Surfing big waves: how to shoot a quality action photo?

Surfing big waves: how to shoot a quality action photo?

Features of surf photography. We choose technique, angle and location together with photographer Kirill Umrikhin.

Photography is an integral part of action sports culture. In our new section “In Details” iconic extreme photographers will reveal the magic of non-random shots.

Anyone can see more works from action photography gurus from the world of surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding at the S-Fest exhibition from November 10 to 19. In addition to photo works by world-famous authors, the visitors of the exhibition will be offered video premieres, master classes and open lectures.

Our new hero is an extreme photographer Kirill Umrikhin. His photos have participated in many exhibitions, were among the winners of The Best Of Russia photo contest 2013 and 2014, made it to the quarterfinals of Red Bull Illume 2012, participated in Vertmir Extreme Photo 2014, 2016. In our material we will analyze the peculiarities of big wave surfing photography together with Kirill.

Category: Big Wave Surfing. Big Wave Surfing in Russian
Photographer: Kirill Umrikhin

Kirill Umrikhin. Self-portrait

On the photo: Frenchman Justin Dupond. To be honest, I came to shoot the first Russian guy who dared to conquer Nazareth – Andrei Carr. But every ride on such a giant is unique. By the time of sunset Andrei was already seriously washed out, and he miraculously survived. And since there were still surfers on the water, I decided to continue filming and was rewarded for my persistence – in winter there are piercing cold winds, from which there is no escape, and often drizzling rain.

Justin Dupond. Photo in detail

Features of the location

It’s a unique location, the likes of which there are very few in the world. The Cape near the Portuguese town of Nazare is home to Europe’s biggest waves, and it’s also where the record for surfing the biggest wave (about 30 meters high) was set. The big waves are echoes of the strongest storms in the Atlantic Ocean. When the wind blows at a speed of more than 100 km/h, it disperses huge volumes of water. In Nazar is a very interesting structure of the bottom – after a few hundred meters from the beach it abruptly breaks off with a wall at great depth and goes underwater break into the ocean. It is in this wall that the whole volume of water, which was brought by the storm, “crashes” and it rises with huge waves near the shore. The place is extremely dangerous for riding, the waves crash into the rocks, and just if you fall on it, there is a chance not to surface for a minute. That’s why only the bravest guys and girls of the earth surf here.

When were the photos taken?

Traditionally, everyone pays attention to Nazare with the arrival of fall and winter storms. I specifically kept an eye on the forecast and came here in January on one of the lucky days.

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Technical side of things

I took this shot on the best reportage camera Nikon D5. It’s fast, 12 frames per second and gives you the ability to accurately catch the best moment. When the wave crashes, everything happens instantly and it’s important to capture the perfect position of the athlete and the wave. Other than that, you need a good telephoto lens to shoot. I had a Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 and it allowed me to get big enough shots of the surfers, but with the wave fully in place.

Photo trick

There are no tricks in big wave surfing yet. You can ride into a tube if the wave is trumpeted, but here it just collapses like a house. It’s important that the rider is near the peak of the collapse-that’s the hardest part. All in all, it’s something like getting surprised by an avalanche.

How to take the perfect photo. The right angle

When shooting surfing, you need to know exactly where you’re going to be shooting from – the shore or the water. In this case, I worked on the shore. Nazare is the perfect place to photograph surfing on big waves. The main thing is to be concerned about a good telephoto lens, as well as dress warmly, take things and shoes that are difficult to get wet. Otherwise, I highly recommend visiting Nazare on days when the ocean is pumping – it’s a true natural wonder.