Tips for GWS breaching photos

For the wetpixelers that have been there .

I would like to know from your experience, which lens range is optimal and what kind of support for the camera /lens is better ( and possible ) on the boat : monopod , tripod , bean bag or hand held ( i guess a monopod ?)

Any other tip or recommendation will be greatly appreciated .

I will be there next month for 3 days with African Sharks Eco-Charters ( Rob Lawrence )

Regards

Jose Alejandro

Hey Jose...

Are talking stills or video....

Dive safe

DeanB

For the wetpixelers that have been there .

 

I would like to know from your experience, which lens range is optimal and what kind of support for the camera /lens is better ( and possible ) on the boat : monopod , tripod , bean bag or hand held ( i guess a monopod ?)

 

Any other tip or recommendation will be greatly appreciated .

 

I will be there next month for 3 days with African Sharks Eco-Charters ( Rob Lawrence )

 

Regards

 

Jose Alejandro

Jose

Here's my 2 cents.I live 10 minutes away from False Bay where you are coming.I film off boats there all the time.The boat you going to be on wont probably be more than 10 meters long.Maybe abit more.False bay can get very rough and usually is.If you are shooting video your best bet will be hand held or off the should if its big broadcast camera.A monopod and tripod wont work for the rocking of the boat.The great whites will be breaching about maybe 40 meters behind the boat so you will have to zoom in abit but being carefull of severe camera shake.Also keep rolling all the time because the shark will breach just when you least expect.Hand held with your knees bent for steadiness should do the trick.

p.s i can actually see the ocean out of my office window and the water looks pretty rough.Good luck

Travy

Ooops !

Sorry i didn't specified ! I will be shooting stills .

If you have a heavy SLR, a monopod is a MUST. The boat I was on didn't run decoys for more than 30 minutes or so a day, but you will be holding that camera up to your face for a good number of those minutes. A 70-200 gets heavy!

Monopod. Sit down somewhere, if you can. Pre-focus on the cookie, and wait. I shot at 100mm on a full-frame, but it depends on how far away the cookie is. Don't wipe your nose, or look away from the camera, or anything. The breach is over in 1 second, and we had exactly one good breach in 4 days.

While you are shooting natural predation, you can hand-hold and have a good time hanging out.

Thanks guys !

I will go with a monopod and my fingers crossed !

I think i will be covered with the 70-200mm on a cropped sensor DSRL.

Regards

JA

The boat I was on didn't run decoys for more than 30 minutes or so a day,

Ah, I was just about to ask what the rules are down there about decoys. Here, it is illegal for commercial purposes. That sounds like a pretty fair regulation though, enough time to take photos but not too much time to distract sharks from their prey...

I think if it were legal here we'd have yahoos running decoys all over the place (they already chase the whales) just because we have terrible marine enforcement.

Ah, I was just about to ask what the rules are down there about decoys. Here, it is illegal for commercial purposes. That sounds like a pretty fair regulation though, enough time to take photos but not too much time to distract sharks from their prey...

 

I think if it were legal here we'd have yahoos running decoys all over the place (they already chase the whales) just because we have terrible marine enforcement.

Actually it is illegal to harass or entice Great Whites in anyway over here.There are only 2 or 3 companies in the False Bay area that are permit holders that are allowed to bait or decoy the Great Whites.The companies apply for permits from the government.The government sets out specific rules that they have to obide by.So that means if you are a private boat owner you cant just trail a seal decoy behind your boat and think all is fine.That would be against the law.Having said that,there have been odd reports of people coming back with their boat carrying foam cutouts of seals with massive bites to them.