A woman styled as a mermaid with a red tail and pearl necklace kneels on rocks beside a scenic river at dusk.
Woman in red mermaid dress standing in shallow river, viewed from behind, reflecting on calm water with rocks.

Do you hear the call of the siren?


I've had the idea for a mermaid photoshoot floating around in my head for a very long time. As a fantasy photographer, I love all things magical. Give me an opportunity to create a world that feels like it shouldn't exist, and I'm probably going to say yes.


Bri and I had been talking about doing a very feminine, colorful, girly pop mermaid photoshoot for a while. We wanted something that felt like the beautiful, mysterious mermaids from the stories and movies we grew up with, a little nostalgic, a little dreamy, and very much our own.


The original idea was much bigger. We were planning to have three models, each with a different mermaid tail and look, creating a whole group of mermaids together. Then, as tends to happen with creative projects, life got in the way. We couldn't get the entire group together. So eventually Bri and I looked at each other and basically said: Why don't we just do it anyway? If more people were able to join us, great. If not, we were going to make some art. And that's exactly what we did.


View the whole gallery here!

Planning an Arizona Mermaid Photoshoot


Bri and I have known each other since 2021, and we've worked together on quite a few creative projects. We've photographed multiple cosplay concepts together, including working on two comic book covers for Coffin Comics. More recently, we've started working together on fantasy photography projects where Bri can create original costumes and I get to create the photography around them. That combination makes these shoots particularly fun. Instead of starting with a store-bought costume and trying to figure out where to photograph it, we can start with an idea and build an entire world around it.


For this photoshoot, the inspiration was mermaids. We wanted the character to be beautiful, feminine, and a little seductive without making the photos feel overly sexual. The goal was fantasy rather than pin-up. We wanted viewers to look at the finished photographs and feel like they had somehow wandered into a world where real mermaids exist.

A Mermaid Costume Made From Thrifted Materials

One of my favorite parts of this project was Bri's costume. She spent more than a week creating the mermaid skirt, and she intentionally used thrifted and recycled materials rather than buying brand-new fabric. One part of the skirt was made from a quilted red blanket, while the sheer outer layer came from a red curtain. The result looked completely different once it was in the water.


The skirt was designed to create the look of a traditional mermaid tail, but there was one pretty significant problem: Mermaid tails aren't exactly known for being easy to walk in. There wasn't much freedom of movement in the costume, so Bri's husband had to help carry and move her around between locations.


Which, honestly, felt pretty appropriate.


If you're going to be a mermaid, you might as well be carried around like one.

Two people embracing on a desert trail with saguaro cactus and red mermaid dress flowing.

Creating a Mermaid's Accessories



The costume was only part of the world we wanted to create. I wanted the photographs to have enough little details that you could imagine this wasn't a human dressed up as a mermaid. Instead, I wanted it to feel like an actual mermaid had made these things and used them herself.


So I made several props specifically for the shoot.

The Mermaid Crown


I knew Bri was focusing heavily on red for her costume, so I wanted the crown to complement it.


I started with a gold headband and cardboard, then built the crown from there. I spent approximately five hours hand-gluing and arranging shells, pearls, and beads to create it. The shells were real shells that I had thrifted, while the pearls were faux pearl beads. Five hours is a long time to spend making a crown for one photoshoot.


But for me, that's part of the fun. If we're going to create a fantasy world, I want to pay attention to the details.

Woman with long dark hair wearing a seashell crown and red top sits by a green riverside.

The Mermaid Mirror


I also thrifted a mirror and transformed it into something that looked like it belonged in a mermaid's underwater collection.


I hand-glued shells and pearls around it, which took about another hour. I wanted it to look less like a photography prop and more like something you might actually find sitting on a mermaid's vanity.

A dark-haired woman in a red mermaid outfit sits on rocks by water, holding a decorative shell compact mirror.

Mermaid Chalices and Hair Clips


For the hair clips, I used real shells and pearls. Even though these are small details that you might not notice immediately when looking at the final photographs, they help sell the fantasy.


The idea was that everything in the scene belonged together.



Woman dressed as a mermaid in red tail and pearl necklace brushing hair on rocks by a river.

The Salt River Became Our Underwater Kingdom


For the location, we headed to Water Usery along the Salt River in the Mesa area.

Arizona might not be the first place you think of when someone says mermaid photoshoot.


That's exactly why I liked the idea. We didn't need an ocean. We didn't need a tropical beach. We had the Salt River. And if we photographed it the right way, we could transform it into something completely different.


We arrived right around sunrise. Which sounds beautiful and romantic until you remember that this meant waking up extremely early and driving to the river while everyone was still half asleep. And then there was the weather. Arizona had been unusually warm leading up to the shoot, so we thought the warmer weather would make getting into the river much more comfortable. Naturally, the universe decided to make things difficult. The morning we chose was cold, overcast, and windy. The water was starting to feel downright icy. But we had already gotten up at an absurd hour, driven to the river, brought the costume, made the props, and committed to the concept.


So we got in the water.

Creating Feminine Fantasy Without Making It Sexual


One of the biggest creative goals for this photoshoot was creating something that felt feminine and beautiful without being overly sexual. That's an important distinction to me.


Fantasy photography can be sensual without needing to become explicit. For this shoot, I wanted the focus to be on beauty, femininity, fantasy, and storytelling. The flowing red costume, shells, pearls, crown, reflections, and water all helped create that feeling.


Bri did an amazing job staying completely in character once the camera was on her. You wouldn't have known how cold she was from looking at the photographs.


Well... Except for the goosebumps. Those were harder to hide.

A woman in a dark bikini top leans on a pink mermaid tail prop while posing in a calm river with green surroundings.

Making the Salt River Feel Like a Fantasy Realm


That's ultimately what I wanted these photographs to accomplish. I didn't want someone to look at the gallery and think: "That's a woman wearing a mermaid costume in the Salt River." I wanted them to think: "Wait... did I just see a mermaid?"


The goal was to create the feeling that the viewer had stepped through some invisible doorway and entered a fantasy realm where magic is real. That's one of the reasons I love fantasy photography so much. We can take a real location in Arizona and completely change how it feels. The Salt River becomes an underwater kingdom. A thrifted mirror becomes a magical artifact. A cardboard-and-gold-headband crown becomes a mermaid's crown. A red curtain becomes part of a tail. And for a few hours, two people freezing at sunrise get to pretend that magic is real.

The Finished Mermaid Photos


The final photographs are warm, dreamy, feminine, and a little surreal. They're also very different from the kind of portrait session you might normally associate with Arizona. That's intentional. I love creating portraits that feel like art rather than simply documenting what someone looks like.


Sometimes that means a senior session in the desert. Sometimes it means a cosplay concept. Sometimes it means turning the Salt River into a mermaid kingdom.


If you have a creative idea that you've been carrying around in your head, I want to hear it. It doesn't have to be practical. It doesn't have to be something I've photographed before. And it definitely doesn't have to be something that already exists.


Let's make something new.

Want to Create Your Own Fantasy Photoshoot?

I'm a Phoenix-based fantasy and creative portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler, and communities throughout the Arizona Valley.


I photograph fantasy concepts, cosplay, creative portraits, themed photoshoots, and people who simply want something different from a traditional portrait session. You don't have to be a professional model. You don't need to know how to pose. And you don't need to have everything figured out before you contact me. Bring me the idea. I'll bring the camera.


Step into your fantasy - I'll meet you there!


View the Full Mermaid Photoshoot Gallery

 

Credits


Model: Bri / @Bananacakecosplay


Designer: @cakestitchstudio


Photographer: @chriscrossphotos

 

Behind the Photoshoot

 

Romantic couple sitting on a crescent moon with illustrated stars and clouds in a dreamy night sky backdrop.

Engagement Among the Stars Photoshoot


View here

White roses and a pocket watch arranged beautifully, with a single pink rose as a centerpiece.

