89 Rambo Estrada - Surf Photographer
Ever wonder how photographers capture those perfect, empty, offshore waves when your local is blown out by 10 a.m.? What if you could learn how they really do it?
In this episode, surf photographer Rambo Estrada breaks down his process—from analyzing weather maps to reading wind 50km out at sea. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, aspiring surf shooter, or just obsessed with clean waves, this episode shows you what it really takes to be in the right place at the right time.
Discover how to read swell and wind maps like a seasoned photographer — and avoid getting skunked
Learn how not chasing pros helped Rambo develop a timeless, respected style
Get expert gear tips for surf photography — from camera bodies to lenses, port types, and shooting techniques
Hit play now and learn how to elevate your wave-chasing instincts and creative surf photography — straight from one of New Zealand’s best.
You can see Rambo's work here:
https://www.estradasurfing.co.nz/
https://www.instagram.com/ramboestrada/?hl=en
Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/podcast-surf-mastery/id1088660076?i=1000616580109
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oBnSkyaDVw5cgSR4ZHMwG?si=6815074400bb4f5c
Key Points
Optimal surf conditions for photography involve straight offshore waves and minimal wind interference.
Rambo Estrada’s transition from making surf videos to professional surf photography was influenced by his mentor Corey Scott from New Zealand Surfing Magazine.
Rambo Estrada emphasizes the importance of patience in surf photography, especially in New Zealand where wave windows are small.
Rambo Estrada recommends investing in high-quality lenses over camera bodies for surf photography, highlighting the importance of lens quality for image sharpness.
Rambo Estrada utilizes aperture priority with auto ISO and a minimum shutter speed setting to manage exposure dynamically while shooting surf photography.
For underwater photography, Rambo Estrada prefers using a housing with a glass front element treated with Rain-X to facilitate water drainage.
Rambo Estrada advises reading camera manuals thoroughly to discover and utilize advanced features, such as auto ISO, to enhance photography techniques.
Rambo Estrada uses Photo Mechanic for rapid culling of photos based on embedded JPEGs, allowing him to efficiently select the best shots from large batches.
Outline
Surfing Background
Rambo started surfing at around the age of nine, when their dad gifted them a second-hand surfboard for Christmas.
Rambo grew up in a town called Makatu, located between Mount Maunganui and Whakatane, but spent most of their surfing time at Papamaa, a family beach house.
Rambo competed in surfing competitions, notably winning the New Zealand University surfing title, partly due to a competitor having a broken ankle.
Photography Background
Rambo began making surf videos over 20 years ago but transitioned to photography about 15 years ago, making it their primary source of income for the last 10 years.
Rambo did not have formal photography education but was mentored by Corey Scott from New Zealand Surfing Magazine, who provided valuable, straightforward advice.
Corey Scott encouraged Rambo to take risks in their photography, such as swimming over falls to capture unique shots.
Integration of Surfing and Photography
Rambo believes that their surfing experience significantly enhances their photography, allowing them to capture moments that resonate with other surfers.
The surfing experience helps Rambo understand what makes a photo appealing and exciting, which is crucial for inspiring others to surf.
Rambo aims to inspire people to explore beyond their local beaches and discover new surfing spots in New Zealand.
Photography Techniques and Strategies
Rambo focuses on capturing the context of a wave rather than just the wave itself, aiming to evoke a sense of adventure and exploration.
Rambo prefers to shoot in conditions they find perfect, often waiting for the right moment rather than surfing.
Rambo has developed a style that often excludes the surfer, focusing more on the waves and the environment, which they find more satisfying.
Rambo advises patience as a key element in capturing great surf photos, especially in locations with smaller windows of good waves like New Zealand.
Gear and Equipment
Rambo recommends starting with a Sony mirrorless camera, such as the A6400, for its versatility and good all-round performance.
Investing in high-quality lenses is crucial for superior image quality, even if it means saving longer to afford better equipment.
Rambo uses aperture priority mode with auto ISO and a minimum shutter speed setting to adapt quickly to changing lighting conditions.
For underwater photography, Rambo uses a housing with a glass front element, applying Rain-X to help water drain off more easily.
Technical Aspects of Photography
Rambo shoots in aperture priority mode, controlling the aperture to achieve the desired depth of field and look of the photo.
ISO settings are used to adjust sensor sensitivity, with lower ISO providing cleaner images and higher ISO increasing sensitivity but potentially introducing grain.
Rambo uses exposure compensation to fine-tune the brightness of photos, especially when dealing with challenging lighting conditions like shooting against a dark backdrop.
Continuous autofocus is employed to keep moving subjects, like surfers, in sharp focus as they approach the camera.
Post-Production and Culling
Rambo uses Photo Mechanic for quick culling of photos based on embedded JPEGs, allowing for rapid selection of the best shots.
