WindsurfingUK issue 4 July 2017 | Page 71

71 Esso Beach on Hayling, to jumping shots off Wittering. The key thing is flexibility and being available to photograph when conditions are firing. I’ve done a bit of photography from boats but its super challenging when the wind is up as the boat gets thrown around a lot. I’d like to invest in a decent waterproof housing for my camera so that I can swim out and get right into the action. To date though, my shots have always been from land. The beauty of photography is that you can always improve and shoot images from different angles and perspectives. I love capturing the moment. In watersports, that might be an off-the-lip, a looping sequence or showing the size of the conditions in relation to the natural surroundings. The key to action shots is to get up close with a long telephoto and having a camera that has a high frame rate. When I used film, I shot using Minolta cameras and lenses. When I went digital in 2006 I couldn’t afford to change the camera and lenses so went with Sony as they had bought out Minolta and I could carry on using my lenses. I’ve stuck with Sony ever since. The key to action shots is to get up close with a long telephoto and having a camera that has a high frame rate I shoot mainly with the Sony Alpha 99 mark 2 and Sony Alpha 77 mark 2 with a variety of Carl Zeiss lenses, from 24-70mm f2.8 to 70-300mm f5.6-6.3 and with my whopping Tamron 150-600mm lens a recent addition. I’ve also got a whole load of Minolta prime f1.7 to f2.8 lenses which are great for portraiture. The great thing about the Sony cameras is their frame rate which peaks at 12 frames per second which is perfect for photographing action sports and wildlife. uk WIND SURFING