Dive into Surf and Water Photography: 13 of Your FAQs Answered
1.What is the cost involved in getting started with surf and water photography?
Assuming you already have a wettie, let’s break it down to water housing and flippers. With the housing I have and the flippers, you’d be looking at spending NZD $800 - $1000. For a good camera, this can range from $900 upwards. I’d urge you not to be put off by cost, I saved for ages for my camera and housing. First I bought my camera (upgraded from a DSLR), shot from land and really learned to understand my settings. When I finally had enough money for the housing and got into the water, it just transformed my body of work and my entire experience with taking photos.
2. What should I look for in a camera for surf and water photography?
If you want to get seriously into water photography, I’d recommend looking for a camera with interchangeable lenses so you can experiment with different focal lengths and positioning in the water, preferably a mirrorless camera (because this is the direction camera technology is headed). If you don’t want to spend the big bucks, then used cameras are also an option to explore. Saying that, your camera doesn’t need interchangeable lenses if you’re just looking to play around and get some snaps for the gram; but just make sure there is a housing out there available for the camera you choose.
3. What is your must-have lens for surf and water photography?
My water housing has limitations around lens port sizes for my camera which is a Fujifilm X-T3. The lens port is the part of the water housing which attaches to the main body. Much like you have an interchangeable lens for your DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can have an interchangeable lens port for different lenses you want to use when you shoot in the water. The limitation I face is that Seafrogs only make two lens port sizes for my specific camera, meaning that if I am frothing to play with a variety of lenses out there, I have very limited options because they must fit in those lens ports.
Most of my water shots are taken on a 16-55mm lens - my fave focal length to shoot in the housing is usually around 45-55mm though so I’ll usually have it zoomed. This is my fave lens because it gives me flexibility to shoot wider and more landscape shots or to shoot closer and get a little more detail. Most of the iconic shots of the water surface in focus and the sun blown out in the background in my print store and across my portfolio are shot in that 45-55mm focal range.
4. Do you have a fave lens for different purposes out in the surf or shooting in the water?
Out of the water, I love my 100-400mm lens because it really allows me to gain a new perspective; whether that’s zooming in on the moon or capturing the ocean from a high point where I can achieve a closer shot, that sometimes has the appearance of aerial photography.
5. What waterproof camera housing do you use?
Seafrogs. These are the best priced housings I’ve found so far (around NZD $800) for my specific camera, lens port and zoom gear are included. I bought a vacuum pump as well which you can use to help detect a leak and check the housing is water-tight before you take it out.
A camera housing is most commonly built for a specific camera model, so you’ll need to make sure the brand you’re looking at has a model for your camera. This is because all cameras have different buttons and dials so the perfect fit means you can actually use all your settings while bobbing around out the back. Depending on your budget, I’d recommend doing some research first but Seafrogs is a great one to start out with. Aquatech are the market leading - if I sell enough prints, this would be my go-to simply because there are more customisation options (e.g. more lens port options compatible with my camera).
It’s also worth noting that if you want to get into underwater photography, check how deep the housing you are looking at is rated to. For example if it’s only rated to a depth of 20 metres but you are scuba diving to 30 metres, this won’t be appropriate for you.
6. How do you see the screen in glare when out in the surf and water?
With my housing, this is really hard. It’s also really challenging to see my monitor when I’m shooting underwater. If you have the option on your camera and housing to switch between monitor and viewfinder, then this is probably the easiest way to see what you’re shooting. Looking through the viewfinder means you can see what is in frame without all that glare. Either that, or choose low light times of the day where the glare doesn’t affect what you see on the screen.
7. How do you adjust settings and focus confidently while swimming in the surf and water?
Time in the water, flippers, and this also depends on your camera gear. To focus confidently, I use auto focus - I would love to play around with manually focusing in the water but my housing doesn’t allow for that and I’m not engineering-minded enough to figure out how to do it. One thing my camera housing does have is all the dials which link up to the setting dials on my camera. It can be fiddly when you’re starting out but after practicing you’ll soon be more confident at changing the settings quickly as you go. Flippers will help you stay above the surface of the water. I’ve tried shooting recently at a freshwater source without flippers and it’s so hard to stay afloat, I don’t recommend it!
8. Do you have any favourite settings for photographing surf and the water?
I like to shoot at lower shutter speeds to get a bit of softness to my shots but playing with those settings can make the difference between a super crisp wave caught in motion and a slightly soft and blurry one, it really depends what you want to shoot and capture and only you can truly decide what you like.
I always shoot auto aperture using shutter priority (the aperture, which determines how much light is let in through the lens, remains on auto. When I change the shutter speed, the camera decides which aperture to use for the lighting). I did decide to play around with shooting aperture priority once instead and shot a sunrise at f/4.6 - it made the shots super dark and the ocean looked like caramel. It was fun to play with but not my style personally. However, if you like dark shots, then it would be the kind of setting you might pursue more experimentation with!
9 How do you find other people to photography with in the surf, like other photographers and models?
I’ve found Instagram to be a really healthy environment for meeting other creatives. Lookout for free workshops or meet-ups that local photographers are holding and throw yourself into getting involved. Don’t be afraid of other people shooting similar subjects to you because as long as you are true to yourself and honest about your work and selections, then your work will always be unique to you. I went to two of Rambo Estrada’s workshops and found these amazing for meeting other photographers and also for learning from a super experienced photographer who genuinely wants to share his knowledge and help others grow in their field.
With models, I guess genuinely I couldn’t think of a better hangout/catchup than being out in the water. Some of the rad women I’ve shot are either close friends or friends that I see occasionally and that’s our way of catching up. I love taking photos and you’ll find that lots of people love having photos taken of them surfing too, so don’t be afraid to ask the question. You’ll probably end up becoming mates anyway!
10. Do you have any care tips for your water housing?
I always rinse my housing in fresh water when I get home and leave it for at least half an hour, then wrap it in a towel and dry it off. I’ll also avoid getting water actually inside the housing. Even if it’s one small drop, I’ll dry it off straight away. Another top tip - before heading out into the water, while the housing is still dry, I spit on the port and lick it. Sounds a bit intense but it really works for making sure those drip marks don’t ruin your money shots!
11. Where can I buy good surf fins for water photography in New Zealand?
I bought DaFin fins from a Facebook shop (@nzdafin) run by a couple of Piha Surf lifeguards who sell the real deal and they are super lovely to deal with.
12. Do you insure your camera gear?
Heck yes! Contents insurance usually covers this so check with your insurance provider. Also when I travel, I add to my insurance the cost of the gear I’ll be taking (not that I know when I’ll ever be travelling again!)
13. What made you focus on surf and water photography?
When I first learned to surf, I would lie on my board and admire the colours of reflections of the water’s surface and was frothing to experiment using a camera out there to show others what beauty I was witnessing. I also love being at the mercy of Mama Nature and I love that I can go out in the water with a certain amount of control but I never really know what kind of shot I’ll come home with. This is so exciting for me! The way the water moves, the way the sun rises on a particular day, each different wave, the amount of wind on the water; I just lock in a couple of the settings on the camera and let nature do the rest.
Thanks for all your questions, if you have any more, feel free to DM me on Insta or shoot an email through to louloubphoto@gmail.com
L x