First surf shot

jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
edited January 12, 2006 in Sports
Howdy sports shooters!

In between the famliy festivities/holiday travels and surf sessions of my own, I decided to try my hand at a few surf shots. Like surfing itself its much harder than it looks:uhoh. Most of my shots were immediate throw-aways. This was shot with 1DII, 400 4.5 and 1.4x tele and I still wish I had more reach. Also wish I had more detail of his face as this guy is dialed in...

Curtain call at Scripps in San Diego two days after Christmas.

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Never thought I'd be torn between surfing or shooting surfing, but here we are:dunno. I may try Crystal Pier in PB this weekend as the guys taking the right move directly toward you.

And a not so action shot from the point...


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After spending 3+ hours in the water myself last Saturday, this scene was a nice reflection on the day's events and a nice break from the pounding! (I do wish I got the dude's feet though:scratch)

Thanks for the look!

-j
www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


Comments

  • Frog LadyFrog Lady Registered Users Posts: 1,091 Major grins
    edited January 10, 2006
    big surf?
    so was this some of the really big surf that pounded our shores around the holidays (I guess surfers love those winter storms)? Yeah, a little more clarity of the face would have been nice, but I like the spray around him/the wave.

    so it sounds like you've got a hard decision: shoot the surf on the board or with the camera. me, I usually stick to the tide poolsrolleyes1.gif
    Colleen
    ***********************************
    check out my (sports) pics: ColleenBonney.smugmug.com

    *Thanks to Boolsacho for the avatar photo (from the dgrin portrait project)
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Frog Lady wrote:
    so was this some of the really big surf that pounded our shores around the holidays (I guess surfers love those winter storms)? Yeah, a little more clarity of the face would have been nice, but I like the spray around him/the wave.

    so it sounds like you've got a hard decision: shoot the surf on the board or with the camera. me, I usually stick to the tide poolsrolleyes1.gif

    Thanks Colleen!

    This is not really representative of how big things got, especially right before Christmas.

    I guess trying to choose between the two is a wonderful problem to have as I very much enjoy them both. Camera time could be good rest time too!

    Come to think of it, I've seen way more people get worked by the rocks around the tide pools (that green moss is slick!) vs. surfingrolleyes1.gif
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Thats a good looking wave in the 1st shot jeff...love the colour in the 2nd thumb.gif
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Humungus wrote:
    Thats a good looking wave in the 1st shot jeff...love the colour in the 2nd thumb.gif

    Thanks 'Gus, but I'm sure nothing near what you guys get down in Os...

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,934 moderator
    edited January 11, 2006
    Hiya Jeff!

    Waves were big. Dare I say huge and confused in NoCal.

    This shot could benefit from a tighter crop and a lower position (shot wise).
    But it is nice to look at.

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Jeff..have a look at this monster.
  • JoeLJoeL Registered Users Posts: 158 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Thats a great shot, you did an awesome job of composing the image and showing the surfer and the wave. Only suggestion I would make is maybe crop a little off the bottom to keep the shot a little tighter.

    The shot of the surfer carrying his board is priceless, great compostion and thought, that could be a poster hanging on a wall for sure, even without the feet you still have a nice deep image that makes people want to take a second look.
    http://www.actionshots4u.smugmug.com/

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  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited January 11, 2006
    Really nice Jeff thumb.gif

    Don't beat yourself up about the surfer's face. You can't get it all ne_nau.gif You either get great face detail and a tight shot, or you get a much more interesting shot (or at least shots with more context) with less facial detail.

    Unless you want to put your camera in a baggie and hop in the water with the sharks......er, I mean surfers....Laughing.gif

    I like both of these shots. The first for the nice curl and the composition ( a wee tighter crop as JoeL mentions wouldn't hurt). The second I like because of the light and the nice cliff detail.

    I sure do miss the ol La Jolla Shores :cry I used to surf there 40 years ago. They didn't even have boards back then. We used to have to cut down palm trees and use them rolleyes1.gif That was only when we weren't walking to school barefoot, through the snow, uphill both ways...Laughing.gif

    Good work and keep shootin those surfers :D

    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    ian408 wrote:
    Hiya Jeff!

    Waves were big. Dare I say huge and confused in NoCal.

    This shot could benefit from a tighter crop and a lower position (shot wise).
    But it is nice to look at.

    Ian

    Thanks for the comments Ian, I'll play around with it some more and also keep it in mind for next time.

    Thought for sure will all the surf we've been getting you guys would be stacked up there with clean huge lines coming in...then again the storms had to hit somewhere I guess. Thanks for taking one for the team:D
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Humungus wrote:
    Jeff..have a look at this monster.

    Insanity...but a freaking awesome picture nonetheless. What those guys are doing is really a different category from any surfing I could imagine.

    Ever see pics of the left at Todos? One hairy (and short) ride there man!
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    JoeL wrote:
    Thats a great shot, you did an awesome job of composing the image and showing the surfer and the wave. Only suggestion I would make is maybe crop a little off the bottom to keep the shot a little tighter.

    The shot of the surfer carrying his board is priceless, great compostion and thought, that could be a poster hanging on a wall for sure, even without the feet you still have a nice deep image that makes people want to take a second look.

    Thanks JoeL. Good call on the crop, now that I've played around with it I see your (and Ian's) point. Looks much better with a tighter crop.

    Glad you like the second shot, it captures exactly how I felt after a great day in the ocean.

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2006
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Really nice Jeff thumb.gif

    I sure do miss the ol La Jolla Shores :cry I used to surf there 40 years ago. They didn't even have boards back then. We used to have to cut down palm trees and use them rolleyes1.gif That was only when we weren't walking to school barefoot, through the snow, uphill both ways...Laughing.gif

    Good work and keep shootin those surfers :D

    Steve

    Thanks Steve! Always liked both yours and Ian's surf shots you posted here.

    I think I'll try some from the pier and see how that plays so put in a good word for me with the surf gods...I need this swell to hold until after my exams this weekmwink.gif

    La Jolla shores is still a blast long or shot board when things get working. Crowd is a bit thicker now I rekon than in your days of palm trees boards and surfing with Duke Kahanamoku:D

    If your ever in the area give me a shout and we can try to set you up with a long board for a nostalgia paddlethumb.gif

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited January 12, 2006
    jeff lapoint wrote:
    La Jolla shores is still a blast long or shot board when things get working. Crowd is a bit thicker now I rekon than in your days of palm trees boards and surfing with Duke Kahanamoku:D

    If your ever in the area give me a shout and we can try to set you up with a long board for a nostalgia paddlethumb.gif

    -j

    I have relatives down there and may just take you up on your offer sometime this Summer (before I get tooo old....lol) thumb.gif I used to use a 9'10" Gordon&Smith. So while not super long, it was quite a bit longer than today's boards.

    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2006
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    I have relatives down there and may just take you up on your offer sometime this Summer (before I get tooo old....lol) thumb.gif I used to use a 9'10" Gordon&Smith. So while not super long, it was quite a bit longer than today's boards.

    Steve

    I was riding a 9'2'' when I was on the surf team in high schoolthumb.gif

    If yur tooooo old we have a special board for yarolleyes1.gif





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    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


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