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Localswell is evolving into the site is was always meant to be. LS was originally pretty much me shooting and you looking. That was not the plan. It was always supposed to be about the photography, just not all mine. It was designed to be a surf photography community site. My time on the beach helped get the photos online and to help build a core following, but that is now changing for the better. Through the photos sent in by the likes of Ann Coen, Alex Rivera, and many others the "community" side of the photography is growing.This page is to help you get your shots onto Localswell. There are some tips to help you get the most out of your gear, the conditions, your post processing and then sending them to LS.Please be advised that the contributing photographers on LS do not get paid by LS for their contributions. These photogs do it because they love it. Many are young with hopes of bigger things down the road. Some are using LS to help build a name and maybe get noticed by one of the mags. This has already happened to a few. But, there is no money in surf photography. What? Yes, there are a select few making good money and traveling to cool locs, but like most surfers, very few are making a living at it. Now if that didn't depress you enough .... and, you're still up for a session, happy shooting!There is no lock in to say you will get your stuff on LS. I get many photos made with point and shoot cameras that just don't cut it. So, spend some time honing your craft, learn your gear, find some waves and enjoy.See you on the beach,
Tom Spader
Gear tips: As with most things you get what you pay for. Spend as much as your budget will allow. For most of the breaks in our area a 300mm is pretty good. Add a 1.4x extender and you're doing even better. Most of the digital bodies add even more length to your lens.
So, do the math: 300mm with a 1.4x = 420mm
Depending on the body that you put that on, say a Canon 20D with a 1.6 bump on any lens you put on it:
300mm x 1.4 = 420 x 1.6 = 670mm
You will loose one stop with a 1.4x extender. So, if you skimp on the lens and just add an extender the 300 f/5.6 you just got for $125 is now a 300 f/8 and will give you garbage. Rule of thumb garbage in - garbage out.
With the less expensive lens set up you will be OK in good afternoon light when the sun is out and behind you. The quality of your gear becomes more and more important as the conditions lessen.
Shooting tips: Avoid auto exposure on your camera, go with auto focus on your lens. There are too many things that can freak out your camera for auto exposure: sun glare, the white of the wave, etc. Learn your gear. Since most of you will be shooting digital, check your exposure. If you have a levels check option or histogram ... learn it and use it.
Watch your horizons: Watch your horizons. There I said it twice. Nothing screams noob louder than a tilting horizon. It's a beach, there's a line way way out there.
USE IT.
Use support: A mono-pod is a good idea. Some use tripods, but they can be bluky.
Use the largest file size setting: Don't skimp on this. You can shoot raw, but that may be slight over kill, but it will give you more control over your final image. Large jpg should be good. The bigger the file the more digital information you have to work with in post processing. A magazine will want it BIG!
Use the highest shutter speed you can. Unless you're getting fancy and panning or using a creative blur, if that's the case you know enough and should not be reading here.
Don't shoot straight at the wave. If you can move down the beach and have the surfer coming at you instead of just setting up and having them move across you, you will like your results much better. If there's a jetty, get out there. Pier, try it ... it shrinks the wave, but it's cool for a few grabs.
Check the mags and the web. See what others are doing. Ask yourself, "how did they do that?" You'll start to see things that work well and things that don't. You pick what you like, afterall it's your image.
Post processing: Less is more. There are many options and many different pieces of software, but take it easy. There is no way to address all the different things out there for you to work your photos, but whatever it is that you are using, learn it!
Don't rely on the software. Do it right in the camera and you will be a happy camper. Yes, use your sw to tweak, but if you screwed it up on the beach, chances are you screwed it up.
Save as you go but never save over your raw images: On your computer, always rename it. That way if you f-it up you can always go back to step one.
