Surf Photography With A 50mm lens

[@Jamie.Robertson]

So many keepers for an hour shoot! Keep the videos coming.

[@dreamlifephotography]

thanks Jamie, appreciate the encouragement mate. Got a few good ones hey?

[@charlesnetzler2262]

Amazing shots and positioning that only comes with experience in the water! Been looking at this setup with the 50mm as an entry into surf photography in the water since it is the most affordable setup without using zoom ports and attachments.

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey Charles thanks for your message and kind words. Yes I believe the 50mm is a great starting point for photography both in the water and on land, master the 50mm and you will be well on your way. The 50 will also forever be a staple in your kit bag. If going under the surface then I would consider looking at ultra wide angle lens, but all the best with your entry into the exciting world of surf photography!!

[@AbdelElecho]

Epic shots! Love your work mate.

[@dreamlifephotography]

Thanks mate, really appreciate the support and kind words

[@jesseslivin]

Thats a good wisdom drop, thank you.

[@dreamlifephotography]

thanks - glad you liked the video !

[@marcelosrocha]

Excelente video, vou começar na fotografia de surf dentro dagua com uma lente 50mm. Mahalo.

[@Tomgoestravelling]

Such a great video! Wonderful shots and very inspiring to get out there. Thanks for making it.

[@dreamlifephotography]

thanks so much for your comment

[@joshtwitchen]

Such a beautiful environment

[@dreamlifephotography]

It really is heaven on earth hey?

[@portstoke4306]

You're an absolute legend Tom. Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to share your knowledge. Ive found your channel to be the best on KZbin for learning the art of surf photography. You explain everything really well, and all the things I've learned from you Ive put into practice with awesome results. Most of all, I think it's cool that you obviously want to help others succeed and arent worried about sharing your secrets to make that happen. All the best and keep up the awesome content!

[@dreamlifephotography]

Aww thanks so much legend! only just saw this comment. So stoked you like the videos and thanks for the encouragement ... means a lot!

[@joshtwitchen]

Perfect for photos

[@dreamlifephotography]

Love Noosa and my 50mm lens!

[@edwardobermeyer3565]

Great advice!

[@dreamlifephotography]

Cheers mate

[@danilopianese6466]

Hey Tom thank you for all your vid!!! What's your favorite aperture with the 50mm???

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey there! I only just saw this comment, thanks for your patience with the late reply! I usually set my aperture on the 50mm around 2.8 to 3.5 sometimes I go down to 1.4 for a real drop off effect but generally the sweet spot is around 2.8 to F4 for me. Thanks for your comment

[@gregmccarthycronulla]

My favourite lens other than the fisheye 😊

[@dreamlifephotography]

Yeah same, love the wides too, but the 50mm always produces the goods hey?

[@Floz6019]

Hi Tom! Would you use a classic filter on your 50mm lens shooting with your dry port? If so, would you recommend using a ND or UV ? Thanks so much for your videos, you are doing an amazing job!

[@dreamlifephotography]

Thanks for your question mate, I only just saw it today. I don't tend to use any filters on my lens. I don't think UV filters are relevant with digital cameras. I will sometimes use an ND filter if I want to do slow shutter work when the light is bright however. Appreciate your encouragement

[@CHRISHEWGILL]

Beaut stuff Tom, I'm getting away from my fish eye and 15mm trying out 40mm and 70mm primes, so different, miss a bit with the DSLR crop ..but would loved to get those arvo Noosa sunset colours

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey Chris, yeah that lens range is so good. such a different look to the wides. Noosa light is truly amazing, never get tired of a sunset there!

[@patduggan9922]

Thanks very much for this vid. I started my journey into surf photography using very basic gear and am limited to a 18-55mm kit lens in the housing I have. Now I feel ready to upgrade and am looking at a Liquid Eye advanced housing but was still unsure as to what lens i would use and subsequent port I'd need... looks like my nifty 50 will do ok. Happy if you (or anyone else) want to throw suggestions my way.

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey Pat, thanks for your message! The 50mm is so versatile. If you can get good at a fifty everything should be pretty easy from there. Most definitely get a flat port if you decide to go with a 50mm lens especially if your camera is a crop sensor (what camera are you using?) The gear is definitely secondary to knowledge. If you have a DSLR with the right knowledge and skills you will quickly start to out perform crew that have the most expensive gear. So I would suggest to focus on your skills over gear. Hopefully these suggestions help. Feel free to ask any further questions.

