Wakepics Photography Tips

Wakepics Photography Tips




All right, so you're dying to upload your pics so you can show off your stuff, but they keep coming out blurry, dark, or pixilated? Believe me, there's nothing more frustrating than nailing the timing on a shot of your buddy on a double-up whirly-to-blind, only to get the pictures back and find nothing more than a flesh colored streak on a blue background-and besides, we don't want those pictures, either. So, what is it that you can do to take the sickest, most representative pics you can? Well, here are some basic, but often forgotten tips from your good friends at Wakepics.com.

1. Film & Speed: For sharp, crisp photos, make sure you use a film with a relatively low speed. Film speeds as low as 100 or 50 ASA work great for action shots. Remember though with these low film speeds you need high shutter speeds, and lots of bright sunlight. The lower the film speed, the sharper the images. And, logically, the higher the film speed, the grainier the images. Now that you've got the film for a really crisp image, make sure that you use a shutter speed high enough that the photo doesn't come out blurry. A 1000th of a second shutter speed will be more than sufficient. The important thing to remember here, since you are using slow film speed in combination with a high shutter speed, is that you need PLENTY of light. Also, keep your location relative to the sun in mind. During the middle of the day, your location is not that critical. During the morning and evenings, shoot for positioning yourself between the sun and the rider. And, if bright conditions aren't available, then you'll have to sacrifice film speed, shutter speed, and ultimately photo quality.
   
   
   
   But hell, this isn't for a print publication, so they don't have to be perfect!
   
   
   
   
2. Equipment: If you're using a $15 disposable camera, completely ignore this and the previous section, and just go shoot…I mean…click. If you want to make a more substantial investment in equipment, get yourself a good SLR (single lens reflex) camera. SLR cameras and their accessory lenses give you many more options for shooting such as good zoom and a motor drive for action sequences, like that double s-bend your buddy is working on (good luck to 'em). You can get great SLR cameras online from places like CameraWorld.com.
   
   
   
   Or, you could get yourself a slick digital camera and save yourself a step in the journey to Wakepics.com stardom. Rather than scanning the images in, just download them from your camera and upload them to Wakepics. When selecting a digital camera, make sure to check out how many mega-pixel the image is, as well the level of optical zoom. Digital zoom is nice, but you won't get clear crisp shots with a high digital zoom, you need optical!
   
   
   
   A good camera is expensive. With an SLR go for the cheapest body with the options you want, and save the extra cash for a GREAT lens. A high quality lens will give you the edge you need to get those awesome images. Remember to always use a filter to protect the lens as well.
   
   
   
   
3. Vantage Points: By simply changing your location relative to the rider, you can really mix up the look of your photos. Also, even the tricks the rider is doing will look significantly different when they are viewed from the shore vs. from the towboat. Here are some good vantage points to consider when shooting:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Towboat - yup, everyone's sick of this of this angle. But then again, it's the easiest shot to get. Just make sure the boat is traveling into the sun-unless it's almost setting, when you can get some pretty neat silhouette shots.
     
   • Tube - Do this only if you've got a waterproof camera and some balls. Position a tube so it's just behind the rooster tail, where the wake is wide enough to keep the tube inside it. Also, the driver, rider, and photographer need to be extremely aware of the surface conditions and each other. A helmet and life jacket are recommended as well. With proper caution, well-timed pictures from this angle look SICK!
     
   • Water - Again, you need a waterproof camera and an experienced rider. Plop in the water (a life jacket helps the legs), strap on a helmet, and shoot your buddy as he goes slicing around you or soaring over you. The best photos will be taken in the morning and evening, when the sun is low on the horizon. Again, I want to stress that the rider must be extremely competent, and both the rider and driver aware of the photographer's location AT ALL TIMES!
     
   • Chase Boat - If you're lucky enough to have access to a second boat, this is a great way to get some neat angles. Also, it's a lot of fun to ride when you've got a second boat with a bunch of cameras right next to you. If the second boat is being used as a follow boat (behind the first boat), make sure that the driver is very aware of the rider's location.
     
   • Shore - Find a spot where the driver can bring the rider relatively close to shore. Have the rider time his tricks so that he is closest to the photographer on shore when he's in the middle of his move. Better yet, see if you can find a cliff to shoot from (unless you can afford a helicopter). With a good zoom, you can get some sweet shots from above (Lake Powell has plenty of good cliffs to shoot from).
     
   
   
   
   
   
4. Scanning and Uploading: Once the film is developed, scan it in at around 100 - 150 dpi (you shouldn't need anything else). Also, save it as a medium quality JPEG file (as a 4 through 6 in Adobe Photoshop). JPEGs are compressed files which will save everyone a bit of time when downloading your super sick pic! This should get you a decent quality and manageably sized photo that is ready to be introduced to the Wakepics community. Go to the "Media" section on Wakepics, and click on the blue "upload" link. Add all the requested information, browse to your saved image, and click upload. Congrats…you've just introduced your riding to rest of cyberspace, and earned some Wakepics points while doing it!
   

So, it's a simple as that. Grab your cameras, take some photos, and upload them. Get you and your riding seen throughout the world.