Once you have the perfect composition, lock your focal length and tripod. There’s no point in spending big bucks for a good lens, only to put a low-quality filter on it. To balance the bright sky with the foreground, used graduated ND filters.Ĥ. For beachscape and wave shoots, you’ll need quality neutral density filters to slow the water. A popular beach will quickly fill up as sunset approaches.ģ. I usally arrive 2 hours before sunset to scout the beach for the best location and composition to reserve a spot. The best photo conditions are high tide and partly cloudy skies.Ģ. Use apps to check the local weather and cloud coverage for tide and surf reports before photographing. La Jolla Shores Beach by Scott Murphy on 500pxġ. I rarely use any color saturation or sharpening. I adjust the highlights and darks, remove any chromatic aberration and noise, and up the clarity a little. Shoot in manual and adjust according to the light.ĩ. A fast shutter speed and smaller aperture are usually the best settings, so the highlights don’t get blown out.Ĩ. Cloudy days don’t bring out the color of the water and everything looks grey.ħ. Shoot in the morning and evening when there is sun. I have learned the hard way to do this, having been completely drenched before.Ħ. While shooting, keep one eye on the water at all times. Check the high water mark of these waves, then set up behind that line.ĥ. That will give you time to see what the ocean does when a set comes in.Ĥ. When you find a good spot to get a good angle, watch it for at least 20 minutes before setting up. The waves here on the north shore get up to 50 feet high, so it’s a good idea to check what the tide and surf forecast is before heading out.ģ. That’s the first and most important thing when photographing waves.Ģ. I use a remote control shutter release on multiple exposure mode, then I fire away!Įmerald Beauty by Kelly Headrick on 500pxġ. This is to make sure I am freezing that wave. I usually prefer my waves frozen, so it’s not uncommon for me to crank up my ISO if needed. Get the shutter speed right! Whatever motion you’re going for on your waves, make sure you experiment with different shutter speeds to determine the best look. I do use 16-200 range quite often, but the extra reach will allow you to get incoming waves breaking at a distances and unusual compositions.ģ. 200-500mm is considered normal for many wave photographers. Sometimes, you can’t get close to these large waves. Travel there often to catch them at their prime.Ģ. Find out what’s causing these waves, winds, tides, something they break against, signs of an incoming storm. Search the Internet for images of large waves around your area or place of travel. You can capture some amazing photos when you get up close to the action.ġ. Get a protective housing or cover that allows you to bring the camera anywhere. I always make it my priority to network with local surfers, sometimes I even meet pro athletes and these are the best days to shoot! It’s all about the action, and these guys love it when they know there is a photographer around.Ĥ. It allows me focus on my photography without worrying about the gear.ģ. I use a protective water cover even when I shoot in the sand. When it comes to the water and sand, nothing is worse then ruining your gear. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed a shot, but that is the thrill of shooting-you never what is going to happen so always be ready.Ģ. It’s nature, and the only thing you can do is keep your eye out. With surf photography, there’s not much in your control. If I ever have twins, I will name them Dodge and Burn.”ġ. In Photoshop, it’s basically a lot of dodging and burning to enhance the striking elements in the picture. The post-processing involves standard adjustments in the RAW converter-setting the white balance and balancing the exposure. The dynamic range of the D800 is a dream to work with, so no need for graduated filters under these conditions. It’s processed in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CC. “I shot this with a Nikon D800 and 14-24mm f2.8 lens, Wonderpana 145mm circular polarizer, and Benro C1570T Tripod. At 3 a.m., I had the beach all for myself. I could see a small opening towards the east, so I jumped in my waders and walked down to the beach. At 3 a.m., I barely opened my eyes to check out any chances for a sunrise break in the clouds. The weather was really awful-heavy clouds, rain, and strong winds. Me and my travel partner were asleep in the car, exhausted after a really long drive going non-stop from Reykjavik to Jokulsarlon. This beach looks different every time you visit. The shoreline is constantly fed with chunks of ice flowing down from the lagoon before being washed ashore by the mighty waves. It is one of the most unique and amazing beaches in the world. “This photo was taken on the iconic Breidamerkursandur Beach near the Jokulsarlon lagoon on Iceland.
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