Hey peoples, this is the 3rd and final chapter on camera operations and it focuses on the more advanced users. This article will primarily focus on shooting water footage and how to read the conditions to best preset your camera. I'll include a glossary at the end incase some readers don't understand some of the terms being used. I'll also make up some scenarios and suggest tricks on getting around them. Next week will be an article about editing and will follow the same set up as the camera operations; Beginner, Inter - mediate and advanced. I hope that some of this info has come in handy. Till next week enjoy - Merlyn.

Considering you already have a waterhousing for your camera then I would guess you kind of know how to operate your camera fairly well already. If you do not have a water housing but are interested in purchasing one then a Dave Kelly water housing is your best option. He works out of Newcastle in NSW and prices start at about $1,500 for a basic set up. A basic set up includes a housing with adjustable handle, standard faceplate and function buttons for zoom, record and an on/off switch. If you want additional ports for wide angle and fisheye lenses then your looking at about an extra $250 or so (all prices are estimated and could be different) per port. Extra functions such as manual focus and shutter speed and aperture buttons also cost extra. I believe that a basic set - up (with the exception of extra ports for fisheye etc.) is all you need. Although it may seem quite expensive it is well worth it. Water footage as most may already know is by far the most exciting.

So now you have a housing lets set it up. It is a good idea if you have never used a housing before to practice with it before you take it out into the surf. Practice putting the camera in the housing and try shooting in some flat water or small surf so you can get the feel for the water housing and become comfortable with operating the camera in these conditions. Believe me shooting water takes a lot of practice to become efficient at and is a lot different from taking land footage.

The first thing you need to do is set all the manual functions correctly on your camera. White Balance, Focus, Aperture and Shutter speed all need to be correctly and manually set before you put you camera in the housing ( refer to last weeks tips if you don't know what to do). The difference in shooting water is predicting the conditions, because you can't adjust the camera once your in the water (unless you have the extra function buttons). If the sun is reflecting a lot on the face of the wave try using a shutter speed of 1/1000th of second. I usually shoot water with a shutter speed of either 1/1000th or 1/500th and an aperture of around F5.6. Things to consider would be clouds, the suns position and objects such as cliffs etc obstructing light. All these aspects need to come into consideration when setting your camera manually. One of the most important things to set however when shooting water is the focus. MAKE SURE you set the focus manually, if you leave the focus on automatic chances are your picture will be out of focus.

Secondly remove the faceplate, then gently position the camera correctly inside. MAKE SURE all the function buttons correctly line up with the camera then cover the 'O' ring seal with lubricant and screw down the faceplate until it is firmly inplace. MAKE SURE it is air tight! After all you don't want any water getting in and fucking up your camera! I have had this happen to me and it is heart breaking! I lost $5000 dollars worth of equipment that day and all it took was a little bit of carelessness! I advise anybody shooting water to take extra precaution that the camera is securely tightened before entering the water. I also advise you to secure it firmly to your wrist. some people use leashes but I believe these to be to long and you have the chance of the camera springing back and hitting you in the head if you drop it. I personally use a fin saver and attach it to my wrist. You will take some comfort in knowing that the housings do float so if there is a breakage you will possibly (depending on location and conditions) be able to recover your camera.

Thirdly your finally out in the conditions and it's cracking! If you plan to film a reef (say box) then its a good idea to paddle out on a board. The board allows you to sit in the channel and keeps you steady making it possible to achieve better results then if you were swimming. Also a pair of fins are ofcourse handy for paddling around in. If you are filming a beachy then it is best to ditch the board and just swim out in your fins, I suggest the use of a wide angle or fish eye lens also as it reduces your focal length allowing you to see up to 180 degrees right infront of your face.

Lastly remember to frame your shots right. The easiest way to correctly frame your shot is to comfortably set the shot before a rider has taken off. I do this by zooming in on the peak and using around about a mid - shot frame. Then when the rider paddles for the wave I zoom out or in to correctly frame them. Then as the rider approaches me i gently zoom out making sure the rider has been well framed for the length of their ride. It is important to correctly frame the rider and a lot of shot quality comes down to the ability to correctly frame a rider and the wave.

So now you should hopefully know the basics of what you are doing. Remember that it is all just a learning curve. I myself have only been filming for 4 years now and I know that I still have a lot to learn. It can be frustrating at times when you miss shots or blow them but remember to have fun and it'll eventually pay off!

Cheers - Merlyn

Glossary of terms: