shooting Surfing in the water.

M

Media Productions Canada

Active member
I looking at getting some footage of surfing this winter while on a trip back home to South Africa. I am getting an Epic water housing for my HVX-200 and I am looking for some advice on shooting in the water with big waves.
What filters should I look at using?
So I leave the camera on all auto settings? (only have record button with epic housing)
How do I not get killed by the big waves while trying to get the shot?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
 
be carefull using auto focus when shooting in water. If you are diving, it works ok, but if you are going to be half in and half out of the water the camrea will focus on the water on the outside of the housing lens. When I shot some surfing I set the camera to infinity and it worked pretty good.
 
honestly, shooting surfing is reallllly hard. You are going to need a really nice set of fins and be in really good shape. Imagine that not only are you going to be in big-ass waves, but you wont be able to used your hands either. also, make sure to get a mask that doesnt leak and a nice boyant wetsuit. it is a serious workout.
 
Thanks NewYorkLion, I guess I better start heading to the local pool and start doing some laps. Any advice for how to deal with the waves?
Do you ware a mask when you are shooting surfing?
Go the wet suite and flippers covered, but Capt Qurik you are right I will be worrying about the sharks quite a bit. The Cape is known for its great whites!
Hoping no to look to much like a seal!
 
defiantely a mask, and just remember, unless you can get into the barrell, make sure to dive deep when a big wave comes over you, or you'll get swept up and that really is not a good thing when you've got 6k worth of camera with you.
 
Personally, I worry more about crates than Great Whites. A shark is likely to release you when it realizes you aren't what it expected. Sea snakes kill you in seconds.
 
I'd rather take my chances with the snakes ;)
A shark, especially a white pointer, only has to nibble you for you to bleed to death ;)
 
And sting rays have been on a killing spree too. Stevo was a fluke, a 1 in a million type thing... or so I thought. There was another guy over here that caught a barb to the chest about a week ago.
 
Get the documentary, "Step Into Liquid". http://www.amazon.com/Step-into-Liq...pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4311799-2680053?ie=UTF8&s=dvd
Amazing film, and in the special features there is a segment onthe two guys that get the underwater stuff. Just to let you know, they are in freakishly good shape (hold breath for over a minute, train by running accross the bay underwater holding big rocks) and are very experienced being in the right place at the right time. If you don't have iris control auto will have to do, but defineltely do not use auto focus. Your best bet is getting a super wide angle and fix the focus before putting it in the housing. And from what I saw of these guys, your biggest danger is not Sharks or snakes, but getting run over by surfers. Be careful, and good luck.
 
Watch the boards, it's a good way to slice your head. Happens a lot here in
Santa Cruz, especially in summer.
 
I think i still want to !!!

I think i still want to !!!

Step into Liquid, Riding Giants, Endless summer all these films made me want to shoot surfing as I am amazed by the shots that they get.
I shoot alot of actions sports but I'm not a surfer or really that comfortable with the ocean so I am starting the think that it might be better for me to start shooting surfing from the shore!
Thanks to everybody for the advise.
mediaproductionscanada@gmail.com
 
Step into Liquid, Riding Giants and Endless summer are great films, but they aren't really 'Surf films' they are docs and movies about surfing. There are some AMAZING surf films out there. Jack johnson's 'september sessions' (or is it november?) is nice, but that's jsut the tip of the iceberg. liquid, riding giants, and endless summer, also blue crush, big wednesday, etc, are all films about surfing for the general population, 'Surf films' are hardcore surfer flicks made for surfers.
 
Don't use a mask unless you are planning on shooting from underwater on small days and are trying to shoot those artistic underwater mirror type images. To shoot from the water, well you need to understand what a surfer is going to try and do on a wave and it's all about being in the right position in the water. It takes years and years of practice to get solid, steady shots and no water spots on the port.

The lens choice depends on the wave type, hollow barreling waves like Backdoor hawaii require a wide angle and you get right in the pit with the surfer and try and get pass bys in the tube, longer point break waves that have long walls are good with a zoom type set-up so if you are way down the line you can zoom in and get some of the action until they get closer then you can zoom out.

If you are planning on shooting water shots in Africa you may what to look into the shark pod, which you wear around your ankle and it has a long tennacle type cable which transmits a electric field around you and supposedly keeps the sharks away? I have to say Africa has been the scariest spot I have ever shot from the water for Surf Films. Good Luck.

PS. epic housings suck for surfing, you need a custom housing that was built to shoot surfing, not some plexi glass tube. I would never trust my $5000+ camera to a $300 plexi glass anchor. Try "SPL water housings" not sure of the web site but he makes very good custom housings that will run you at least $1500+...you get what you pay for..
 
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I am located at Bondi Beach Australia.
I picked up a Epic Under Water "plexi" Housing for My Sony HVR Z1. Tell you what .. it is hard work !.. both wading water while extending both arms above your head.. trying to keep a stedy shot , with nearly 4kg of camera and plastic in crashing surf.
I have thought about getting a self inflating life jacket once i'm past the first breaks.. It' s no good trying to "float the housing" in the water while shooting as the aqua movements makes the viewer sea sick especialy in High Def. Perhaps a smaller camera (hvr A1)and lighter underwater housing is the way to go for more extrme HD?
 
Bottom line, you need a custom water housing for your camera. Buying round plexi glass tubes won't work for surf, maybe a pool but not waves. A lifevest is not a bad idea becouse it will keep you afloat, bad thing is if you need to duck dive big waves..

You need a housing you can swim with and hold it steady with 2 hands above water level while you are shooting. There are some good water housing makers in OZ
 
Having shot sh@#loads of surfing footage myself, I think that to learn to shoot it well you would be better off starting on the land. Shooting from the shore allows you to acclimatize yourself with a break so you become aware of how it works, then when you hit the water you are hopefully less of a danger to yourself and the surfers that you are filming. When you do enter the water, personally I set the lense wide and get in close, that's where the great shots are, but also the most chance of injury so... Know your limits.

Pete.
 
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