Surf Photography 101

1) equipment: 600mm lens
*optional method - shoot from water (less expensive, but much more difficult.)
2) know your camera: remember, you are photographing a fast moving subject on an often highly reflective surface. The slightest change in lighting will demand quick adjustments of settings.
3) know your wave conditions: this is where your experience and beach knowledge comes into play. You need to know where to go to increase your percentage of capturing high quality action shots.
4) weather conditions: wind and rain are the enemy.
5) lighting conditions: using fast shutter speeds requires optimum lighting conditions. There are exceptions to this rule [link]
6) positioning: finding the sweet spot to shoot from, a few feet can make all the difference in the world.
7) connecting with the talent: working with talented surfers will increase your percentage ten fold. Being able to identify the talent is another key aspect. I personally know almost all the surfers that I photograph and I communicate with them.
These are just some of the basic elements required to get high quality shots on a consistant basis.

surfer: Gavin Gillette
location: Haleiwa - Hawaii

edit 3-17-08: new crop and border