Modelling has to be one of the most nerve-wracking, daring professions in the world. You’re putting your face and body out into the world while you’re also spending gruelling days in front of the camera, taking thousands of photos, sometimes to only use one.
It’s a whole other level then to take that and add an element of risk-taking to the mix. While the end shot may look effortless, that’s not always the case in reality when you’re putting your life on the line in pursuit of a perfect shot.
To celebrate the release of the movie, Nerve, out now on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital, we’ve attempted to uncover the most daring photoshoots ever, and you better prepare yourself because, from swimming with sharks to cliff-jumping, this is some seriously nail-biting stuff.
Once you’re sufficiently awed by the death-defying photoshoots below, don’t forget to check out the videos of our own fearless models Elyse Knowles and Michaela Wain tackling their own daring stunts.
The Shark Photoshoot
You wouldn’t be able to get most people to go in oceans they knew had sharks in them, let alone convince someone to pose with a shark for hours on end. From the catwalk to the deep seas, models Hannah Fraser and Roberta Mancino posed with a 30-foot whale shark 25-feet underwater in the Phillipines.
Photographers Shawn Heinrichs and Kristian Schmidt spent four months planning the shoot which lasted five days in total. In order to track down the sharks they used the knowledge of local fisherman who had apparently managed to form a bond with the animals. The shoot was to raise awareness of the poaching of sharks and other “gentle giants” that live in the ocean.
The Model Who Scaled Cliffs
Kristina Marie Folcik-Welts somehow manages to keep a calm face in the final shots from a photoshoot that saw her scale cliffs in very windy weather. The shoot was the idea of photographer Jay Philbrick and his wife Vicki Philbrick who admitted to MSN, that it was “very windy”.
“She couldn’t blow off, but we did think the wind would be a problem,” said Philbrick, with the word “problem” no doubt triggering when you’re standing on the edge of a cliff.
The photographers had apparently climbed the site before but they weren’t sure whether it would be possible to get the model and all the gear up onto the cliff.
The Russian Daredevil Who Takes Rooftop Shots
Russian model Angela Nikolau might be one of the most consistently daring models in the world. It’s hard to pick just one shoot of hers that is particularly daring because nearly all of them feature her perched on a rooftop, overlooking a city from giddy heights. She’s a self-taught photographer and takes many of the pictures herself, probably because she can’t convince anyone else to go up there with her. Her Instagram is littered with the most unbelievable pictures from all around the world and while we would never do it, we’re glad someone is because these are some of the most spectacular perspectives you’ll ever see.
A photo posted by Angela Nikolau (@angela_nikolau) on
The Gravity-Defying Chamonix Mountains Shoot
It’s easy to argue that gravity doesn’t affect models when they’re ageing effortlessly but this model literally shows how unaffected she is by gravity. Dance teacher and model Agathe Petrini took to the alpines above the French Chamonix mountains for a photoshoot that’s sure to give you vertigo. She basically hangs of cliffs, posing gracefully while also managing to pull a few dance moves. She took adventure photographer Alex Buisse with her and it took five hours to complete.
The Underwater Stingray Shoot
Anyone who knows how Steve Irwin died will know that stingrays are one of the most deadly creatures on the planet. That’s why, it’s hard to believe that this model was able to swim naked with the creatures and come out of it completely unharmed. Tahitian model Rava Ray, who is also known as the ‘Stringray Queen’, has taken stunning shots with stingrays and says she was bitten once by one but it was by “accident”.
“I don’t think I’ve ever posed a threat to an animal or been in a situation where I would have been attacked,” she told the Daily Mail.
A photo posted by RAVA (@ravaray) on
‘Nerve’, new to buy or rent on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital.
Nerve
Industrious high school senior, Vee Delmonico [Emma Roberts], has had it with living life on the sidelines. When pressured by friends to join the popular online game Nerve, Vee decides to sign up for just one dare in what seems like harmless fun. Buy Here.
