Through Andy Belcher’s Lens
Fast action on the water has always appealed to me as a photographer. It’s visually very appealing with water flying in all directions.
Is it easy to photograph though? The simple answer is no, it can be very challenging. You don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest camera gear but a good telephoto lens is a great start.
Acclaimed member of Maketu Coast Guard Shane Beech was riding his Jet ski with great precision and speed. I grabbed my Nikon, attached my 70 to 200mm zoom lens and quickly dialled in a 1/2000th second shutter speed.
As I lined Shane up in my viewfinder he went airborne over a wave. I pushed the shutter button and motor drive with focus tracking took ten nice sharp images in 2 seconds! Then all I had to do was choose my favourite.
Photographing jet sprint boats is extremely challenging. They accelerate faster to 100 km/h than a Formula One car. You don’t wish them to crash but if they do it happens very quickly.
The only way to capture this with a photo is to give it your absolute full concentration for several hours and pan the camera with every single boat. This crash happened during the practice session of the World Championship event at Bay Park and I was ready. As you can see the fast shutter speed has frozen the action.
After reading this, pick up your cameras and try something new. The results may surprise you!
By Andy Belcher
“I write for Bay Waka because I really enjoy the variety of relevant content.”
Phone: 021 444 830 | Facebook: baylive.nz/andy-facebook
Website: www.andybelcher.com