Queen of Hearts - Wonderland Photoshoot


View here

Woman in red mermaid costume holding a scallop shell while posing on rocks in a forest.
Dark-haired woman in red mermaid tail and pearl necklace holding a scallop shell on rocks.
A woman in a red mermaid costume sits on rocks by a river, posing with hands behind her head at sunset.
A dark-haired woman in a red mermaid outfit sits on rocks by water, holding a decorative shell compact mirror.
A woman dressed as a mermaid with a shell crown and pearl necklace touches her lips while sitting near a river.
A woman in a red mermaid costume sits on rocks by a river, reaching one hand toward the camera dramatically.
A woman in a red mermaid costume and shell crown extends her hand toward the camera near rocky terrain.
A woman in a red mermaid tail and shell crown sits gracefully on rocks beside a calm green river.
A dark-haired woman in a red mermaid outfit brushes her long wavy hair with a decorative brush by a river.
A woman dressed as a mermaid with a pearl necklace holds a jeweled hairbrush while sitting on rocks by water.
A woman in a red mermaid costume and pearl necklace holds an ornate glass of pink liquid near a river.
A woman in a red mermaid outfit sits on rocks by a river, holding a decorative pink glass with one hand raised.
A dark-haired woman in a red skirt and burgundy top wades through a calm river surrounded by lush greenery.
A woman with long black wavy hair poses in a red saree while standing in a shallow river with green foliage behind her.
A dark-haired woman wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt kneels in a river, crossing her arms over her chest.
A woman in a burgundy bralette and red skirt reaches toward the camera while standing in a reflective outdoor river.
A woman wearing a floral crown and pearl necklace poses in a river, arms crossed, with a dramatic mermaid-inspired look.
A dark-haired woman with red lips and a floral tiara kneels in shallow water wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt.
A woman styled as a mermaid with a red tail and pearl necklace kneels on rocks beside a scenic river at dusk.
A woman with long black hair and red lips poses in shallow water wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt outdoors.
A dark-haired woman in a burgundy bralette and red skirt leans over a rock in a river under a cloudy sky.
A woman with black hair and red lips sits in shallow water wearing a red skirt with rocky cliffs and greenery behind her.
A woman in a red outfit poses on a rock in a river, leaning forward with wet hair in a mermaid-inspired photoshoot.
A young woman with wet hair leans on a rock in a river, wearing a red outfit in an outdoor mermaid-themed photo session.
A woman with long dark hair lies on a rock in shallow water, wearing a red mermaid tail costume in a serene river setting.
A woman in a red mermaid costume poses gracefully on a rock in a calm river surrounded by lush green trees.
A woman in a dark bikini top leans on a pink mermaid tail prop while posing in a calm river with green surroundings.
A smiling woman with long wet dark hair stands in a river wearing a red skirt in a joyful outdoor photoshoot.
A woman with long wet dark hair and bold makeup poses in a river wearing a pearl necklace and dark top.
A woman in a red mermaid gown stands in a shallow river, posing with her reflection visible in the calm water.
Woman in red mermaid costume holding a scallop shell while posing on rocks in a forest.
Dark-haired woman in red mermaid tail and pearl necklace holding a scallop shell on rocks.
A woman in a red mermaid costume sits on rocks by a river, posing with hands behind her head at sunset.
A dark-haired woman in a red mermaid outfit sits on rocks by water, holding a decorative shell compact mirror.
A woman dressed as a mermaid with a shell crown and pearl necklace touches her lips while sitting near a river.
A woman in a red mermaid costume sits on rocks by a river, reaching one hand toward the camera dramatically.
A woman in a red mermaid costume and shell crown extends her hand toward the camera near rocky terrain.
A woman in a red mermaid tail and shell crown sits gracefully on rocks beside a calm green river.
A dark-haired woman in a red mermaid outfit brushes her long wavy hair with a decorative brush by a river.
A woman dressed as a mermaid with a pearl necklace holds a jeweled hairbrush while sitting on rocks by water.
A woman in a red mermaid costume and pearl necklace holds an ornate glass of pink liquid near a river.
A woman in a red mermaid outfit sits on rocks by a river, holding a decorative pink glass with one hand raised.
A dark-haired woman in a red skirt and burgundy top wades through a calm river surrounded by lush greenery.
A woman with long black wavy hair poses in a red saree while standing in a shallow river with green foliage behind her.
A dark-haired woman wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt kneels in a river, crossing her arms over her chest.
A woman in a burgundy bralette and red skirt reaches toward the camera while standing in a reflective outdoor river.
A woman wearing a floral crown and pearl necklace poses in a river, arms crossed, with a dramatic mermaid-inspired look.
A dark-haired woman with red lips and a floral tiara kneels in shallow water wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt.
A woman styled as a mermaid with a red tail and pearl necklace kneels on rocks beside a scenic river at dusk.
A woman with long black hair and red lips poses in shallow water wearing a pearl necklace and red skirt outdoors.
A dark-haired woman in a burgundy bralette and red skirt leans over a rock in a river under a cloudy sky.
A woman with black hair and red lips sits in shallow water wearing a red skirt with rocky cliffs and greenery behind her.
A woman in a red outfit poses on a rock in a river, leaning forward with wet hair in a mermaid-inspired photoshoot.
A young woman with wet hair leans on a rock in a river, wearing a red outfit in an outdoor mermaid-themed photo session.
A woman with long dark hair lies on a rock in shallow water, wearing a red mermaid tail costume in a serene river setting.
A woman in a red mermaid costume poses gracefully on a rock in a calm river surrounded by lush green trees.
A woman in a dark bikini top leans on a pink mermaid tail prop while posing in a calm river with green surroundings.
A smiling woman with long wet dark hair stands in a river wearing a red skirt in a joyful outdoor photoshoot.
A woman with long wet dark hair and bold makeup poses in a river wearing a pearl necklace and dark top.
A woman in a red mermaid gown stands in a shallow river, posing with her reflection visible in the calm water.

Falling for the siren's call? View the full gallery here!