Shitty Rigs: A Site Dedicated to the Crappy Rigs Filmmakers MacGyver Together (via petapixel.com)

Found this on petapixel.com .. Check it out:

• DL Cade · Nov 24, 2013

You might have found yourself in this situation before: you’re in the middle of a photo shoot and you find that you badly need to set up a shot or lighting that is, in fact, impossible to do ‘professionally’ given the gear you have on hand.
So what do you do? You go all MacGyver of course! You put together an off-the-top-of-your-head DIY fix that gets the job done (even if it doesn’t look all that good doing it). The Tumblr blogShitty Rigs is dedicated to showing off those brilliant, if a bit silly, creations.
Shitty Rigs was started by Bert Mayer and Mike Farino all the way back in November of 2011 with the purpose of sharing the most inventive, ridiculous and often funny rigs they sometimes find themselves putting together on set.
From the blog description:

If you have worked on a film set, you know. Grip and electric is all about doing everything you have to with all the gear you don’t have. Here’s to all the horrible things we have done with our gear to get the shot we need.

Although the site was started with filmmaking in mind, we have a feeling many (if not all) the photographers we know have had to do this a time or two themselves. From strange and inventive ways to keep lights and cameras aloft, to hilarious mess-ups by assistants who managed to turn a simple task into something downright complicated, there’s a lot to laugh at here.
And for those of you concerned about safety, Mayer and Farino have assured their readers on several occasions that none of their rigs have ever led to someone getting hurt. “I just wanted to remind you that we are all professionals trying to get a job done,” they write. “We are all here for fun and to share stories from set. And let’s be honest, the director made us do it.”
You can check out their full selection of ridiculous rigs over on the website itself by clickinghere. And keep in mind, they take submissions too! Photographers are still underrepresented amongst all the filmmakers on there, so if you’ve ever created a ‘shitty rig’ worthy of MacGyver fame, submit it on their site and drop us a link in the comments down below.
(via Reddit)

One Shot - a surf photography documentary

I found this at http://clairebutlerphoto.blogspot.com... Pretty cool stuff. Check it out:

One Shot - a surf photography documentary

It's not often that I share videos on my blog but I came across this one this morning. It's called "One Shot" - a short documentary on world renowned surf photographer, Russel Ord. I have the utmost respect for water surf photographers who put themselves in the most insane situations to capture the perfect moment. These guys are the real talent in surf photography. Here's an excerpt on the film from the official website:

"'One Shot' is a short documentary that looks into the life of Russell Ord, a West Australian, world renowned surf Photographer as he embarks on a mission to capture 'one shot' that defines who he is, not just what he does. A husband and father of 3, Russell has for years shot professional surfers and ocean scapes, only to wake up one day and look back on his images with total emptiness and dissatisfaction"

Watch the trailer below and donate to the project here.

ONE SHOT- an Image and an Attitude (teaser) from Darren McCagh on Vimeo.

Chasing The Curve: A Portrait Of The Sea - The Book by Trent Mitchell

I was looking around the internet looking for images and pointers about surf photography and stumbled on a few really great surf shots on 35mm by Trent Mitchell from Australia. It seems like there are a lot of people taking notice of him from places like Surfing Magazine, Surfer Magazine, Club of the Waves and other bloggers out there (like me). Click the picture below to read all about it:

Dark Side of the Lens (short film by Fergal Smith) - Via surfingmagazine.com

I found this on surfingmagazine.com and it's pretty cool... Check it out:

Dark Side of the Lens

posted by Stuart Cornuelle / Video / February 27, 2011

4

SURFING’s Europe Issue profiled Irish slabber Fergal Smith. This short film profiles the man who takes Fergal’s picture: Mickey Smith, no relation. Maybe you’ve seen this before, but maybe you should see it again.

A Perfect Moment (Via picturecorrect.com)

I found this on picturecorrect.com and it is worth sharing... Check it out:

Zak Noyle, a world class surf photographer, has made his way to into our hearts already, and the photograph below only goes to show why. His photographic eye doesn’t fail him, even when faced with one of the most dangerous surf breaks known to man. Taken while on a surf trip to Teahupoo, Tahiti to film a documentary on himself, Noyle managed to capture this stunning image of surfer, Christian Redongo, which ended up earning Noyle the cover of Surfer Magazine as well as a their Photograph of the Year award:

“A Perfect Day” Via SurferMag (Click for Larger Size)

Noyle shoots with a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, which is housed in a safe water proof housing. The housing has a small pole attached to it to serve as a handle of sorts, making the rig more manageable while swimming in the ocean.

“ It wasn’t huge, but I saw that rainbow forming. I was shooting fisheye, and I was quite close in, so I kind of kicked back toward the channel and framed it up like that. It was just a quick moment, it only lasted for two waves, and it just happened to be a setup.”

Reflex Action: A Surf Photographer's Top Tips (via Nikonusa)

Capturing great surf shots starts with the advice you'd get for any sport: know what to expect so you'll be able to anticipate the action.

