While the warm weather is decreasing and making way for harsh cold, the perfect surfing weather in the US is increasing. Strong winds and high waves slowly make their way in and make way for the water rats.
The water may be freezing cold, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting out and about. Experiment and try your hand at wave and surf photography. Check out the Surfer Dad Surf Blog With Sensational Surfing Photos, from ascoring.com they have some great tips and tricks to help you improve your skills.
We have listed several tips, so you know at least what to focus on.
1. Check the weather forecasts
This is important in any photography but is very important in wave and surf photography. You have to look at how high the waves are, how the wind is, how the current is, and whether it is cloudy or sunny. Heavy clouds and a clear blue sky give a significant effect, but you have to know your desired effect.
If you want to take a dramatic and intense photo, it is good to shoot on a cloudy day. If you prefer to convey a summer vibe, it is important to photograph when it is sunny. Preferably during sunrise or sunset. This is known in photography as the ‘golden hour’ and gives you the most beautiful light
2. Insight, point of view, and perspective are more important than equipment
The biggest mistake is thinking that a good photo only depends on the equipment. An expensive camera gives you a better quality photo, but the emotion and the story you want to convey in an image have nothing to do with equipment.
Develop your insight, adopt strange points of view and play with your perspective. Then you quickly notice that you can make a photo ‘more powerful’ with the help of insight. You don’t need a camera worth thousands of euros for that.
3. Make use of the waterproof case
We can’t leave it unmentioned. No matter what type of camera you have, you can be assured that it is protected, even if it is fully waterproof.
You want to have as few worries as possible when standing or lying in the water. So make sure you have well-fitting housing like the DiCaPac WP-S10.
4. Gather your courage, but think about your safety
If the waves are high, you can stand on the beach with a telephoto lens and shoot photos from there. But the best images ultimately come from the water. You feel involved in the picture, and the perspective is unusual and strange.
This makes the photo striking. Try to limit your enthusiasm because safety comes first. If the waves are too high or the current is too strong, you must make sure you are lying on a board on the water yourself. Some photographers use jet skis, but you need help to get there. You can always shoot from the shore or wait a day if the weather is too intense.
5. Shoot manually
This is an unnecessary tip for people with some photography experience. Still, for people who are sometimes ‘afraid’ to photograph manually, this is essential—the light constantly changes due to the reflection of the water.
Therefore, the light meter in your camera has no idea how to expose the photo, so you end up with under or over-exposed photos nine times out of ten. So take a few test photos and set your camera to the correct exposure you will shoot.
That’s how the professionals do it.
Immerse yourself in surfing
To become a good surf photographer, you must know how the sport works. This incredible sport blog ascoring.com takes you to the deep end and shows you all the ins and outs.
