This Photographer Tied A Model Up In Shark-Infested Waters And It Was More Beautiful Than Scary

This picture taken by photographer Benjamin Von Wong features a woman tied down next to live sharks. Von Wong took the photos because he wanted to raise awareness about shark sanctuaries and the beauty of these misunderstood creatures.

h/t: buzzfeed

Von Wong told BuzzFeed he realized he wanted to work on a shark conservation project when he was in Fiji for a photography workshop. “Once I got thinking about a strong message I wanted to convey, a ‘shark shepherd’ was something that really resonated to me.” he said.

Von Wong said on his website and blog that his experience with the animals was “the complete opposite” of the bloodthirsty image of sharks in popular media.

In addition, the model couldn’t just be any model. The woman had to be comfortable underwater, be comfortable around sharks, and be able to hold her breath for a long period of time.