Hire the Studio
A space UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Private. Purpose-built. Two hours from Sydney
DiP Studio sits on the shores of Caves Beach, Lake Macquarie — 2 hours north of Sydney, 30 minutes south of Newcastle. It's a calm, creative space built specifically for underwater photography, with direct ocean access right across the road when you're ready to take it outside.
This is not a hired community pool or a backyard setup. Every detail of the studio was designed around the needs of photographers, brands and creatives who want to make something genuinely beautiful underwater.
Inside the studio
The pool is 7.5m long and 5m wide, with a deep end of 2.6m and a shallow end of 1.4m — ideal for both fully submerged portraits and standing or split-level shots. The interior is snow white throughout, which gives the water that extraordinary clarity you see in the work.
The water is mineral, not chlorinated or salt — which means no red eyes, no chlorine smell, no sticky skin. It feels almost silky and makes for a genuinely comfortable shooting experience, especially for longer sessions.
A swim-out ledge runs the full length of the pool for easy entry, resting between takes and repositioning. Two covered areas outside the water give you space for equipment, styling and breaks. There's also a private changing room, a 3-person infrared sauna for warming up between cold-weather sessions, and an outdoor kitchen with fridge and BBQ for longer shoot days.
What you can shoot here
The studio is available for brand campaign shoots, editorial sessions, portrait photography, maternity, fashion and creative projects. Photographers are welcome to hire the space and bring their own clients — everything is set up, nothing to worry about.
When the brief calls for it, the ocean is right there. The studio and the coast work together naturally, and Hilda is available to consult on making the most of both environments within a single shoot day.
Studio hire from $250 per half day, full day rates available
