Whenever you see photos of ocean waves crashing on the shore, do you ever wonder how photographers get such striking images? This genre of seascape photography can result in spectacular photographs that demonstrate the power of the ocean if done correctly.
When photographing waves, safety is always the first consideration. “I recommend using a telephoto lens with a zoomed-in setting when capturing photos of crashing waves. There are some professionals out there who take all the risks and photograph any wave close-up, but I do not recommend doing that until you gain a lot of experience,” Anton Gorlin says.
“To be completely safe in the face of crashing waves, you need to choose your position carefully. Look around you, are there rocks/sand around you that are dry? If not, perhaps the waves are reaching this area. Ideally, you should stand at the lowest point possible near the sea. When you do so, the waves tower over the horizon bringing in more power and menace.”
In order to keep your equipment safe, you will need camera housing if you want to get up close to the waves. There are budget waterproof camera cases available that can serve the same purpose as expensive camera equipment. It’s important that you dive under the wave as soon as it crests if you plan on doing this, otherwise, it’s dangerous and you may get knocked down.”
Tips for Photographing Waves
- As a general rule, the larger the wave in the photo, the faster the shutter speed is needed.
- To get a significant depth of field, you’ll need to shoot at f/16 if the wave is a part of a landscape.
- If you are taking photographs while in the water with a camera housing, you will need an aperture of f/16 to focus the whole wave.
- Instead of a fixed focus, set your camera to continuous focus.
Best Locations to Photograph Waves
There are a few things you need to pay attention to when trying to capture a wave, although you can really capture a wave anywhere near the ocean. Firstly, let’s take a look at where you’ll actually find waves that are worthy of photography and where to find them.
Mere proximity to the ocean does not guarantee impressive waves. In other words, areas protected by inlets or islands will not experience as big a wave as those facing the open ocean.
When waves are formed, energy moves through the water and builds momentum as it travels. There will be a reduction in the potential size of a wave if there is something blocking this energy, such as a landmass — less energy means a smaller wave.
For you, this means you have to be near the ocean if you want to capture the biggest and most impressive waves — where the waves will have the most energy and be the largest.
This doesn’t mean inlets and shorelines adjacent to landmasses won’t have waves worth catching. It is especially possible to have wave breaks that are larger during the winter season due to storm winds and it is possible to increase the size of a wave even along land-protected coastlines.
Therefore, if you are not able to photograph near the open sea, you should choose a windy day to increase your chances of seeing big waves.
Where To Setup
You can photograph waves from just about any direction. In the end, however, capturing the wave from an angle that most people aren’t used to is what makes a striking image. You might use a telephoto lens to zoom in on a breaking wave or set up on a point to capture waves from the side.
Shooting waves directly from the beach can be challenging depending on the size of the break. It can be difficult to differentiate between rows of large waves on days with high winds, especially during stormy weather.
As an alternative, you may decide to climb a small hill or embankment near the beach in order to alter your perspective. When viewed from a higher angle, it is easier to distinguish between one wave and another.
As another option, you may wish to explore different points on the shoreline. The coast of many beaches will have small areas that extend into the ocean. Access to one of these points will allow you to experience the waves as if you were actually on the water.
Always use caution when taking photos from these locations, particularly when big waves are present. It is easy to be soaked, or even worse, injured by crashing waves. Also, consider that changing tides may make the route you walked inaccessible.
Best Camera Settings
When photographing waves, you can use a variety of camera settings. Your choice will depend on the look you’re striving for.
To create a painting-like long exposure effect, you may want to blur the wave. In other cases, you may want a fast shutter speed in order to freeze a crashing wave. The options are neither better nor worse than the others, but instead, simply differ in appearance.
Use either one of the camera settings below, depending on the look you are going for.
Long Exposure
Using a slow shutter speed, wave photography blurs parts of your photo intentionally. The exposure length will determine whether you capture a slight blur in a crashing wave or a smoothed ocean. As a handy starting point, here are the camera settings you should use.
| Shutter: | 1/20 |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Aperture: | f/8 |
| White Balance: | AWB |
| Focus: | AI Servo / AF-C |
| Drive Mode: | Single shot |
| Camera Mode: | Manual |
Settings For Long-Exposure
For fine-tuning your exposure, you may need to slightly change your aperture or shutter speed based on this baseline. Waves move quickly, so capturing motion blur with a shutter speed of 1/20 will avoid blurring the whole wave. Even a subtle blur can add a lot of dimension to a photo of a crashing wave.
The use of slow shutter speeds will be much easier with an ND filter. Particularly when shooting at midday or directly into a sunset, it’s challenging to get the appropriate camera settings.
If you do not own an ND filter but are eager to capture a great wave shot, here are a few workarounds you can use. If you wish to make your photograph darker, you can always stop down your aperture to F/11 or F/16. In this way, you can use a slower shutter speed without any filtration.
As soon as you start shooting with a shutter speed slower than 1/60 of a second, start using a tripod. Any movement of the camera will lead to a blurry photo, so keep your camera perfectly still during the exposure. If you try this handheld, you won’t be able to capture a sharp photo, despite the 1/20 of a second. When you use a tripod, you’ll only blur areas in motion, such as the wave, while the rest of your scene remains sharp.