The thing is, you can't ever count on the behavior of the next wave, so with the sport
of surfing the scales are tipped toward the unpredictable. There are, however, ways to
level things off a bit.

"Any photographer who does the research and keeps practicing is going to pick up any
sport," says pro photographer and surfer Jay Watson. "But there's an inside culture to
surfing, and knowing and getting to be friends with surfers gives you better access to
better surfers, and you're going to get better photos."   

If that kind of access isn't immediately available to you, not to worry. We all start
somewhere, and if your start is at a local beach shooting amateurs or beginners, make the
most of that opportunity to develop your skills and to network. "There are always good
guys around," Jay says, "and if you share your images with them, they'll likely tell you
about other surfers." Plus the local beach might offer an advantage when it comes to
shooting positions. Jay shoots a lot of competitive surfing events and good vantage points
can be hard to come by. "It's best if I can shoot parallel to a wave that's breaking, and I'll
set up anywhere—the beach, docks, jetties, cliffs, and sometimes I'll be in a boat."

A word about safety here: it should always be your first consideration. On the beach, pier 

or jetty, stay aware of what's going on around you; don't bury yourself in the viewfinder. 

If you're just starting out, it makes sense to shoot from the pier, the beach or the bluff until 

seriousness, skills and the right circumstances suggest it might be time for a boat ride. If 

you've hired a boat or a jet ski, it's the pilot's job to keep you out of danger and out of the 

way of the surfers. The professionals who provide these services are experts; as Jay says, 

"I'm not going to grab my next door neighbor and ask him to take me out there." In all 

cases, the bottom line is that the idea of surf photography is great images, not great risk. 

Besides, Jay says, "Get in the way of a surfer and the least that's going to happen is you're 

not going to be welcome to come back."

Any photographer who does the research and keeps practicing is going to pick up any 

sport...but there's an inside culture to surfing, and knowing and getting to be friends with surfers gives you better access to better surfers, and you're going to get better photos.

Key elements of surfing photography

Position

If you can get parallel to the wave right where it's breaking and shoot over the top of the 

surfers, you've got a great spot. With, say, a 70-200mm zoom, "It's a lens a lot of 

photographers have in their kits," Jay says, you can shoot from a pier or a jetty and the 

surfer is going to be big in the frame. Sometimes you can even get a bit of the back of the 

wave. "The challenge is finding a spot that gives you a lot of options," Jay says. "The 

surfers will come into the beach on an angle, and you'll get the best pictures if you've 

found a spot where you can cover where they're going."

Focus

If the surfer isn't sharp, the picture isn't good, simple as that. Like other sports, the success 

of the shot is judged by the sharpness of the subject. "I do a lot of testing of lenses and 

focus modes, and I'll most often use dynamic area autofocus, set to the camera's 51 focus 

points, and continuous tracking."

Advance

As you might expect, Jay favors continuous high speed advance to achieve high 

frame rates, but he thinks in terms of capturing chunks of action, not ribbons of images. 

"I try not to just ‘spray and pray’ because I don't want to end up spending a lot of time 

at the computer because all I did was hold down the shutter release. I think about frames 

per second in terms of getting into a rhythm to catch a good chunk of the action in front 

of me."

Speed Setting

"If you want to be a better photographer, in any field, learn to shoot sports," Jay says. 

"Shooting sports teaches you to know all the ins and outs of your camera and how to 

quickly operate the functions, the buttons and menus." In a nutshell: stuff's happening; 

don't be fumbling with camera settings.

Size

"A good tip is to make sure your subject is bigger in the frame than one of the camera's 

focus points in the viewfinder," Jay says. "If the surfer, in motion out on the water, isn't 

any bigger than one of those points, you're too far away. You need to get closer or get 

a longer zoom. I always like to have a couple of focus [points] fitting on the surfer—that'll 

give me some overlap of focus points, and that's especially important if I'm shooting from 

a boat. The boat's moving, the surfer's moving, I'm moving—I need every advantage."

Exposure

Jay most often sets his cameras for shutter priority, then makes test exposures and checks 

the histogram to make sure he isn't clipping the whitewater's highlights. If he is, he'll set 

-1/3 exposure compensation as a starting point and, if need be, keep going until the 

whitewater is no longer clipped. "You want detail in the whitewater," he says, "so always 

rely on the histogram [rather than] the image on the LCD screen for exposure."

Research

Just starting out? It's a cool idea to check out some surfing magazines to see what's being 

done. "Surfer and Surfer's Journal have great photography," Jay says. "You can get ideas 

for pictures and learn about camera positions, vantage points, framing, lighting and 

proximity to subjects. A photographer doing any sport needs to find out how that sport 

translates itself to photography."

Protection

Jay doesn't use an underwater housing or a skylight or UV filter, just common sense when 

it comes to keeping his cameras and lenses in the game. He's not overprotective, but takes 

"reasonable caution and care" to keeping the cameras and lenses clear of salt water. It's 

obvious, but we'll say it anyway: splashing water is a signal to pay attention to what's 

going on with the gear.

