HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH CRASHING WAVES

Ramsey Beach
Mooragh Promenade
Irish sea

For a change not a reflection shot on mirror like water. Don't cry they will be back. No they're just way to easy. If the water isn't moving you can get away with auto (if you don't mind a slightly bleached out look) as you don't have to alter the speed setting. For majestic crashing waves or for those silky ribbons of mist shots you need to switch to manual. Oh you knew I was going to say that didn't you. The shot might be abstract but the text is consistently mundane.

All you want to do if freeze the action. Now there are several ways to go about this, and one cheat. See if you have a sport mode on your camera. Usually a little man(not being sexist but it's always a little man) running or jumping. Try that mode first. It's a semi auto mode so it will set all your white balances for you. If it's gently crashing water, slow moving this is a great way to freeze the droplets as they are falling. Try it. If you still get a blur then tough luck, it's a manual you need as the sport mode is still to slow for the movement of the water. So no good for this image.

For this shot it was manual. As it was around noon on a sunny day the ISO was 100. The lower the ISO the sharper the image. To freeze the action of the droplets and keep the fluidity of incoming wave a speed of 800 was used A.3. Again fiddle around until you are happy with the setting as each wave will be a different speed. If I had wanted to have the droplets merge into one, those continuous silky water shots that have become fashionable(but not for me) then a tripod is recommended and a remote control. The speed would be altered the other way, ultra low into the minus section and possibly up the ISO to 200 just to have some extra light to counteract you merging the white with the green. Simple eh!

Lesson over. So many emails now that I think it's just simpler to do something like this once a week with an image on a frequently asked question. Actually I'm not the world's best photography teacher, I'm like er you just em' get the camera and er point it at the thingy you want to photograph. Now that's a bit crap really so I will do my best to be sensible, but honestly best advice practise, practise, practise and don't be frightened of your camera. You own it not the other way round.

Remember. You don't make mistakes then you aren't taking photos.

Go on then give me your best shot. I mean image not punch!