Funny how things work out in photography. These photos were not part of a preplanned project, but a “training exercise” to help me get comfortable shooting action with a really long lens. I was booking a safari in Botswana for later this year and didn’t want a once-in-a-lifetime trip to be my first experience with the new lens. To simulate life in the wild, I was looking for rapidly changing action. Surfing fit the bill perfectly. Ultimately, the pandemic blew up the safari. But I ended up with some fun images to share that I thought would be provide a little relief from these bleak and isolated times.
Living about a half-block from the beach in Southern California, I surfed almost every day for more than a decade. If you haven’t surfed, it’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of harnessing a wave’s raw power and the sheer exhilaration that comes with it. The experience looks completely different when you’re in the water. Surfing small waves is one thing, but when it gets over six feet, it can be terrifying. It’s like dropping into a malevolent, moving canyon. When you hit the bottom and turn and look up, the whole world seems like it’s crashing down around you. If you make the wave—if—you feel a sense of mastery and relief. If you make a mistake, punishment is immediate and if you haven’t bounced too hard off the rocks on the bottom, gotten hit by your board, or inhaled too much saltwater, you go right back out and do it all over again. Fight. Flight. A tryst with an awesome power. You get it all in ways that are hard to describe.
My years in the water gave me deep understanding of the unique rhythms of the sport. Which made it a thrill to photograph some hot locals and top juniors as they shredded some 3-4-foot waves at the legendary Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California. For these sessions, I brought an X-H1 and the XF100-400 4.5-5.6 lens. Fuji is not top of mind when it comes to action sports, especially among pro shooters. I thought I’d see for myself and share a hands-on, non-technical user’s perspective.
Sports photography demands super-fast cameras and lenses and state-of-the-art IQ. Most importantly, they have to take a beating. I’ve shot extensively with the Canon full-frame 1DX Mark II and Olympus Micro 4/3 EM-1 Mk II systems and had modest expectations for X-H1/XF100-400. But the combination of Fuji’s color and IQ and its speed and handling were truly impressive. Plus, the IQ held up well even for images that were relatively tightly cropped such as some of the ones here. Cropping was important because this was a test for a safari where I’d want close-ups of the animals.
Here are some of the highlights that helped make these sessions successful:
IBIS
All the photos here were handheld, shot full length at 400mm (600mm full frame equivalent). No tripod, no artificial bracing, gimbals or other stability devices. It can be challenging to get sharp handheld images from a 600mm lens without some kind of support even at shutter speeds that are greater than the reciprocal of the focal length. Perhaps more psychological than technical, IBIS gave me the confidence to focus 100-percent on the subject and not worry about camera shake. Also, I was aware that there were questions about using IBIS along with OIS with the X-H1. I kept both active when using the camera handheld and had no issues.
Lightweight
Compared to the Canon 1DX MkII and EX600mm f/4L IS, the Fuji set-up is flyweight and a fraction of the cost. I’ve lugged full-frame gear on the sidelines at NFL games, rodeos and auto races. By the end of the day, you’re completely exhausted. Plus, at longer lengths, you need at least a monopod for support, which can add weight and limit mobility and the ability to react quickly to changing conditions. The deep hand grip of the X-H1 made the camera feel balanced and stable, making it easy to pan and capture the right moments.
Speed
Speed manifests in two ways in sports photography. First, is setting the right shutter speed to freeze the action. These photos were shot in Shutter Priority mode, at either 1000/sec or 2000/sec, typically at f5.6 with ISO varying between 200 and 400.
The second aspect of speed is whether to use Single Shot or Continuous focusing modes. Because of my film roots, I tend shoot individual frames with single-point focusing–anticipating the moment rather than letting the camera rip through the card at 14 fps. If you’re shooting in burst modes, make sure you have a fast card (at least 170MB/s) and enough space to accommodate literally hundreds of images of the same ride. While the Fuji set-up is no match for the Canon DX1 MkII/600f/4, the X-H1/XF100-400 are certainly more than adequate, in terms of frame rates, focusing and buffering, to handle most sports events. The only two challenges might be a basketball game in a dimly lit gym, or focus-tracking when the action is coming straight at the camera. In this case, assessing tracking would mean bringing an underwater housing and hanging out potentially with sharks in 50-degree water. Uh, no thanks!
Exposure
More often than not, surfers are backlit, especially on the West Coast in the afternoon. The challenge is opening up the exposure to capture the rider without blowing out the detail in the whitewater that defines the wave shape and creates the drama in the photo. Bracketing won’t work as each millisecond counts in a surf photo. Instead, you have to underexpose to maintain the detail and adjust in post—which was done in Lightroom.
Knowing the subject
While no two waves are alike, there are moves surfers consistently use to make the wave. It’s a matter of recognizing the shape of the wave and the turn patterns of the rider so you can grab the most critical moments. Before you go to the beach, watch some of the thousands of surf films available on YouTube to get a feel for the rhythms, as well as the best angles and lens lengths. You’ll be inspired by the sheer power and beauty of this incredible sport. Finally, there is no downside to shooting surfing, even if you don’t get a single usable photo. After all, you’re at the beach!
About Author
