5 Surf Photography HACKS in 50 SECONDS, that you'll actually use!

 

Dylan Brayshaw

Published on Jan 3, 2018

These are 5 surf photography hacks I use frequently when I'm shooting in the water.

1.) Candle wax on lens port to shed water droplets
2.) Taking split shots with dome port
3.) Camera settings for sharp photos
4.) Backdoor floaty mouth mount, this allows you to still have the mount to put on surfboard or main camera housing
5.) Water drops on lens. Leave water drops on lens port to give added bokeh dreamy look.


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THIS EPISODE

The gear I use:
CAMERAS AND LENSES
Canon 5D Mark 3 - Love this thing - http://amzn.to/29E1Dwe
Canon 24-105mm f4 IS - Real sharp - http://amzn.to/2abLQXa
Canon 70 - 200mm f4 IS - Sharp and Light - http://amzn.to/29E1Krr
Canon 16-35mm 2.8f - Landscape wonder - http://amzn.to/2eNk9KN
Canon 85mm 1.8f - http://amzn.to/2siKcw3


VLOG
DJI Phantom 4 Pro - http://amzn.to/2oADiPO
GoPro Hero 5 - http://amzn.to/2jijX39
Canon G5X - http://amzn.to/2i7O6o0
Lavalier Mic Rode - http://amzn.to/2ddy3Ep

WATER HOUSING
AquaTech PD-85 Dome - http://amzn.to/2j2p0Vi
Aquatech Housing Body - http://amzn.to/2uchpZX
Aquatech Lens Port for 200mm lens - http://amzn.to/2j2ox5q

MEMORY CARDS
x1 16gb CF Card Sandisk Extreme Pro - http://amzn.to/2dUCpld
x1 32gb SD Card Lexar Professional - http://amzn.to/2dRuwLa

Wrist Watch G Shock Tide - http://amzn.to/2guBaIR
Super warm 3/2 Wetsuit - http://amzn.to/2dUFdis
Tripod - Manfrotto and Fluid Head - http://amzn.to/2dRtDlC
Camera Bag - http://amzn.to/2dqEXVj

7 Daily Exercises that Will Help Make You a Better Photographer (Via petapixel.com)

• Jeff Meyer · Apr 22, 2014

The saying ‘practice makes perfect’ is as valid for photography as any other activity, so we’ve put together a collection of exercises that will help you become a better photographer.

1. Spot meter

Modern metering systems have great general-purpose modes, often called Evaluative, Matrix or Multi-area, which do a great job of accessing a scene and setting good ‘average’ exposure settings in many situations.
However, they’re not 100% foolproof and very dark or very light scenes, or backlighting can trick them into over or under exposure. They’re also not psychic and don’t know what you’re seeing in your head when you take a shot.
Switching to spot metering puts you in control of where the camera meters from and helps you develop a much better understanding of the tonal range in a scene.
A standard spotmetering system allows you to meter from a very small part of the scene and it suggests exposure settings that will render your target a mid-tone. Consequently, you need to take care with the positioning of this spot, study the scene carefully and decide which is the best area to take a reading from.
It’s often helpful to combine spot metering with AE Lock as this will fix the exposure settings (after metering) while you compose the image.

2. Check the histogram

Just like the Levels display in image editing software packages such as Adobe Photoshop, a camera’s histogram display is a graph that represents the brightness of the pixels that make up an image.
The scale runs from black, with a brightness reading of 0, on the left to white, with a brightness reading of 255, on the right.
The peaks in the histogram indicate the number of pixels with that brightness and a large peak means lots of pixels have that brightness. This means that a vary dark image will have peaks over to the left of the graph, while a bright one has peaks on the right.
Meanwhile, a correctly exposed ‘ideal’ scene has a histogram with a so-called ‘normal’ distribution with a peak in the middle and just a few very bright and very dark pixels.
Checking the histogram after every shot will increase your understanding of the brightness distribution of an image. It will also enable you to determine whether an image is under- or over-exposed with the majority of pixels being grouped to the left or right of the graph respectively.

3. Use a single prime lens

Using a prime, or fixed focal length, lens enables you to forget about the distraction of zooming in and out. Instead you walk towards a subject, assess it through the viewfinder and then either shoot or move again to find a new or alternative vantage point.
It forces you to explore the subject more fully you’ll soon get a better understanding of the angle of view of the lens.
As well as letting you travel light, if you take just one lens with you on a shoot, or day out with your camera, you’ll really get to know that focal length and in the future you’ll be able to decide which lens to mount on your camera just by looking at the scene and framing an image in your mind.

