Water photography is not what it used to be. Let’s just start there.
While I have not been in the water as long as a lot of the watermen I know, I have seen a huge surge of photographers in the water during the last few years. That makes getting a unique shot, particularly of an empty wave, more and more difficult. Whether it is surf or wave photography you’re into, GoPro (and other small handheld digital cameras) are now a staple in the lineup, like it or not. And they are not going to vanish any time soon since each new version brings about further improvements in technology allowing even amateurs to have the potential to take quality water shots. I do believe that those who shoot with a DSLR still have a leg up. Yes, I am biased because I shoot DSLR. Photographers can be more creative with DSLRs since they control the camera settings – just take a look at slow shutter photos by Ray Collins and you will understand.
Another way DSLR users have an advantage is through their ability to utilize flash. In my opinion, night shooting creates some of the most unique images from the water. I only know of a handful of water photographers that use their flash in this way. In an attempt to stand out from the crowd, I recently decided to undertake night wave-shooting myself. After a couple of failed attempts initially, due to improper settings, I now believe it has produced some of my best and most memorable wave shots.
This is a taste of the shots I am getting at night…
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- One thing about flash wave photography is you have to have your timing DOWN!
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- Just a clean wave shot in La Jolla at night..
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- The more froth, the less motion blur…
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- Taken well after sunset, the cleaner the wave, the better the coloring…
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- One of the first night shots I was really proud of..
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- While this was a thick wave, I really like how you still get the back lighting on the top of the slab…
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- This shot was taken about 20 mins after the sun went down
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- One of the first shots from a session, non was better than this one
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- My favorite part about this shot is that you can see all the little specs of the barrel about to spit…
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- The final click from a session. This was taken about 45 mins after the sun went down.
