So you've read up on the history of surf photography (if not click
on the 101 category link>>> for the first posts in this series)
and have some idea about how we got to today. So the next step is
beginning. First things first- why do you want to be a surf
photographer? If your answer is 'to make money' then I'd turn around
walk out the door and pursue another avenue. A good surf photographer’s
yearly take home can be achieved in a week by a top celebrity paparazzi
shooter. The going day rate for a top London fashion photographer is
ten times that of a top surf photographer; even though both can be
working for large, stock-exchange-listed, billion-dollar turnover
companies… and the fashion photographer only has to worry about getting
the right kind of foamy head on his latte, he doesn’t have to worry
about getting a double-overhead foamy wave on the head. If you're gonna
get into the surf photography lark it HAS to be because you love it.
Simple as that...
I started cos I wanted to make a scrapbook of places I was going
surfing. No other reason. Line up shots taken before and after
sessions, lifestyles of me and me mates arsing around in Hossegor,
Fuerte, wherever. I didn't think 'big lenses and water gear' or about
getting published cos I had no idea that stuff even existed. I knew
nothing about photography when I got my first crappy SLR
and didn't think that I would ever get shots in a surf mag. So I
suggest you do the same. Don't go mad buying the latest digital gear
and a big lens. Buy a cheap camera, hell you can get a 5-frame a second
film body that pro's used to use like an EOS5 for £80 (or an EOS3 for
£200). The manual focus gear is even cheaper and Canon FD lenses are
cheap as chips for insane quality (check Mifsuds
etc for used gear). Get a body and mid range zoom (24-85mm kinda deal)
Buy some print film and off you go. Learn how to use the camera, shoot
your mates on trips, read books, start you photographic journey by
soaking up knowledge about the craft. Aperture, shutter speed and f
stops should all be terms you understand and know the relationship
between. If you get some good waves then try out some line up shots,
think about the composition and because
you're shooting film you will think about every single shot. Rather
than blasting away willy-nilly on digital. Sure everything is digi'
these days but learning photography on an old camera will give you a
much better foundation to build on...
The first pic of Robyn Davies was shot on black and white slide film in them good old (but very expensive) days of film with a Canon 1V. The one of Beth was shot this year on a Canon G10 compact. Years apart but both simple shots using bog standard 28mm lenses and nothing else. Don't need fancy gear for lifestyles...
