Big Surf In Santa Cruz

[Photo-John]

This is a little different for me. I was riding the mountain bike in Santa Cruz on a day when the surf was extraordinarily big (Saturday 11/29). So after we were done riding we went out and I shot from the cliffs. It was huge. And I don't think I've ever seen so many guys in the water at one time - not that I go out there that often. But I'm sure glad I did.

This stuff was tough to shoot. It was pretty dark while I was shooting and these have all been pushed hard - they've essentially been push-processed in Lightroom. They were shot RAW and then lightened at least half a stop. I used the Canon EOS 50D and 70-200 f/2.8L lens at ISO 800, except for the last photo, which I shot at ISO 1600. I think ISO 800 is pretty solid with the EOS 50D and 1600 is good too - but not from this far away. The noise takes too much away from the detail in that last photo - although under the circumstances, I'm still happy with it. I could have used a longer lens for sure. A 300mm f/2.8 would have been great. But a slower lens wouldn't have worked - I needed all the light I could get to keep the shutter speed up. They're all a hair soft from motion blur and I didn't go under 1/200th second.

Anyway, I was excited about these both because of the subject and because they're good EOS 50D samples. I'm working my way around to writing the EOS 50D review. I think I've used it plenty now. So far I'm pretty happy, although I've come to conclusion that at low ISO, the EOS 40D was better. Not better enough to really matter - but better, all the same.