Freezing the Motion
Long exposure images might not be your thing. And that’s totally fine. If that’s the case, you will need to use different camera settings meant for freezing a wave. With these settings, the wave is captured in sharpness rather than blurred. A crashing wave can be captured best by this technique since it captures the awesome power of the wave.
| Shutter: | 1/500 |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Aperture: | f/8 |
| White Balance: | AWB |
| Focus: | AI Servo / AF-C |
| Drive Mode: | Continuous / Burst |
| Camera Mode: | Shutter Priority (TV) |
Settings for Freezing a Wave
These baseline camera settings for freezing a wave’s motion is intended to be a starting point, not a definitive match for any situation. The shutter speed and drive mode are the most important factors here.
As waves break, you can get perfect sharpness with a shutter speed of 1/500. A winter storm, which may bring powerful waves with it, is probably the only exception to this rule.
When the waves are more massive and faster, a faster shutter speed will ensure that every drop of water is sharp. When taking your first few shots, check the preview of the photo to ensure the water looks crisp. Shutter speed can be increased if there is any noticeable blur.
Additional Tips
Let’s continue learning about the settings for wave photography once we’ve mastered the camera settings. Here are a few tips to improve your wave photos as well as the importance of certain camera settings.
Do Your Research on Breaks
Any surfer will tell you there are no two beaches alike. There are different types and sizes of waves based on the shapes and orientations of certain beaches. Instead of just winging it, do your research and note the prime spots to take photos.
Take a look at online photos of your general location if you don’t know where to start. There’s a high chance you’ll spot a photo of waves that stands out. Usually, the photo will say where it was taken or you can ask the photographer.
You can also ask the local surfers in town. Surfers local to you will always know where to go and will sometimes tell you secrets you wouldn’t find online.
Use Burst Mode
Wave photography is best done in burst mode, as I have previously mentioned. There is no way to predict when the perfect moment will occur or when the big splash will occur. Using burst mode, aka continuous shutter, can maximize your chances of capturing the winning shot.
When I photograph a wave crashing into a rock, I typically wait until the wave is out of view before I begin shooting. In just a second or two, a stone can change from looking pretty mundane to being surrounded by a giant wall of water. When you have a continuous shutter, you’re always prepared for what’s going to happen.
Use AF-C or AI Servo (Canon)
The terms AF-C on Nikon and Sony cameras, and AI Servo on Canon cameras describe continuous autofocus. When you have continuous autofocus, your camera will follow what you are doing and adjust the focus as you move.
For example, if you’re photographing someone walking toward your lens, your camera would adjust its focus as they get closer. Just like waves, they move and change constantly. Continuous focus makes it much easier to keep the wave in focus as it moves through the frame. Whether you’re shooting from the side or straight on, AI servo (Canon) or AF-C (Nikon, Sony) will solve the focus problem.
Use A Polarizer Filter
Reflections and glare are major issues when shooting water. A wave’s glare might seem to be insignificant, but it can affect the amount of color and detail you see.
Utilizing a polarizer can help eliminate this problem. Essentially, it blocks reflected light from entering your lens, so there are no reflections or highlights off the water. Hence, the wave photo is much more vibrant and detailed and looks far more professional.
Consider the Light Source
In photography, light is crucial. Where you decide to set up for wave photography should be determined by where the light is shining from.
The foreground water’s hue and vibrancy are much more challenging to capture with a backlit wave. Waves create shadows around themselves, which can make it difficult to set up the exposure. On the other hand, backlighting can also reveal amazing silhouettes and highlights around the edges of a wave.
It’s a beautiful look if that’s what you’re shooting for.
As opposed to backlit waves, front-lit waves are easier to photograph since you can achieve the correct exposure right from the beginning. Additionally, you’ll get more detail in the background and more color in the water. In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to take a photo, just where the light is coming from can affect the outcome.
Plan ahead and move the time of your shot if necessary if you have a specific shot in mind.
Wait For A Sea Breeze
For the most stunning wave photos, an off-shore breeze, or sea breeze, is essential. When an air current encircles a wave, it causes a spray to come off the back. Wave sprays can add more interest to a photo and help make it stand out.
Early in the morning is typically when you will experience a cool off-shore breeze. Take advantage of the mist by getting to the beach early.
Experiment with Shutter Speeds
With wave photography, there’s lots of room for creativity, especially with shutter speed. You should experiment with different shutter speeds.
Take a photo at 1/1000 of a second, and then another at 30-seconds. An image can be captured in any way you want. It’s a fun way to learn how shutter speeds work. Shutter speeds give different results, and that’s what makes it so cool.
Shutter speed comparison
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Stay Safe
The excitement of a memorable photo opportunity is difficult to resist. There’s nothing better than watching the waves crash exactly as you imagined them. As you take photos, remember to watch the water.
You might not be able to get back to the point if the tide changes. You might lose your ability to return to the beach if you stay too long. Think about the tides and if certain parts of the beach will be underwater before you get crazy with where you shoot.
It’s easy to get caught off guard by a large splash. Keep your distance from any edges to avoid getting soaked or worse, swept into the water.
Stick With It
Wave forecasts are constantly changing throughout the day just like the weather. One day might be boring with no waves, but the next day there are the greatest waves you could hope for. It’s challenging to be in the right place at the right time because there’s no magic formula. All you can do is keep trying.
Even if you’re just here for a few days, get to the beach every day at a certain time. When you’re persistent, you’ll get the results you want.