Rambo shoots a large number of photos but imports only a small percentage after culling, focusing on the best shots to save time in post-production.
Culling is done on the computer rather than on the camera to save time and avoid the cumbersome deletion process on the camera.
Online Presence
Rambo's website is estradasurfing.co.nz, where they showcase their surf photography.
Rambo's Instagram handle is @RamboEstrada, providing another platform for their work.
Transcription
Rambo Estrada
Once I started looking, zooming out on the map and looking at a big picture and seeing what's happening, it might be straight offshore where I want to go, but then maybe 50 Ks off the beach, it's cross-shore. Then it's not really going to have time to be like super lined up and perfect. It's going to, this swell is going to be a little bit wobbly.
Michael Frampton
My guest today is Rambo Estrada. He is a surf photographer from New Zealand, best known for his iconic shots of perfect uncrowded waves. And in order to both photograph and to surf perfect waves—Rambo loves doing both—you have to find them first. And in the first half of this episode, we talk about how to be in the right place at the right time. And in the second half of the interview, we talk about the details and the gear and the techniques and the processes behind the art form of surfing photography. When did you start surfing?
Rambo Estrada
I think when I was maybe nine? Yeah, my dad found a single fin in like a secondhand shop. He decided that would be a good Christmas present for me and my brother. And then, so my brother was six years older than me, so mostly it was my brother's. But then he went away to boarding school, so then it pretty much became mine.
Michael Frampton
And this is in the Bay of Plenty somewhere?
Rambo Estrada
I grew up in a little town called Maketu, which is like between Mount Maunganui and Whakatane. But for some reason, we had a family member beach house at Papamoa, so that's where I used to do most of my surfing.
Michael Frampton
Did you ever compete or was it always just a passion sort of lifestyle?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, I did compete. I lived in Raglan for six years. A lot of my friends were really good surfers, and they were all going to competitions. So I would sort of go along with them. Usually get knocked out in the first round or the second round. But I did actually win the New Zealand University surfing title, mostly because Kennings had like a broken ankle at the time. That was my one victory.
Michael Frampton
When did you discover photography?
Rambo Estrada
I actually used to make surf videos when I was younger. That would have been over 20 years ago that I sort of made surf videos. I made one and sold it nationally. And then I started making another one, and then my computer had a meltdown, and then I just sort of got over it. So I never put the second one out. And then I just sort of transitioned from there into photography probably about 15 years ago. I'd say it was when I started to get into it pretty full on. And then I've been doing photography as my primary source of income for 10 years.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, OK. Did you study or did you have a mentor or anything in that space?
Rambo Estrada
No, I didn't do any photography study except for, you know, learning things myself. But Cory Scott from New Zealand Surfing Magazine, he was definitely a mentor for me. Like, he taught me so much stuff in the early days. And yeah, he was so good because he doesn’t sort of pull any punches or anything. He’ll just tell you straight up. And it kind of sounds harsh at the time, but it's just the best way to learn. I remember when I was shooting, started shooting fisheye sort of stuff, you know, trying to get stuff in the barrel. And I would see them thinking it's like, you've just got to throw yourself over the falls from time to time, otherwise you're not going to get anything. And I would have never done that on my own. And then so whenever you're out swimming, you're like, "Cory said." So yeah, he's amazing. He's such an epic photographer.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, that intimacy that you have to have with... with both the wave and often the surfer you're photographing in the water as a water photographer—did that experience help you as a surfer at all?
Rambo Estrada
I don't think so. But the surfing side definitely helped the photography side, if that makes sense.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. In what way?
Rambo Estrada
So you can tell when someone tries photography and they don't surf. Just the moments that you're not—the moments you want to see, if that makes sense. So yeah, just so much of, you know, knowing yourself. You know, knowing what's appealing. I guess the main thing that I like to see when I take a photo is something that gets me stoked. And I don't think you're going to have that feeling of stoked unless you know what it's like to surf.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, I would say just looking at all of your... the photos on your website, that's exactly what you capture. Like, looking through your photos makes me want to surf because it makes me realize there are really good uncrowded waves still out there.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Intentional?
Rambo Estrada
I like to shoot what I like to shoot, but definitely I like to inspire people to get out and about. And sort of maybe go a little bit beyond their local beach. And there's so much cool stuff out there in New Zealand. I love being on a road trip, and I love meeting people on the road. So yeah, it'd be cool to inspire people to get out and about and sort of check out what else is around. I think... get comfortable with getting skunked is the main thing. So get comfortable with not finding good waves. But maybe next, you know, maybe you might learn a little something that time about, you know, this beach is no good in a Norwest swell. Or that, you know, if it's a Southeast swell, you know, might be a thing.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, that’s what puts people off. What percentage of trips or days do you... is hit and miss? Like, what’s the harsh reality on that, do you reckon?
