Photography tutorial: taking photos in and around water
By Shelton Muller
Greg Beyer gets us into deep water with some pictures by the pool…
There are lots of water proof cameras and housings available now, and if you’ve got one of these water tight babies, that’s even better. But if you don’t, you can still capture great water style images with a landlubber camera.
Australians have many different water activities chewing away at their social schedules. Surfing, Water Skiing, Wind Surfing, Kite Boarding, Sailing, Canoeing, White Water Rafting, just to name a few. What the heck, even plain old swimming in the pool can provide some great opportunities and you don’t have to be a fish to get these images either.
Some of the pool images you see here, I captured by standing on the edge of the pool, shooting down into the water while my subjects – my daughter and some friends - did some underwater modeling. A Circular Polarizing Filter came into use here, as it helped my camera see into the water and not be blinded by the glare and reflections from the overhead sun. Create some interest for the subject and your photos by giving them different activities to do, such as floating on their back, blowing bubbles underwater or spinning in a circle. Whatever you can dream up that looks interesting in the water, just get ‘em to do it. Be conscious of the shapes, patterns and colours created by the light through the water and try to use them to enhance your images.
While photographing around the pool, be aware of other opportunities to capture friends and family who may be looking on. Quite often they’ll be sitting in the shade, looking into the bright light reflecting from the pool, which is an ideal lighting situation for head and shoulder portrait shots. Be aware that the light is illuminating the face, especially the eyes and avoid using flash for this type of photo.
With activities where our subject might be some distance from the edge of the water, such as Surfing, Water Skiing etc, a long zoom lens may be required to get in close to the action. Where possible, find the best vantage point to shoot from, such as a headland or high sand dune if you’re photographing a surfer. If you are taking pictures of water skiing, the back of the boat, is the ideal place to be.
Whatever your subject, try to predict the best position that allows you to capture the most shots from the best angle. Patience and perseverance are also required because capturing an action shot at the right moment can be quite tricky. Use fast shutter speeds like 1/1000th of a second or faster if your camera allows, making sure to catch all the detail and avoiding blur.
Don’t expect every frame to be a winner. To be honest most of them will be duds. That’s why tolerance on your part is a must and a digital camera an advantage. With this type of photography, trial and error is your friend. The more you pursue it, the better you’ll become at capturing a creative and evocative action image. Greg Beyer can be contacted via his website at www.beyerphotography.com.au
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