Surf photography, like any other action is all about movement. It's a racing barrel, swooping carve or flying air. But while we're constantly trying to freeze a single moment in time within one frame on our cameras, we're often missing out on the great opportunity to actually capture some more of the movement other than just 1/1000 of a second of it. The speed blur allows us…

Backlit is the new frontlit. Most photographers start out being taught that the sun or light source should be behind you - shinning directly onto your subject. Hence the term 'frontlit'. But as nice as this looks from time to time and in some necessary situations, it really is the standard and not nearly as interesting or exciting as it could be. Photography after all is…

It is not so much about the surfer as it is the wave. Yes, surf photography is the art of capturing someone riding a wave, but it's the wave that is the real star of the show more often than not - especially when it comes to wide-angle water photography. Surfers want to imagine themselves on that wave or in that barrel, so the job of any surf photographer is to make the wave…

For those of you who are interested, I am selling my very successful Canon 50D SPL waterhousing setup, see attached. I have spent many hours looking after this equipment with regular servicing and cleaning, so it is in excellent condition. Package includes:



Canon 50D camera

Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens

SPL 50D waterhousing with: Review, Shutter and…

Shaun Payne right at home in a thick Sumatran barrel. Photo: AvG



There are few things better in life than getting barreled. Being encased inside a tube while the very ocean folds over you and sends you screaming towards the shoulder. It's the one photograph every surfer wants of themselves, and the first photograph every…

Pure South Africa beauty.



The lineup shot will always be the single most powerful and timeless frame of surf photography shootable. If there is one photograph every surfer wants to see or to show their friends when they score, it's the lineup.



So what makes a great…

I've probably been asked this more than any other question as a surf photographer. That and do I get to surf when on location in exotic countries? If you were also wondering this, well the answer is yes, but only if I have the goods in hand and it's one of the last days of the trip. Work comes first; it's one of the first steps of being a professional.…

Last week we discussed saliva and keeping our wide-angle ports droplet-free. This week it's all about dry ports and keeping those 70-200mm photographs crisp and sharp.



A few years ago I made the exciting purchase of a 70-200mm port and subsequent housing. After years of only shooting wide angle surf photographs from the water, I was as excited as a cat…

Ok so I know it's not Friday, but better late than never right? This week I thought we would tackle that pesky issue of the dreaded water droplet sticking to your lens/port during water photography, and how to promote a quick, smooth and efficient water runoff. Whether you have a professional fish-eye waterhousing or a beginner compact water-camera, if you don't know…