Rambo Estrada
I don't actually shoot a ridiculous amount now. I just sit and wait. And then I have my zones that I like to go to. And then unless it looks like on paper it's going to be better than a 7 out of 10, I probably wouldn't go. And then hoping it's going to be more like a 9 to maybe a 10 out of 10. But I mean, at worst, it's probably going to be a 6. Does that make sense? Yeah. The forecasting and everything's so good now. And then I've improved a lot in working out—because I always used to look at, you know, you'd have your dot on the map and you look at the swell direction and the wind direction and that was pretty much all I'd look at. Whereas once I started looking, you know, zooming out on the map and looking at a big picture and seeing what's happening, it might be straight offshore where I want to go, but then maybe 50 Ks off the beach, it's cross-shore. So sort of once I worked that kind of stuff out, I really, yeah, I don't get skunked that often, I guess.
Michael Frampton
Are you saying that if it's cross-shore 50 km up the beach, that wind is going to affect the offshore area?
Rambo Estrada
If it's offshore where I am—say I live in Mount Maunganui—if it's offshore here but 50 Ks straight out, the direction the swell is coming from, if it's cross-shore, then it's not really going to have time to be like super lined up and perfect. It's going to—this swell is going to be a little bit wobbly. The longer I shoot, the fussier I get. So I only really like, you know, really perfect straight offshore groomed sort of waves. And I've been, yeah, I've been to Raglan many times when you think, you know, it's offshore, but the swell's a little bit wobbly. And then same here. So yeah, it's definitely looking at where the swell is coming from and what the wind's like out there. Definitely counts for a lot.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, that's a good tip. I haven't heard that one before. I like that. Because... yeah. There's not that many days where it is like that, is there? But then you seem to capture so many of them.
Rambo Estrada
I don't, it just looks like I do. But the thing is, I've been—yeah, sort of 10 to 15 years of... I actually had a look through a folder last night, and it was a folder I made for a competition from 10 years ago. And yeah, there was heaps of stuff in there, and I was like, I could post that now. Like, it's pretty good. So there's things you can pull out of the archive. So like one swell day, for example, might give you like 15 really good images. But you're only going to post one at that time. But then at a later stage, you're going to post those—you know, you might post those 14 other ones. So yeah, it's probably a little bit of smoke and mirrors of just continually putting things out. But I only really—I might only get teen good days of surf a year. But that's enough.
Michael Frampton
Okay. How many... If there's 10 good days, how many days are you skunked?
Rambo Estrada
Probably a similar amount. Yeah.
Michael Frampton
That's pretty good. 50%—that's pretty good.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah. Like, if I'm at home, like I was saying, I just don't go unless I think it's going to be, you know, really good. And then if I'm doing like a road trip—so when you get on the South Island, you're committed. So it's not like you can pick and choose. The South Island, you... So I've got a trip coming up, and it's three weeks from the end of this month. But what I do then is I'll look at the forecast. And like, I don't just like going on a trip for surf. So I'll look at the forecast and I'll be like, okay, these are going to be the good surf days. These other days I'm going to go up into the mountains, or you know, I'm going to do a hike, or maybe I'll go catch up with some friends or something like that. So try and—yeah, the worst thing, worst and best thing, the first South Island trip I ever did, I went to the bottom of the South Island and the waves were good. And I stayed there for 10 days, and then I drove home and I got like really cool surf images. But then when I got home, I was like, man, I feel like I missed out on everything else the South Island has to offer. So I feel like it's important when you're away—and that's why surf photography is like a really good balance—because it's not good all the time. So it gives you opportunities to explore these other, you know, these other epic things. I probably wouldn't go down the South Island just to take photos of mountains or just to go for a hike or whatever. But because I'm there already, yeah, it works out really nicely.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, that sense of adventure—and that's what... That's what your photography just has that sort of feel to it too. It inspires not only us—the froth within us as surfers—but the adventurer as well.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, cool.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, it definitely comes across. And it's not an easy thing to do as an artist. Because there's some photographers out there—I won't name any names—but the stuff, you just see a bunch of close-ups in all the magazines nowadays. There's no art to it. Whereas your—like your photo, your images have a... they give a feeling of adventure and stoke and, you know, it's awesome.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, I think the main thing I like to bring into my imagery is like a little bit of context. So if you see like a perfect wave, and it's just the wave on its own, it’s—yeah. It doesn't really give you a feeling of what it's like to be there. It could be in the South Island, it could be in Tahiti, it could be in Hawaii, it could be anywhere. So bringing other elements into the frame, yeah, definitely is something that's going to give you way more of a feeling of what it's actually like to be there. Or maybe, you know, a desire to go to those places or just a desire to get out there and get exploring, rather than, yeah, just a perfect wave on its own.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. How do you feel? Is it hard as a surfer—like if you're sitting there waiting for a really nice set to get a nice image—to not actually be out there surfing? That's it.