4. Set a specific white balance

Modern automatic white balance systems are extremely capable, but that’s not always a good thing because it can mean that you shoot with your mind in neutral (ha!) as far as colour goes. This may be fine much of the time, but if the camera delivers a result that you don’t like, you may find yourself a little stuck for answers.
The answer is to climb free of the auto white balance safety-net and set a preset white balance value for the appropriate lighting conditions.
You may find that the Daylight or Sunny white balance setting produces the best results for the majority of the time, but it’s worth experimenting with the others to assess their impact in a range of conditions so that you know when to use them in the future.

5. Set a custom white balance value

It’s easy to set the custom white balance value of a camera, you just set it to the correct mode (the manual will explain how to find this) and then photograph a white or neutral grey card in the same light as your subject. Well that’s the theory.
In practice it can be little trickier, because the angle at which you hold the card can have a huge impact upon the final result.
If the main light is coming from directly above your subject, for example, and you tip the card slightly downwards towards a coloured area under your subject you will find the result is very different to the one you get if you hold the card slightly tipped upwards.
Learn how to make a custom white balance setting with your camera and experiment by holding a white balance card at different angles to see for yourself and learn. If you find you don’t like the neutral look of images that your camera produces in this mode, try the adjustment controls until you find a setting that works for you.

6. Use manual exposure mode

Although aperture and shutter priority exposure modes are very useful, they leave the decision about how bright or dark the image will appear to the camera.
Manual exposure mode puts you in charge and it forces you to think about the brightness of a subject and its surroundings. It also means that you have to consider both depth of field and freezing or blurring movement.
It can be helpful to combine this exercise with using spotmetering as it will enable you set select exposure settings that work for a specific part of the scene.

7. Post a single image every day

Rather that shooting in a sporadic fashion and positing images to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram or any other social networking or image sharing site as and when you feel like it, try committing to shooting at least one image and posting only one shot every day.
This will encourage your powers of creativity, helping you to find novel subjects and explore new areas or genres of photography. It will also mean that you have to critically assess each image to identify the best shot from that day to post.
Wherever you post your image, make it known what you are doing as this will underline your commitment.
It’s also often a good idea to request constructive criticism to help you see your shots from another viewpoint and improve as a photographer.

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About the author: Jeff Meyer is the editor of Photoventure, a photography blog for everything post-capture — improving photos, image management, sharing and more. This article originally appeared here.

Reflections of Gold: Wave Photography by David Orias (Via topazlabs.com)

By Darcy Wheeler · April 30, 2013

Golden waves and other vibrant hues–Southern California native David Orias has unlocked the perfect mixture of location, lighting and photo-technique to capture the Pacific Ocean as it has never been seen before.

A Start in Surf Photography

Physician by day, Santa Barbara based David Orias became interested in photography in the late ’90s during the advent from film to the digital camera. With no formal education, Orias explains that he learned many fundamentals with the help of the Internet and feedback from other photographers . He would post his photos to sites such as photosig.com, where fellow members would provide criticisms of his work.

Around 2005, Orias took an interest in surf photography, where shots using a long lens were captured during international contests held in San Diego all the way to the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Oahu, Hawaii. With hundreds of photographers producing similar images, Orias decided to stand out from the crowd by using a slower shutter speed as well as panning the surfer, which created a blurred out background.

Admitting that it was a struggle to sell photos within this common genre of photography, the technique of panning and slower shutter speeds was brought over to photographing waves.  By 2007 people started to offer to purchase prints of his fine art wave photos.

A Spot Like No Other

One particular location on the coast of Ventura Beach, CA offers the perfect geography for capturing these images–a nearby mountain range hides the sun as it rises in the morning so that the ambient light is high, creating a proper exposure along with vivid colors in the water.

“There is a fifteen-minute period of time where the sun peaks over the mountain, creating bright, golden reflections. I have yet to find another area where the light hits the waves the right way.”

Not Everyday is a Potential Shooting Day

Before sunrise Orias will head to Ventura Beach to check for tide tables and wave heights.

“Fall and winter are ideal for capturing the best waves. In a typical photo session I might shoot 400-500 frames. Of those, thirty I might process and out of those I might find 1-10 that are interesting and different enough to add to my portfolio”

The Technique

A telephoto 600mm lens (standard surfing photog lens) is used, which allows Orias to shoot more parallel to the shore, adding curl and crest in the waves. He currently uses a Canon 5D Mark III along with an f4 1.4x teleconverter to capture these interesting shots.

The exposure in the initial image is brought all the way to the right on the meter so that the original Raw file appears bland and bright. The photos are then edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. Common adjustments include: dropped exposure, added contrast, increased white balance, saturation boost, and dodging of the wave mist.

Recently, Orias has been interested in adding pelicans into the mix:

 Check out more of Orias’s work here:

500px

Flickr

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) 

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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