Taking a photo in the surf

Saturday 5 March 2022, 22:22 by Nando Harmsen | 4,692 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Photographing by the sea is fantastic. Especially when there is good surf, and preferably a beach with stones too. Unfortunately, you won't find that in the Netherlands, but it can be found on some beaches in Lofoten. I explain how I photograph in these conditions.

You don't necessarily have to go to Lofoten to find stones on the beach. You can also see them on the French coast, such as along the Opal Coast. Unfortunately, there are few rocks to be found in the Netherlands. That is why I love photographing on the beaches of Lofoten.

On Skagsanden beach, with the rain behind you, it is good to photograph with long shutter speeds. Choose the right filter to make the desired shutter speed possible.
The day on Skagsanden beach was a rainy one. This wasn't too bad, as the rain was coming from behind, so the filter remained largely free of raindrops.

It is a good idea to keep a tea towel at hand. This allows you to cover the camera if necessary or wipe an errant drop from the filter.

Shutter speed is important

When photographing by the sea, people soon think of long shutter speeds. For this reason, many photographers have bought a 10-stop neutral density filter. This produces those beautiful smooth water surfaces. Yet this is not always desirable.

For this photo, a smooth water surface was chosen. A 10-stop neutral density filter was used to achieve the required 30-second exposure.
A smooth water surface means that the water is no longer moving. If you want to show the moving water in your photo, you need to avoid making your shutter speed too long. A 10-stop filter is almost always unsuitable in that case.

A shutter speed that is too short is not desirable either. It freezes the movement. This means that the ever-moving sea is no longer visible. In short, you need to choose a shutter speed that does not freeze the movement, but does not make it invisible either.

Incoming water and receding water

To capture good movement in the water in your photo, it is important to look at how quickly the water is moving. Incoming water moves quickly. Receding water is slow. Of course, it also depends on the tide.

An incoming wave is a messy mass of water even with a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds. This is not what we want.
In many cases, photographing the incoming water is not the best moment. The water is fast, rolls over the rocks, and there is a risk that it will become a messy mass without beautiful lines.

When the water moves back after that incoming wave, the most beautiful patterns appear. The foam creates beautiful lines in your photo as it flows between the rocks. That is the right moment to take a photo.

After the wave has come in, there is a moment when the water settles. You still have to wait a little before taking the photo. The shutter speed is half a second.
Depending on the speed, receding water is often good to photograph with a shutter speed between 1/2 second and 4 seconds. Finding out which works best is a matter of trying. Also look at the lines that form between the rocks. You can include these in the composition and framing of your photo.

Choose the right neutral density filter to achieve the desired shutter speed

Don't make the mistake of using a neutral density filter just because you have one. Look at your exposure without a filter and decide which shutter speed you want. Choose the neutral density filter that makes this shutter speed possible. For these photos, I used a Haida Red Diamond 4-stop neutral density filter.

At 1.6 seconds, the movement of the receding water was captured beautifully.
Perhaps the neutral density filter you have is too dark, or not dark enough. In the latter case, you can try stopping down the aperture further. In the former case, you can increase the ISO until you reach the desired shutter speed.

Take lots of photos and be careful

Don't be afraid to take lots of photos. Every wave is different, and the lines are different every time the water retreats. You can also try some variations in shutter speed. You will soon see when you have captured the 'perfect' movement.

After a dozen or so attempts, this was the final result of photographing in the surf. The shutter speed was 2 seconds.
One final word of warning. Never run backwards on a beach with rocks when a wave threatens to roll over your feet. You don't want to fall backwards and hit your head on a rock.

Always keep an eye on the surf too. Avoid being surrounded by the water. Never put your camera bag on a rock or on the beach, but keep it on your back or over your shoulder. If you are not careful, the unpredictability of the sea can give you a nasty surprise.

I visited Lofoten as a tour leader and photography guide for Fotografie-reizen.nl. The filters used during this trip were the Haida M10 II filter system with Red Diamond neutral density filters.

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