Liquido Active, an activewear brand based in Brazil, has been embroiled in a scandal for the past week after posting an image to their Instagram of their models doing yoga on Hanging Lake’s iconic log.

Hanging Lake is a 1.5-acre lake in Colorado which was formed by a geologic fault, causing the lake bed to drop away from the valley floor above. The waters are brilliant turquoise, owing to the carbonate minerals dissolved in the water. There is also at least one very polite sign, warning the public to “Please Keep Off The Log”.

Liquido Active’s photographer apparently ignored the request, positioning models in yoga poses on the log. The company’s owner Renata Facchini was there for the shoot, and later claimed innocence.

“To be honest, I didn’t see any signs,” Facchini said.

The photographer and models have since been issued citations according to 9NEWS, though the U.S. Forest Service has not said for how much.

Liquido Active issued an apology online last week. “To our beloved community, our hearts could not be more heavy,” the Facebook post reads. “We have learned a hard, painful lesson to research our photoshoot destination spots. In the spirit by which we operate, we have made a substantial donation to Colorado Parks and Wildlife & Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.”

The reason the lake has rules against swimming or doing yoga on the log is because it is a very fragile ecosystem. The Forest Service Recreation Quicksheet on Hanging Lake reads:

This 1.5 acre lake was formed by a geologic fault which caused the lake bed to drop away from the valley floor above. Water flows into the lake over Bridal Veil Falls. The lake edge is built up from dissolved carbonates which are deposited on the shore as the water flows over. Body oils in the water stop this deposition.

This should be a lesson to all photographers: please, respect the environment and the local laws on all of your shoots. Nothing is more important than the preservation of our planet. Not even an activewear product range.

---

Image credits: Header illustration based on photo by Paul Vangura and licensed under CC BY 3.0