We reached out to Marcos Alberti to learn more about his experience capturing the raw emotions of people right after a dive. He shared what inspired the project, the challenges he faced, and what surprised him along the way.
"The expressions are unique — it’s as if each face tells a different story," the photographer said, explaining how each portrait felt personal. "Although these dives weren’t specifically shark-focused, in Fernando de Noronha it’s quite common to encounter them during dives, which always adds a dose of adrenaline and wonder. Still, I have a personal dream to create a special edition of this project in the Bahamas, focused solely on tiger shark dives, which are my favorites."
What surprised Alberti the most was the visible transformation in people’s faces. "I photographed individuals ranging from total beginners to those with over 12,000 dives, and it was striking how much diving, especially a first dive, provokes deep change. The before photos often show tension, anxiety, stiff shoulders, and uncertain gazes. In the after photos, there are wide smiles, relaxed faces, and a sense of emotional release — almost catharsis. To me, that’s the most fascinating part: how diving transforms not only the body, but also the soul."
Alberti is not just a photographer; he's also a passionate diver. "For me, diving is a form of meditation — a moment of silence and deep connection with nature. There’s no competition, no rush, only calm. Becoming a diving instructor was a personal challenge, born from this fascination."
The project idea came directly from Alberti's own experience. He shared that he's always observed how people change after diving. "It reminded me of my previous projects — The Wine Project (people after one, two, and three glasses of wine) and The O Project (expressions during different stages of orgasm). They all explore emotional transformation in a short timeframe.
In diving, it’s the same. After just 40 minutes underwater, people come out changed. I wanted to pay tribute to this sport and show how profoundly a simple dive can affect someone — emotionally and physically."
According to Alberti, diving is extremely safe today due to technology, yet it remains radical. "It takes you to a different world — silent, weightless, full of visual and sensory stimuli. For beginners, it can be intimidating; for veterans, conditions like currents and visibility still generate tension.
People react in different ways to this pre-dive anxiety — some get talkative, others go quiet, some freeze. But the one constant after a good dive is pleasure and relief. That’s the adrenaline talking — your body enters high alert underwater, and then deeply relaxes when you’re back on the surface."
While Alberti anticipated visible emotional shifts— the foundation of all his projects— he was still amazed. "I placed my photo set at the back of the boat to capture people seconds before and seconds after diving. The contrast is stunning. The post-dive euphoria is contagious. Everyone wants to share what they saw, what they felt, and what surprised them.
And what I love most: it doesn’t matter if it’s your first or thousandth dive — you always come back smiling."
When asked about the biggest challenges of working on this project, Alberti explained that it took much more than just a good camera. "It took detailed planning, creative technical solutions, and real sensitivity to capture these genuine moments.
I chose Fernando de Noronha for its incredible dive conditions. To keep visual consistency, we built a photo set on the boat, complete with a ceiling-mounted flash system, weatherproof electrical gear, and a fixed structure to capture portraits seconds before and after diving. We faced constant sun shifts and the boat’s motion.
Another detail: I dove with every participant. I had to surface minutes before them, be mic’d up for the behind-the-scenes video, and be ready with my camera the moment they emerged, soaking wet, every time."
Timing was critical. To preserve authenticity, Alberti didn’t explain the project in detail beforehand; he revealed everything onboard, just minutes before the dive, to avoid any rehearsed expressions.
"When we wrapped up, we celebrated. I showed the photos to the participants, and many told me they had never seen themselves like that before. That, to me, is the greatest reward.
This project would not have been possible without the amazing support of Dive For Fun, who sponsored it, and Noronha Diver, our technical team on location. And especially my wife, Warla, who believed in the project from the beginning and was by my side in every step of planning and e*******n."
