Shooting Waves - the story behind Paul Gibbins Photography
by Paul Gibbins 2 Dec 2023 09:04 UTC
Final Fling, Plymouth, October 2023 - Canon 5d Mk 3 300mm Prime at f7.1 / 1/640 / ISO 250 © Paul Gibbins Photography
Sailing less now I needed an excuse to be on the water. I stumbled into photography in 2017, entirely self taught, but gravitated towards the sea as I thought I would combine my interest with an understanding of boats from many years cruising, racing and teaching. I'm also a former Royal Marine, so familiar with the 'how hard can it be? I'll give it a go' approach.
The number of pro-sports photographers on the water is increasing, especially as events attract more sponsors that demand more timely, quality coverage to reach new audiences on many different media platforms. This places a huge responsibility on professional photographers to shoot for different formats, including short form video and stills imagery with drones. Speed of image capture to publication is paramount, everyone likes to see a selection of shots on the Club Bar TV after racing.
But this is a huge challenge for an enthusiast. Yes, those social feeds might need updating by sundown, but good editing takes time, and the pressure is on, especially when like me, it is a solo enterprise. SailGP lead by example, where stills images are captured and uploaded into the cloud in real time, to be edited by a 3rd party, and ready for media consumption in as little as 50 seconds.
On the water I like getting close to people and the subject, which comes at risk when you have a big fleet coming towards you. But with careful planning, identified escape routes and some good boat driving, getting 'the shot' is doable. I'm constantly looking for the emotion of being on the water: the sweat and the smiles of being on a boat and getting it to move. It's intrusive, but the connection between the machine and the person visually captures the 'why we go sailing' of our sport.
Photography at sea certainly has its challenges, it's tricky but rewarding. The environment is hard on expensive kit, sea salt is toxic. In front of the lens, everything is moving, composition is limited and framing becomes an exercise in compromise. While we are all photographers with our phones, there's a quality that can only be achieved with a professional camera and a fast lens.
Photographers often obsess about kit, what camera, what lens and what setting is needed for a particular shot but it's our 'eye' that remains the most important. On the water, knowing where to be with my cameras is crucial. I have two rules: get close, but don't get in the way. I don't always get it right, but this is often forgotten when the gallery is uploaded.
This year I've been lucky to shoot events throughout the South West, and also a few private clients just wanting some images of their boats. I'm also seeing more Foiling on the water, some Wakeboarding, and offshore rowing of course, which I always enjoy shooting. Off the water, I've been lucky to do a product shoot for a local Devon Cycling brand and a Triathlon - if there's water and movement, I'm interested! But I remain a small enterprise with a side hustle that puts a smile on my face.
If you enjoy a photo, it's easy to share it, like it, or make a comment; all photographers like some interaction and feedback. If you can, make a purchase, help support that photographer, he/she will probably have spent thousands on kit and invested many hours of learning to be there. But most of all, when you see someone with a camera on the water, smile and wave, that always makes a great shot.
paulgibbinsphotography.mypixieset.com