Improving your seascapes – an intermediate guide

Composition

Use negative space

“I rarely see the sea as a main character,” Norbert, who goes by Norris, explains. “It should act as negative space that amplifies the photograph and creates a sense of scale for your subject whether that’s an iceberg, boat or cliff.”

Sky matters

“Seascapes also means two-thirds of the image is the sky – it’s as important what accompanies the sea,” he adds. “Work with whatever the sky throws at you. Don’t wait for a perfect sunset.”

Think perspective

“I always photograph from a boat towards the coast or a subject (whether a floating iceberg, jagged sea cliffs, a sailboat or a fjord),” Norris explains. “That means I’m facing land. I’ll have the sea in the foreground, a mountain in the background and then a kayaker, surfer or a bird in between to elevate the photo.”

A lesson in agility

“Boats move fast,” says Norris. “You’ll sometimes have five seconds before you swing past an iceberg or a sailboat. Adapt the angle, check the focus and click the shutter.”

Brush up on boat etiquette

“If you’re photographing from a leisure boat that isn’t organised for a photography trip, be courteous to other guests. Have two bodies and lenses with different focal lengths ready with you so you can pick and choose,” Norris shares. Working with the boat? “Communication with the captain is key – as is knowing how the boat works and how easy it is to turn or reverse, if it can. It’s a delicate dance.”

Embrace bad conditions

“It won’t always be a perfect day – especially where I am in Iceland,” says Norris. “Capture with what you have. If the subject is good, as is the composition, the light can be worked on and edited in Lightroom.”

Feeling stale? Vary the scene

“Watch how weather changes,” he advises. “Play with foreground and your subject: move your camera up, down, sideways. Introduce sand in the foreground, move further away and add in rocks, or pull a log into the scene. Shift your focal length. Use a wide-angle lens and get close to your subject – add in beach paraphernalia and create leading lines with towels, shells and rocks.”

Align wave patterns

“During my workshops to Diamond Beach, a black sand beach on the south coast of Iceland, I’ll photograph with the iceberg often in the middle of the frame with waves crashing – one of those classic shots where you stand in the water with wellies and a wide-angle lens,” says Norris. “When the wave starts moving backwards, that’s when you start taking your photo. Shutter speed depends on the speed of the wave – it could be that half a second is enough to get the trail of the wave going back with the foam, or you might need three seconds in slower moving water. If you want the patterns in the waves – that might be a five-min exposure or three hours for tides going down. At any rate, start with a half a second – if it’s not getting the length or the shape, try one second, then try two seconds, then try to ten seconds. Experiment.”

Snap the auroras

“There’s no better way to vary your shots than by capturing the aurora,” Norris enthuses.  Grab a tripod and try these settings:

Focus: Manual

Shutter speed: 5 seconds, increasing to 10-20 seconds

ISO: 3200 – better to have a bright enough photo with high ISO

Shutter delay: Switch on 2-3 second delay to mitigate any shaking from your hand releasing the camera

Top tip: “Check where infinity is on your lenses,” the Creator adds. “When a lens is focused to infinity, light rays from very distant objects will converge on the camera’s sensor at the point of sharpest focus.”

Gear

Bodies

“Salt, wind, ocean spray and rain – these cameras can take a lot,” says Norris. “With Nikon, I never have to worry about the weather conditions – the weather sealing is top notch.” His choice of gear? Z7 and Z7II. “Weight matters. Plus, the extra megapixels of the 48MP Z7II (compared to 24.5MP Z6II) offers that quality when I want to crop in or print.”

Lenses

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is Norris’ workhorse. He also uses the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S and NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S. For extra-wide shots, he’ll capture a nine-photo panorama – one frame of the subject and eight frames for the background stitched together in Adobe Lightroom.

Accessories

Circular polarising filters

“Polarising filters take away reflections so you see deeper in the ocean and create extra contrast, darkening the blue in the sky and making icebergs shine bright,” Norris explains. “Use for any focal length except wider than 33mm, where the sky can get spotty.”

Tripod

“Helpful for aurora photography, otherwise capture handheld to be more responsive,” advises Norris.

Drones

“DJI Mavic 3 Pro for unique aerial photography.”

Clothes and bags

“Use a fully sealable dry bag to protect your camera, or a scuba diving dry bag if you’re kayaking,” advises Norris. “Wear warm waterproof clothing (or a wetsuit, if needed) and waterproof boots so you can stand in the water.”

Batteries and memory cards

“Bring spare batteries and memory cards as cold and wet conditions can drain power quickly.”

Camera settings

Frame size: FX

File: RAW

Camera mode: Manual, unless parachuting or heliskiing, when Aperture Priority is preferred  

White Balance: Auto, adjust coolness in Adobe Lightroom

Aperture: Use wide apertures (f/2.8) for shallow depth of field and for closeups of the water or small boats

Shutter speed: To freeze waves 1/500 to 1/1000 seconds – this may be higher if on a moving boat, or lower if you’re in low light conditions

ISO: Keep as low as possible but don’t be afraid to raise in low light

Focus: AF-C with burst mode to snap fleeting moments

Histogram: Useful for nighttime shots and capturing deep contrast to show how darkness is distributed, but lean on your gut feeling

Post-production magic

“In Adobe Lightroom, I want to tell the story of my subject and help them stand out,” Norris explains. “I work on contrast, light and colour.”

Light: “Emphasise where light is coming from. Brighten the side of the image up and darken down where needed.”

Colour: “I prefer the blue colder undertone with some warmth in the sky,” says Norris. “To achieve this, pull the colour grading slider into darker areas (218 for blue on the colour wheels, 47 for yellows and orange in brighter areas). Experiment with your sliders to craft out your own style.”

Stay up to date with the latest of Norris’ adventures here.