In honor of breast cancer awareness month, a new underwater portrait series is opening at the Delaware Contemporary this month. The series is really a love story and was shot by underwater photographer Joe Hoddinott of his partner Jess McIntern as she was going through her battle with breast cancer. The series is titled Hold Your Breath.

This is what Hoddinott has to say about the project: “The fact that the woman I was photographing took my breath away while she was holding hers was some karmic dream come true. Making art with her was all that mattered to me. The attention was very welcomed, but it was always secondary. This art was for us and I was truly a lucky photographer to have such a muse and to be able to keep my promise to myself.”

“As her hair fell out, she held her breath and we photographed. As her energy levels dropped, she held her breath and we photographed. As long as she wasn’t deathly sick, she held her breath and we photographed. We timed our sessions around the better days between chemo treatments. She was more passionate about making these underwater images than ever before. I’m convinced that this desperate need to maintain a small sense of normalcy and that decision to press on with our underwater project helped us survive her taxing treatment.”

All proceeds from prints sold go to Jess’ ongoing recovery and the charities of her choice.

Find more of Joe Hoddinott’s portrait series here.