system while you do this. That will cut down on turbulence in the water, and stop it from trying to pull the flag down into bottom drains. Depends on the pool's design, obviously.<br /><br />Consider using some large-ish piece of adhesive Velcro-type material. That adhesive should withstand water for a while at least, and it would allow you to use something as simple as bricks to hold things down. They may not want you using anything at all abrasive on the pool's surface, though - no matter how careful you are. Does the flag need to hug the bottom of the pool, or can it hover, say, a foot off the bottom?</p>

<p>Matt,<br>

hi, thanks for the response. The flag will be a flag only in that it will be a backdrop so will probably be made of bedsheets and stiched on rolls of colour (I hate to think how much a real one that size would cost and whether or not Her Britannic Majesty would allow it to be away from Buckingham Palace for such a purpose....). It can be made up as it will be several feet under the water and no-one should be able to point out the stitching from there.<br>

Good point about the filtration - I'm looking to do this in a diving pool and they have air outlets on the bottom that pump up a steady stream of air to show divers their mark, so they will have to be turned off etc. The size of the flag is really to fill the background from 10M+ away so needs to be big. Otherwise it doesn't really have to sit on the bottom - it could feasibly be just 3-4' or so under the surface of the water - my only concern then would be getting it stable at that depth and also level if a number of swimmers were holding it. Idea #17a would perhaps be to attach some plastic jerry cans with water and a bit of extra weight in them to 'float' the flag at a depth, I really don't know. Whatever, it will have to be a practice beforehand and then a trip to a launderette with a really big dryer afterwards!<br>

This is part of the enjoyment of getting a shot ready to take. If it works I'm hoping that it will look pretty damn good. And yes, I'll post it on Nikon Wednesday though it will be a way into 2013 before it ever comes off at this rate!<br>

rgds<br>

andyc</p>

<p>And if you can't get it to sink, you could use Joe McNally for inspiration: http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2012/08/08/under-the-waves/</p>

<p>Peter,<br>

thanks, I've seen that before. Trouble with that is: a) I don't have an underwater rig; 2) I don't have a 20' silk; 3) I don't have access to SI lighting (mine will be a couple of speedlights well above the water); 4) I may only be able to get the 1 Olympic athlete on board (in my dreams).....<br>

Still, I can enjoy the rest of the afternoon now as it's the first time that I've been even mentioned in the same space as Mr McN!<br>

rgds<br>

andyc</p>

<p>I am tempted to suggest we in the Colonies have some old British flags...left over...but I won't. I think you need to mount the flag on something that will not float. Or mount it on wood and put the weights under the piece of wood.<br>

You can take the photo day or night 'cause the sun never sets on the British Empire.<br>

I hope you will get a snap that will gobsmack us all.</p>

<p>Wayne,<br>

thanks - will definitely post if it comes off at all! If you're in the colonies I was wondering if you knew what happened with the guys in Boston who tried something similar with tea chests - did they sink or float?<br>

rgds<br>

andyc</p>

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<p>If it is a standard public pool and has the proper chemicals in it, any non-lead based fishing weights would work fine... also you may want to look at plastic dive toys that are designed to allow water into them to carry them to the botton of the pool.<br /> Chlorine in the water will take care of almost anything.<br /> The next question - do you have permission from the pool owner or is it a private pool?<br /> I'm totally agree with you.You'r 100% good here that if it is a standard public pool and has the proper chemicals in it, any non-lead based fishing weights would work fine.<br /> I agreed what's said above!!!</p>

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