Photography Workshop Thread

[Danny Black]

Do you like taking pics and have specific questions? If you keep it to 1-2 simple questions per post, maybe myself and others can pass on some information.

For instance, questions about camera functions that you're not sure about.....

Or, what shooting mode should I use for surf?

Or, how do I blur out the background?

[jonisnumber1]

Do you like taking pics and have specific questions? If you keep it to 1-2 simple questions per post, maybe myself and others can pass on some information.

For instance, questions about camera functions that you're not sure about.....

Or, what shooting mode should I use for surf?

Or, how do I blur out the background?

yeh for sure, should be a sick idea instead of everyone creating a individual thread for relatively easy questions which lead to clogging up the forum.

[Bombie]

I concur, a great post Danny!

It couldn't have been started by a more experienced Photog on here! There are a few Lads on here who, either, are quite progressed in the photog style, intermediate or total noobs!

Everyone of our Photogs are a information Mine, just ready to be tapped...

[JONNO313]

Great stuff Danny your a champ. N well Im going to ask you the first question.

On the east coast here the sun rises in the morning on the east side. Anyway the best waves are in the morning. problem Im getting is getting pics of bboarders. What can i do to try to minimise the chromium effect. What would your settings be if you had alot of sun, n alot of glare????


Jono I never new you had a 20d?

[Danny Black]

Are you saying that you're shooting into the sunlight Can you post a sample pic?

What kind of camera and lens?

[steve wall]

Great stuff Danny your a champ. N well Im going to ask you the first question.

On the east coast here the sun rises in the morning on the east side. Anyway the best waves are in the morning. problem Im getting is getting pics of bboarders. What can i do to try to minimise the chromium effect. What would your settings be if you had alot of sun, n alot of glare????


Jono I never new you had a 20d?

Ideally, you should try and not shoot after about 9.30 on the east coast, the glare gets too strong to get any really clean shots after then on the east coast.

If you are shooting a reef you can try and work the angles and get the sun more behind your back.

It's possible to expose for both rider and wave early on, but shooting into the sun later makes it too hard.

It can sometimes look good to silhouette the rider, especially if they are performing tricks off the top of the wave.

[Conjob]

Could you use one of those lens filters with the gradual burning in. e.g. dark up the top and slowly getting transparent?

Anyone tried this? I wonder how it works

[steve wall]

Conjob,

Called a Graduated ND(neutral density) filter. you use it to get correct exposure of say a bright sky, and a dark foreground. It twists to line up with a horizon or whatever you want.

[Conjob]

So how functional would it be trying to stop what jonno is trying to?

[Danny Black]

First off I want to suggest that you shoot in the RAW mode and not JPEG.

Good advise Steve! Here are some variables and additional options: Ideally, you should try and not shoot after about 9.30 on the east coast, the glare gets too strong to get any really clean shots after then on the east coast.

* It's 10am, the glare increases but the waves are cracking all time and there are people in the water doing things you want to get photos of:

As Steve mentioned, you can move and create an angle where the glare is decreased. When I shoot at Pipe my first angle is as into the barrel as I can get with the rising sun mostly behind me.

At 1pm the glare is bad so I move down the beach until the glare is decreased sufficiently. At that point I'm angled flat to the wave. Different angle with different perspective with the riders often hidden behind the lip curtain.

Waves are still going off at 5pm and from that location I'm getting too much back light and glare again so I move down the beach again and am now shooting from the back of Pipe and the occasional Backdoor lit up nice and warm with the setting sun.



Setting the exposure compensation has a standard as well as personal preference: if the sunlight is bright, blown out white water is always an issue so I set at -2/3 using the Evaluate Metering mode when the sun is somewhere behind me.

The most important thing when the lighting is adverse is whether you want to capture images (because the waves are epic) or not , and if so do the best you can with position, exposure compensation and POST PROCESSING skills.

More later about the same question...

Using the graduated ND filter is really hard for surf photography because the the subject is moving toward you and you'll loose the horizon at the graduated point on the filter. It is GREAT for landscapes though.

Another filter that is used is the circular polarizing filter that cuts glare and increases color saturation. Problem with that for surf is that it cuts the exposure down 2 stops which results in dark shadows and slower shutter speeds.

[jasonfrawley]

Hey Danny,
Well im new to photography just wanted to ask what would be a good Digital SLI Camera for shots in the surf?
Whats a good housing as well and whats a good HD video camera and a housing for it?
Thanks

[Danny Black]

Hi Jason

It depends on how much you can spend?

Canon D 40, Canon 10-22 lens, Canon 70-200 f/4, Canon 100-400 IS, SPL waterhousing for the 10-22 lens. Approximately $6,000 USD.

Sony HDR-HC9 MiniDV HD Handycam® Camcorder and SPL waterhousing, approximately $2700 USD.

Another $500 for tripod, camera bag, 2nd batteries.

[jasonfrawley]

Hi Jason

It depends on how much you can spend?

Canon D 40, Canon 10-22 lens, Canon 70-200 f/4, Canon 100-400 IS, SPL waterhousing for the 10-22 lens. Approximately $6,000 USD.

Sony HDR-HC9 MiniDV HD Handycam® Camcorder and SPL waterhousing, approximately $2700 USD.

Another $500 for tripod, camera bag, 2nd batteries.

Hey,
Ok thanks for that.
I dont really have a budget.
I like getting things that are top of the line and money isn't really a problem.
But i just dont really want to be buying a Digital SLR Camera and a HD Video Camera. You can take photos with Video cameras yeah? Would that work just like a Digital SLR?
Would you be able to get a Sony HDR into a housing?
Also, with surf photography and videography, how does it work?
Like whats the procedures to filming someone?
Thanks for the help

Thanks for the help

[Bombie]

Another filter that is used is the circular polarizing filter that cuts glare and increases color saturation. Problem with that for surf is that it cuts the exposure down 2 stops which results in dark shadows and slower shutter speeds.

Good point! I didn't realize that Danny. I will have to keep it in mind!

[elmorox1243]

two things firstly could we make this topic sticky cuz i think its an awseom idea?? and secondly can someone explain exposure compensation to me ??