How to: photograph waves (Part two)

By Ian Hollis | 25 January 2022

This is the second part of a two part series on photographing waves. You can see part one, from last week, here.

The settings

The best part of ocean photography is that it is ever-changing. No shot will ever be the same and the settings you use can make a huge difference to the end result.

The most important setting is your shutter speed. To capture images that freeze the wave, I typically use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000s or faster.

You should aim to set your aperture as close as you can to f/8, but I like to have a range from f/7.1 to f/14, as this assists in keeping detail across a higher percentage of the image. Using a fast shutter speed and freezing the wave allows for the image to truly display every detail that you’d like to effectively tell the story or share the memory.

This image was what started my ocean photography journey. This was the first time I had ever seen anything like this. I had no idea what it was or how it happened, but I was instantly hooked. To see the waves, collide and hear the heavy sound it created was simply jaw dropping. It was complete luck that I discovered this on a walk along the beach and even luckier that I had my camera with me to capture it. I often think about this specific morning… What if I didn’t go on that walk? It is crazy to think that moments like these can change your whole perspective on life and the amazing world we live on. How unbelievable is our ocean!
Sony A7iii
Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm
1/3200 – f/7.1 – iso100 — This image was what started my ocean photography journey. This was the first time I had ever seen anything like this. I had no idea what it was or how it happened, but I was instantly hooked. To see the waves, collide and hear the heavy sound it created was simply jaw dropping. It was complete luck that I discovered this on a walk along the beach and even luckier that I had my camera with me to capture it. I often think about this specific morning… What if I didn’t go on that walk? It is crazy to think that moments like these can change your whole perspective on life and the amazing world we live on. How unbelievable is our ocean! Sony A7iii Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm 1/3200 – f/7.1 – iso100

That said, it’s always great to experiment with different shutter speeds. Slowing down the shutter speed to around 1/20s provides you with the ability to effectively demonstrate the motion in the wave. When experimenting with your shutter speed, it is always important to keep an eye on the histogram to avoid blowing out highlights or under exposing shadows.

Some additional and key settings that can assist in capturing epic waves is the focus and drive mode. When shooting the fast-moving ocean, it can be difficult to find the optimum focus. Therefore, I use continuous autofocus (AF) for the majority of my ocean shots. I’ll also set my camera on high continuous shooting to ensure I can fire the shutter at quick speeds where I know I won’t miss the best moments of the wave’s cycle.

I was so close to missing this incredible spectacle, but I am stoked that I didn’t! It was an overcast morning, and the waves weren’t doing anything overly inspiring, so after about an hour and a half of waiting and shooting, I thought I would call it a day and pack up. As I was putting my camera away, I noticed a gap in the thick clouds, so I waited for a little longer, just hoping the sun would find that gap. 5 minutes later and what was a stormy scene, had now ignited into a vivid and bright dream. Light rays dispersed on to the ocean, bringing new life into the waves. This was about the only backwash I saw that day and somehow it happened in the short time the light shone through the clouds. How good are moments like these!
Sony A7iii, Sony FE 70-200mm @ 200mm. 1/2500s @ f8, ISO 250. — I was so close to missing this incredible spectacle, but I am stoked that I didn’t! It was an overcast morning, and the waves weren’t doing anything overly inspiring, so after about an hour and a half of waiting and shooting, I thought I would call it a day and pack up. As I was putting my camera away, I noticed a gap in the thick clouds, so I waited for a little longer, just hoping the sun would find that gap. 5 minutes later and what was a stormy scene, had now ignited into a vivid and bright dream. Light rays dispersed on to the ocean, bringing new life into the waves. This was about the only backwash I saw that day and somehow it happened in the short time the light shone through the clouds. How good are moments like these! Sony A7iii, Sony FE 70-200mm @ 200mm. 1/2500s @ f8, ISO 250.

I often get asked how I know when to take the photo. The answer isn’t entirely straightforward – you must watch the ocean and how it’s behaving to know when something exciting could happen, for example noticing when and where two waves could collide to create backwash.

However, even if you recognise these moments and are ready to capture them, you may still miss the best part of the wave if your camera is set on single shot drive mode. Continuous focus and continuous drive mode provide you with the best chance of freezing a wave, displaying its sequence and power, while also telling a story of that exact moment in time. Nothing beats that moment.

Editing

I often hold a stall at markets in my local area and I always seem to get the same questions: ‘Are these fake?’ and ‘have you edited these?’