[@xNoFyE]

Heya Tom, love the video. Im super keen to grab a 1.8 50mm Prime for my Aps-c camera. With the 1.5x magnification that would make it around 75ishmm, would you rather recomend a 35mm Prime instead? Or you reckon should be right with a 50mm 1.8. Cheers 🍻

[@dreamlifephotography]

Thanks mate appreciate the feedback and question! Yeah it's a tough call, both would work pretty well. It depends on the type of wave that you are shooting. Obviously the 35mm will be the closest to 50mm with the crop sensor, so if you are going for that look the 35mm maybe the best. If you want to sit back a bit further from the action then the 50mm with the crop may suit. I feel you get used to the range the more you shoot with it, so which ever you choose with practice you will create great images. If portraits are your thing the 50mm would be better than the 35mm both in the water and land.... but I think you will succeed with either... all the best champ!

[@TropicalZooms]

New subscriber: Coast Tripz. Great vid & great channel. Appreciate the effort you’ve gone to. 😃👍

[@dreamlifephotography]

Thanks so much! really appreciate the encouragement

[@FRLN90]

Thank you so much for your tips Tom! I´ve just bought a housing for my camera and I was wondering what kind of lenses I need. I have the canon 50mm 1.8f but my camera is a crop sensor.. so I should move around a bit I think. I was thinking on getting a 24mm 2.8f, which on a crop sensor is something like a 35mm I think? By the way, those pics are amazing!! Keep on with your great work!

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey there! I only just saw this comment, thanks for your patience with the late reply. I think the best two lenses to have are a 50mm and a super wide angle lens for water photography. The super wide (10mm-20mm) is great for under water and close action and the 50mm is great for shallow depth of field images. These are on full frame cameras. I feel the 35mm lens is neither wider enough or long enough focal length the work with. I have a free webinar coming out soon that covers this exact topic. You can subscribe to my newsletter to find out when that comes out right here: www.stimages.com.au/subscribe-photography-education

[@gregmccarthycronulla]

By the way love your videos

[@dreamlifephotography]

thanks Greg, really appreciate mate!

[@harmonyhaftphotography]

Hi Love your videos! Do you suggest using a polarising filter and would you also use it for sunset lighting or only for daytime? for 16-35mm 2.8 sony g master with dome port on aquatech in the water for surf photos .... I am seeing you just responded to a similar question and said you don't use any filters. Have you tried them and you just don't like them?

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey! thanks so much for your kind words! Polarisers don't have much of an effect when the sun is low in the sky, so I don't see much benefit with them for sunset or sunrise.... I generally use polarisers to take reflection off leaves and trees in a rainforest environment not so much for water photography... however at times I will have purpose... you always have to ask yourself "why am I using this or that" if the polariser helps solve a problem then it is worth considering, if it doesn't then its not required... for most of my water shoots and polariser wouldn't help my images... not so much against them, just wouldn't use them if I didn't need them, also there is no way of adjusting the polariser once inside the housing, and if it wasn't spun to the right posiion then it could ruin your whole shoot.. hope this helps

[@zoedoherty883]

Thanks for the video! Love those sunset shots, Did you use a flat port or dome for this session?

[@dreamlifephotography]

Hey Zoe, I used a flat port for this shoot. Always shoot through a flat port with my 50mm lens. I only use dome ports for lenses 20mm or wider. cheers for the question

[@thedarwinsnatchers6745]

love ur vibe... few questions tho ... when ur shooting with that 50mm do u use auto or manual focus ? and last question do u just video and then capture pics later on through the videos... or do u snap those shots ?

[@dreamlifephotography]

So when using the 50mm lens I am definitely using AUTO focus, especially in the water because there is no way of manually focusing inside my water housing, and auto focus works really well. I take all my pictures as still photos using my Canon R5 camera inside a Aquatech housing.... the video you see is from a separate GoPro camera that is mounted on top of my water housing

[@tonyjovanovic9259]

G'day Tom, New to your channel and really finding your info useful. Now I just need to get back in the water to put this knowledge to play. I'm wondering are you shooting your video with your full frame Cannon and then extracting stills? Also liking the quality of your video/ photo color grading. Pura Vida!

[@dreamlifephotography]

Thanks Tony, really appreciate your message and stoked you are getting some value from the videos. I use my canon cameras to shoot still photos only. The video is shot using a GoPro that is mounted to the top of my water housing

[@madfox7777]

50mm on a crop or full frame?

[@dreamlifephotography]

On a full frame camera. 5Dmk3 canon

[@siskoDE]

is your cam in a case?

[@dreamlifephotography]

Yes David, Inside a Aquatech Water Housing