Photography exhibit: Water on the Lens at The Movieum of London

It's Friday, so what better than some truly extraordinary photography to take you away from the quotidian grind?





These astonishing underwater images are all taken from Water on the Lens, a collection of behind-the-scenes photographs taken during shoots for various films, TV shows, commercials and pop videos at Pinewood Studios. (Umpteen Bond movies, Slumdog Millionaire and Jake Gyllenhaal's new movie The Prince of Persia have all been shot there.)

I have enough difficulty staying afloat, so I can't begin to imagine how underwater photographer (and commercial diver) Phoebe Rudomino manoeuvres her equipment around the extraordinary Underwater Stage (U Stage) at Pinewood. It houses a vast permanently filled water tank (holding 1.2 million litres of water), and stars including Keira Knightley, Jared Leto, Sharon Stone, Matt Lucas and James Blunt are amongst those she captured whilst they performed underwater, alongside sets from Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, EastEnders, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Dr. Who.

Hunter Boot*, the quintessential British waterproof rubber boot manufacturer who are rather aptly sponsoring Water on the Lens, have very kindly offered LLG readers a pair of tickets to the exhibition (details below). First person to leave a comment (asking for them) gets the tickets!

*Like all good country girls at heart, I love my Hunter wellies. Click here to see my pair.

Credits:
Top photograph: ‘Imagine’ Total Hydration body wash TV commercial 21 July 2006
A recreated Parisian apartment becomes a watery, hydrated version of real life and the model ‘floats away’ at the end of the advert.
Middle: Keira Knightley photographic campaign for Fresh 2O 3 December 2005
The photographer Candice shot Keira Knightley submerged in haute couture dresses and jewellery for a photoshoot to promote water charity Fresh 2O.
Bottom: Olay's Spa Exfoliating Ribbons TV commercial 28 June 2007

Water on the Lens, sponsored by Hunter Boot, forms part of The Movieum of London in the Riverside Rooms, County Hall, Southbank, London SE1 open now until 28 October 2009.
Tickets £12 adults, £10 concessions, £8 children available from Ticketmaster.