I find this interesting as these questions come from people looking from the outside in. They haven’t been lucky enough to be next to the ocean, experiencing and witnessing these real ocean structures. The best part about photography is capturing moments that not everyone is around to witness. Being able to see the warm glow of the morning against a strong swell firsthand can create magical – and for some, even unbelievable – images.

Sometimes, less is more. I came across this awesome offshore break whilst walking back to my car after shooting seascapes on the rocks at Wombarra Beach. It is always such an incredible feeling to discover new locations and to capture them with a story makes it even more special.
Sony A7iii
Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm
1/1250 – f/8 – iso250 — Sometimes, less is more. I came across this awesome offshore break whilst walking back to my car after shooting seascapes on the rocks at Wombarra Beach. It is always such an incredible feeling to discover new locations and to capture them with a story makes it even more special. Sony A7iii Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm 1/1250 – f/8 – iso250

Editing photos is always going to be very subjective and personally, I like to minimise the impact I have on an image as much as I can – let the ocean do the talking rather than the edit.

However, when shooting raw, the images lose some of their ‘pop’ and wow factor and my aim is to simply bring that back and express what I was feeling when I captured that moment. A general method to emphasise this pop is through contrast. When editing wave images, it is very similar to editing landscape shots.

A morning that provided rain, and dark clouds but also some beautiful ocean structures. This image was taken during the midst of an amazing East Coast Low where the weather conditions were rapidly changing. The intense winds and rain made it difficult to shoot, but I was lucky enough to catch a break in the weather to snap this little backwash which acts as the subject amongst a larger scene. The bright reflections from the peeking sun meant I had to really bump up the shutter speed and aperture to ensure the exposure was fine.
Sony A7iii
Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm
1/2500 – f/11 – iso100 — A morning that provided rain, and dark clouds but also some beautiful ocean structures. This image was taken during the midst of an amazing East Coast Low where the weather conditions were rapidly changing. The intense winds and rain made it difficult to shoot, but I was lucky enough to catch a break in the weather to snap this little backwash which acts as the subject amongst a larger scene. The bright reflections from the peeking sun meant I had to really bump up the shutter speed and aperture to ensure the exposure was fine. Sony A7iii Sony FE 70-200mm @200mm 1/2500 – f/11 – iso100

Try and draw the viewer into the image and place an element of emphasis in the key area of the shot. Make sure you keep all the focus on the waves, and make sure no clipping occurs in your whites and blacks. Overall, don’t overthink it.

The afterwash

When shooting waves, be aware of your limits and ensure you feel comfortable around the ocean. Despite how beautiful it can be, the ocean is powerful, so whether you are shooting from the shore or in the water, have someone there with you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

The famous ‘Bombie’ on the South Coast of NSW is always an epic, heavy break which continuously slams the reef below. I have visited this location plenty of times and I always try to shoot it differently. Being such a popular spot, there are always many other photographers capturing the same wave. This is where I believe it is important to try and be unique. For this image, I decided to try a wider composition to incorporate the stunning light as best I could. Whilst this image isn’t my most striking, it holds a special place in my collection because of its minimalism, something I have been trying to work on and improve.
Sony A7iii
Sony FE 70-200mm @84mm
1/1250 – f/8 – iso100 — The famous ‘Bombie’ on the South Coast of NSW is always an epic, heavy break which continuously slams the reef below. I have visited this location plenty of times and I always try to shoot it differently. Being such a popular spot, there are always many other photographers capturing the same wave. This is where I believe it is important to try and be unique. For this image, I decided to try a wider composition to incorporate the stunning light as best I could. Whilst this image isn’t my most striking, it holds a special place in my collection because of its minimalism, something I have been trying to work on and improve. Sony A7iii Sony FE 70-200mm @84mm 1/1250 – f/8 – iso100

I have been shooting the ocean for about 2-3 years now and I still have so much to learn, but that’s why I love it. No matter how awesome your shots turn out, keep chasing the conditions, keep experimenting with different gear and settings, and keep learning as the ocean is always changing.

The key with ocean photography, and every other art form, is to enjoy it and never stop expressing yourself throughout your work. Good luck. ❂

About the author: Ian Hollis is a 22 year old passionate photographer from South-West Sydney. He works as a Primary School Teacher and describes the ocean as his outlet. He was a finalist in the 2019 Photographer of the Year. You can see more of his work on Instagram.