Erena Shimoda made her life’s mess her message. As an underwater photographer from Tokyo, Japan, Erena always felt a strong connection to the ocean, even though she grew up in a city. One of her fondest childhood memories involves floating in a small inflatable pool, daydreaming about mermaids and singing a children’s song:

海は広いな　大きいなー
The ocean is wide, the ocean is huge…

It’s no wonder Erena became captivated by scuba diving after a trip to the Bay Islands of Honduras, specifically Utila and Roatan. She earned her Divemaster certificate in Venezuela in 2005 and began photographing underwater scenes in locations such as Thailand, Bonaire, Corsica, Cozumel, Cancun, and Hawaii. Today, she is an underwater portrait photographer, utilizing her background in New Media and Fine Art to create distinctive compositions across various media.

Erena developed her transformative underwater photography practice following a traumatic car accident in which she lost her father and sustained serious injuries. During her recovery, she volunteered with the American Cancer Society’s Look Good Feel Better program. The experience of seeing cancer survivors feel uplifted by their photographs had a profound effect on her. This inspired Erena to combine her passion for underwater photography with a focus on recovery, aiming to help cancer survivors experience the healing effects of being underwater and see themselves in a new light through the resulting portraits.

In July 2013, she launched one of her most significant projects—a fundraising campaign to help cancer survivors rediscover their beauty through underwater portrait photography. The campaign was a success, and by the end of the year, Erena had photographed 13 survivors. Following this achievement, she self-published a book, showcased her portraits in a gallery in Tokyo, and presented her work at a Genentech Medical Conference. Her work has also been featured on various online platforms, including USA Today, CBS News, The Huffington Post, and NBC News.

Since then, Erena has expanded her outreach to other survivors, including those who have experienced domestic violence, people with PTSD, individuals with physical disabilities, and those who have a fear of water. Her mission is to connect with people worldwide, sharing the transformative power of being underwater, along with the beauty and joy it brings.

Erena firmly believes in the power of water and the creative process to heal and transform both body and mind. She welcomes support in the form of donations or by participating in portrait sessions to help increase the number of survivors who can benefit from her project. With your help, we can make a meaningful difference in their ongoing journey of transformation. Unconditionally Her is proud to share stories over the next few months to support the efforts of this beautiful project.

For more information on Erena, please visit her website at https://underwaterhealer.com.