New exhibition in Bournemouth spotlights cold water swimmers

Cold Water Swimmers, by photographer David Bird, is on display at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Art Space gallery until May 12.

Mr Bird, who completed an MA in Photography at Arts University Bournemouth, said: "The south coast beaches have seen a shift in how they are used in recent years."

His portraits celebrate the rise of cold water swimming along the south coast, where early morning groups gather for brisk dips year-round.

David Bird took the photos of people from local swimming groups like Beyond the Blue in Poole as part of his MA Photography degree at AUB. (Image: David Bird)

He said: "The MA allowed me to do a really deep dive.

"These women became my muses.

"Amazonian, wonderful people battling through the waves in their standard swimwear – no wetsuits in sight."

Mr Bird’s journey in photography began in the early 1990s when he studied for his HND at the then Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design.

He went on to work in the industry for 30 years, from regional press assignments like photographing Princess Diana for the Liverpool Echo, to commercial projects in London.

Now living on a farm in the New Forest, Mr Bird returned to education at 52 to gain new skills in videography, enrolling directly onto the MA programme at AUB.

He said: "I always turned down video jobs, I just didn't have the confidence.

"The MA gave me that knowledge and confidence."

His return to education also gave him a renewed sense of community.

He said: "It's built a second family.

"It's reassuring to know that for anyone who wants to do their MA, any decade you’re in, it’s okay.

"It was a definite sink or swim moment and fortunately, I swam."

David took photos of the swimmers, who take the plunge into the sea every single day at sunrise, before and after going in the water. (Image: David Bird)

Cold Water Swimmers is the product of a five-month project documenting a Poole-based swimming group.

The exhibition features before-and-after portraits showing the physical and emotional effects of the swimmers’ daily sunrise swims.

As part of the project, Mr Bird also took part in the swims, capturing footage with a gimbal in hand.

He said: "It doesn’t just make you healthier, it makes you happier."