Surfer at Langland 2

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Took this today (5th Dec 07) at Langland in Swansea - poor light, so used 400 ISO at 5.6 to get 1/500 1/600. Suffered grain and depth of field problems as a result.. I am happy with this pic, but any feedback and tips always appreciated Gar

Any chance of seeing it in colour? First off I'd clone out the other surfer and crop down to remove the sky. You can feel the power of the waves. Great composition and framing.

Alistair

I agree with Alistair to cut out the sky as it is too bright and your eyes keep going back to it. I should think that the colour version is probably not much different if lighting was that poor. You done well to get that shot.

Oh bring back the sun.

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yeah the lighting was extremely poor - getting close to 4pm - I suppose with regards to cutting the sky out is each to their own really - I ummd and rrrrd about it tried cropping it more etc... but in the end decided to leave the surfer in as it was how the shot was taken and left the sky as you can really see the chop against it, so that was my purpose to draw attention to it



Thanks for the feedback tho guys...

cheers

Gar

Ok...I gotta be real honest here.
I live in a town which is heaving with surf culture and live a few minutes away from Fistral beach. I have seen tons of pics/images of surfers and surfed myself solidly for ten years before becoming a bloater
My point is that I love the pic. You don't see many with this kind of toning, most are in colour and two a penny, they are everywhere down here. This one caught my eye. I agree with the blokes above about the sky. If you can't get any detail out of it then get rid. However I like the other surfer in it paddling out (my taste you understand...not that it is right or wrong). It would have been nice to have seen a little more detail in the main guy. Also instead of subtle dodge/burning, I think it could have benefitted from more obvious manipulation in the mono work...even a little over the top. Maybe its because I kinda miss those darkroom days when I used to sweat it up in a sealed room waving bits of card around like mad under the lens of my Durst. Who knows?
This to me as an ex-surfer says 'mood'
If it were a little crisper and had some work done to brighten the surfer in the middle, then I would buy a print off of you.

Thanks for your feedback - Surfer all my life too... As for the detail on the surfer - unfortunately the light was poor, not sure if I can get more detail, maybe that's due to my level of knowledge with PS - But I'll play some more.... I'll be taking some more pics so I am sure soon enough I'll get a real pearler...

How is it down Newquay these days? - is more like Blackpool these days init

Cheers Gar

Yeah mate it is.
Surf comps held at totally the wrong kind of year.Hoards of people who call themselves surfers and never go in the sea...just buy up the clothing and strut. Its a changed place. Town itself is stuffed to the brim with 18-22 yr old power drinkers and they leave the town in a mess every year. Still have those secret spots bud if and when I haul my lumpy butt back in the water. Not easy these days as I work so much, have super young baby (gromit in the making) and I suffer from insomnia so my energy has gone to pot.
Short answer is yes.
My family come from a place called Narberth in SW wales. Have surfed freshwater a few times but its always been tiny but very clean. They were just short opportunist sessions as a mate of mine lives near there. Spear fished there around 10 years ago.
Where is your local break?

To be honest I don't surf as much as I used to when I was younger - tend more to be a summer surfer these days - Can't be bothered any more with the effort in the winter, and seems to be a real problem with cars getting broken into.. and like you the same, work takes over - at best I'd have the weekends when it works... Still brought up as a surfer and on the beach - Local break for me is Llangennith - although have surfed all over - as a child i used to holiday in Newquay with my folks in a camper and with many other campers... Those days though it was proper surfer land I remember - I remember the surf masters every year with Cheyne Horan, Shaun Thompson, Tom Curren etc... The bar's were different then, Sailors, Red Lion etc.. more relaxed no power drinkers, hen and stag nights... ah.... We used to park up on Fistral car park and camp there for 2 weeks... pfff how things have changed... As for surf spots down there, am sure there a lots of secret spots I dont know but have surfed - Fistral of course, Towan, Porth Towan, Pentire/Penhale plus few more.... I am lucky these days as father lives in France by the beach - so I get to stay with him with the sun and surf these days....

Aside from that, winter time for me is Snowboarding now although there is not much snow here either lol... but I get to go on the dry slopes and away when i can...

Gar

Been tempted to give the snowboardnig a go as I was obsessed with skateboarding (first gen) when I was a kid. That has had massive revival last 8 years down here.

When you come down this way next head out to Mount Hawke. There is an indoor skate park there of a reasonable size and the kids are off their skulls!! Well worth taking the camera in. Those lunatics love it and will give you some great air shots over and again.

As for secret spots, if you bring down your boards, then a little beaut when the swell is good is Beacon Cove. You'll have to paddle left around the headland at Porth to get to it but you'll be one of only 2 or 3 guys on the break. Really soulful place in the evening. No access on foot unless you have ropes to get down the cliff. Watch for the seals, there are plenty there after the shoals of mullet and bass that reside there in the warmer months.

You'd love snowboarding mate - on the hard stuff is like skating, but on the soft stuff is like surfing - honestly gives you that same buzz but the wave lasts for a mile... big 150ft carves is awsome.... As for skating, yeah I was old skool too... started on the old ones with krytonics... then moved on to the Bones Brigade stuff when being able to slide and ollie was cool - these days they are something else, kids start by learning kick flip shove-its as basic stuff - I can't do that stuff lol... I have a long board now, with Kryp's and big wide trucks is great to find a nice long hill with a fair gradient and as the board flexes in the middle is great for carving....

Not sure when I'd be down your way as I tend now to go to France, as is just as cheap for me these days.. but if I do, maybe let you know... Get some pics in the day and some beers in the night...

Gar