Variety

You'll see from Jay's photos that he likes to vary his coverage. He'll take the camera away 

from the water from time to time for shots of shadows, silhouettes and boards on the beach.  

"Those kinds of shots round out the coverage, and give people a greater feel for what the 

sport, the culture and the lifestyle's like. You definitely want the atmosphere, the ritual, the 

details—they're all part of the story."

Surf Photography for Beginners – Equipment, Techniques and Tips (Via http://digital-photography-school.com)

Surf Photography for Beginners – Equipment, Techniques and Tips 

(Via http://digital-photography-school.com) 

1.5K

  

90

  

0

  

0

 

0

  

0

 

1443

 60Comments

A Post By: Darren Rowse

This introductory tutorial on Surf Photography has been submitted by Ryan Cardone from Ryan Cardone Photography.

Being eaten by sharks, broken bones, getting run over, or even drowning; these are just some of the risks involved in surf photography, but when you get that one shot, it is all worth it!

I have been a surfer for most of my life and it was only natural for me to take my love for photography in the water. Surf photography really gives me a feeling that is indescribable.

I am dealing with the same elements that the surfers are dealing with. If they are getting barreled, most likely I am getting barreled. Just that feeling is an enough rush for me, but when you get the film back or see the photos on the computer it is that much better.

Every shot I have taken from the water has a great story. Here are some tips to use so that you can go out and try surf photography for your self.

Equipment for Surf Photography:

You do not have to have the most expensive photo equipment to get a great a surf photo.

If you are just starting out and want to get your feet wet, excuse the pun, Fuji and Kodak both make throw away waterproof cameras. These are great to learn and practice with. They are an inexpensive way for you to get used to the water and the surfers coming at you.

If you prefer digital, Pentax and Olympus both make digital underwater cameras; they run in the $300 price range. These work great and I have shot with both and have been happy with the results.

Remember with point and shoot digital cameras, there is a lag before the picture is actually taken. The trick to making better pictures with these is to learn how long that lag time actually is, and then you can estimate when to push the button.

Timing is everything in surf photography. Moving up the price scale are water housings. These are basically boxes that keep your camera dry. Water Housings can be made for many different kind of cameras from point ($300-$1000) and shoots to SLR’s ($1000-and up).

I use a SPL water housing made for my Nikon Cameras.

Here is a list of Manufactures Websites:

List of Water Housing Manufactures:

• splwaterhousings.com
• www.liquideye-whs.com/us/story.html
• www.photosupportsystems.com/
• www.surfhousings.com/
• www.aquatech.com.au/
• www.watershot.com/
• Del Mar Housings
• Dale Kobetich — by email h2ohsng@yahoo.com

Other equipment I recommend are a good pair of swim fins and a helmet.

Surf Photography Technique

So now you have the equipment how do you get that great shot?

What makes a good photograph from a great photograph?

I would say 99% is the lighting. If you pick the right time of day to shoot it will make your photo that much better. It can be that simple.

So what light is good? Early morning sunlight is amazing for surf photography. Most of the photos you see in the magazines use early morning light also called “front lit.”

Shooting around sunset time will give you “back lit” light. I love this kind of light. The colors are often great. It usually will silhouette the surfer and look very artistic.

The worst time to shoot is around the middle of the day. This is when you get to surf.

Sun is a surf photographers best friend but what if it is cloudy or overcast? Try switching to black and white. Color is pretty dull when it is overcast or cloudy so a good way to solve that is to take away the color.

Shooting from the Beach

If you want to have a go at surf photography but don’t want to get in the water here are a few tips shooting from land.

You don’t have to have the $10,000 telephoto lens to get a great surf photo. A little creative positioning will give any camera a decent chance of getting the shot.

Shooting from piers is a great way to get closer to the action. Also beach breaks usually break closer to the beach. This is perfect to get you close and personal.

Be creative and do not always think you have to be close.

• Try walking down the beach to shoot at a different angle.
• Try wide shots, meaning do not always be zoomed in.
• Line up shots are some of my favorite photos.
• Use depth of field to your advantage.
• Put something (an object, person, etc) in the foreground and have the surfer in the background.
• Use a tree branch or something to crop the top of the photo to bring the viewers eye to where you want them to look.

Push yourself to look for opportunities to shoot something in a different way.

Practice, practice, practice

I can’t stress this as the most important part of surf photography.

Like I mentioned before surf photography is all about timing. It takes a lot of practice to get in the right position while linking up with the surfer. This will be something you really learn the more you go out and shoot. With the boom of digital photography, it is very inexpensive to take a lot of pictures.

Go back and critique your work. Take note of what you did right and wrong, I believe this is the great way to learn and improve your surf photography.

The last tip…. Be safe, know your limits, the ocean can be very dangerous and lastly HAVE FUN!

Please Visit www.ryancardonephotography.com

Or www.tidalstock.blogspot.com for more stuff like this. Thanks

- See more at: http://digital-photography-school.com/surf-photography-for-beginners-equipment-techniques-and-tips#sthash.3Z1fUUD6.dpuf