Lighten/Darken. Depending on what you are using to control the levels of your image, this is where it all comes together. If you are using something like Adobe's Photoshop and have your image on the screen, choose "levels" and you'll get a graph of sorts. There will be sliders below the graph. That graph is what you have to work within the raw image or what you did right or wrong in the camera. If shot right, you'll have a triangle shape in the graph with neither side going completely off the sides. Take your right slider and move it left to the corner of the start of your triangle on that side. Take the left slider and move it right to the start of that side of the triangle. This sets your darkest (left) and brightest (right) point within your photo. The middle slider is where you adjust your midtones. This is where you tweak the image so the guy deep inside the wave can be seen. KEEP DETAIL in the whites, do not blow them out. Don't over-do any of this. Trial and error is the way to go, learn from your mistakes.
Don't over sharpen: Just don't! Learn to make the best image in your camera, hey didn't he already say that a few times. Learn your gear. Figure out how your camera focuses. Make it work for you. If it has trouble in bright backlight, avoid it. If it won't focus on a hard angle, move. Watch that red dot in your viewfinder. That is where the focus will be. So, if you're off your subject because you're down the wave, know where that focus point will be. Use your sharpen feature sparingly. Get it right the first time. When you do sharpen have the image at 100% on the screen.
Follow-focus over One-shot: Some of the cameras will have an A1-Servo or something like that over a One Shot focus. The A1 is a follow focus and as you hold your shutter half way and follow the action the red dot is where th focus will be. With One Shot, if you frame your shot, hold the button and the scene changes while you're still holding that button, that first area you aimed at will be the only thing in focus. A1-servo if possible. Learn your gear.
Sending tips: OK, you shot it, you have the killer image. You have the raw file, you renamed it, you tweaked it, you didn't over-sharpen and you are ready to send it. Here's how.
Images for Localswell do not need to be big: Hey, you said bigger is better. Yes, they should start as big as possible, but for the internet they are pretty small files. They should be 8 inches across at 72 dpi and saved as a jpg. Anything bigger than this is too big. It actually won't run that big anywhere in the site. The gallery images are about 6" and the Recent Rip is 6.25" So, there is no need to send them any larger, they will not look any better.
Saved at the above size you can easily send 4 or 5 images per email.
Name it: Save your image anyway you want on your hard drive, but whatever name you give it is the name that will travel with it in LS. I suggest you name it with the surfer's name in the file name. Like JoeBlow1.jpg I will put your name and the location in the gallery header and on the front page so no need for it to be in the image name. Believe me, you will get credit for your work, this is a photog's site afterall.
Send many: I will likely not post one or two images sent by any one photographer, I need (you want) galleries. Best way to get your stuff on LS is to pick the best of the best of your session. If you only have one good shot, sit on it until you get a few more and LS may run a mixed gallery of your work. 20+/- good images makes a good gallery.
Credit and Links: I can link to your site if you have one or link to your email if you want. Give me your name how you'd like it to be with the photos. I will not be taking orders or making prints to sell. That is your deal if you want to get involved.
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Send a Link if you want the Traffic: If you've already posted your work on your site, a public site, Flickr, SmugHub or whatever and want the those checking out Localswell to check out your work, SEND THE LINK to that exact page, not to the front page of the site. Send it HERE.
Gear Links:
BnH Camera NYC
They have everything and the prices are good. Watch their used department. They have trade-ins coming in all the time as photogs upgrade.
Gear to watch in the used world:
Canon 20D = $530, 2/21/08 at BnH
Canon 30D = $720, 2/21/08 at BnH
These are two examples of good camera bodies that will give you great images.
When you look for a lens, make sure it works for the body you plan to use it on. There are a lot of older lens, that are not auto-focus, etc. and some may not work on your body.
Spend as much as you can. When possible get a name brand lens Canon, Nikon, etc for the system you pick. There are many different companies that make from very good to total crap, so be careful and seek out someone that that knows if you don't. A few questions and a swallow of ego will save you a lot of grief down the road.
If you already know your stuff, just scroll down to "sending."
Gear tips, Shooting tips, Post Processing tips and Sending are below.
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