Rambo Estrada
Not really for me. Like, I used to be really obsessed with surfing. And then as sort of life went on, I sort of came to realize it's just another fun thing that you can do when you've got time. And so I probably surf more than I shoot, because I'm really fussy about what conditions I shoot in. So when it comes to the time when it is those conditions, I'm just so stoked that it's finally—you know, it's finally one of those days. And I feel like when I'm shooting, in a way I can catch every wave. Sounds kind of corny, but I can capture every wave. Whereas if I'm surfing, you know, you might only catch four or five waves—the really good ones. I'm definitely happy to be shooting when it's really good, because that's what I wait for.
Michael Frampton
I'm going to ask you about the surf culture as a whole, because I know you've done a lot of work, you know, with magazines and trips and stuff, as well as the arty stuff that you do. There's almost like two different types of surfers. There's the lifestyle type, weekend warrior, spiritual surfer. And then there's the hardcore, this-is-my-career, get-the-best-photo-of-me type of surfer. Did you find it hard to integrate with that culture?
Rambo Estrada
I actually don't really shoot that much surf action anymore. I used to when I started. I found that—for me—when you're shooting surf action, you're relying on what the surfer is doing to create a good image. And so many times, you know, I might be in a perfect spot and I've been swimming for like three hours, and then this epic one comes through and the surfer catches it, and then he does some stupid thing with his hands, you know, like throws a double shaka or something. And I'm like, man, just... just ruined everything for me. Yeah, I used to find—or there'll be other times where you'll travel with surfers and the light's going to be amazing, like first thing in the morning—everyone wants to go get a coffee or anything like that. So I found that if I just sort of eliminated the surfer out of the equation and it was more just me in the ocean, that it was a lot more satisfying. Because yeah, if something didn't come off, then I'm not going to get angry at the ocean. It's just me that let the side down, you know? So yeah, I found the more I shot, the more I liked just shooting myself. And so that's why a lot of what I put out there are sort of empty waves and lineup shots. And then occasionally, there's someone out and I'll get—you know, I'll get nice photos of a surfer—but it's more just sort of, yeah, myself and the ocean. Like, yeah.
Michael Frampton
Did you feel the pressure in those early days when you were doing that style of photography? Because for most people that want to make a career out of surfing photography, that's kind of the pathway, right? It's like you go to Hawaii during the winter and sit on the beach or go on trips with the pros and everything. But you managed to stick to your guns and you've developed an incredible style because of that. But was there a time where that pressure was like—was there a crossroads there?
Rambo Estrada
I still—every time I shoot—if you're on the beach with a big lens, everyone that's surfing, in their mind, they think you're taking photos of them. So no matter who it is out on the water, they always—and every, you know, if you're ever on the beach, someone comes in from surfing and they'll be like, "Hey mate, you getting a good shot?" And what they're actually asking is like, "Did you get a good photo of me?" So I definitely do... you do sort of feel it all the time. And then like, if someone gets a really good wave and I'm there, I'm stoked to take a photo of it. But it's not my sort of primary reason for being there. I guess as I sort of transitioned into that, there was probably disappointment. You feel people's disappointment, and it's hard not to take that on board yourself. But yeah, you've just kind of got to follow your own path. And if you can—if you can get something of someone else on the way, that's awesome. If not, then it's your path and that's what you chose.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, it sounds like that's quite a strong presence within yourself—that "I'm just going to follow what I like. I'm not going to try and be commercial or career driven necessarily." You're sort of in it for the right reasons, essentially.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, it makes me sound like I'm an adult.
Michael Frampton
Well, no, definitely. And it comes across in your photography. And it's like... and as you know, it takes years to—but now you're finally there, and you've got this incredible website and images that are... they're timeless. I mean, that type of image is going to stand the test of time. And it's funny, because you look at the magazine culture—and those are the only ones that have actually made it, right? The Surfer's Journal was the only one that's left.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, for sure.
Michael Frampton
And that's kind of like your style of photography too, in the surfing stuff at least. And I think that's what will always stand the test of time—is that type of imagery.
Rambo Estrada
I think with magazines, everything was pretty advertising-driven. And so, you know, at the peak of the surf industry, the brands had so much money to throw around. And so they were paying people, paying big dollars for advertising in magazines. But in return, the magazines felt like, "We've got to feature their logo often with their team rider." And so I think that's probably the reason why just straight-up, you know, very closely cropped surf action was what the magazines were full of. It may not have been what the people buying the magazines wanted, but it's just the way that the magazine was structured. And as soon as things like social media came around, the people themselves got to show what they actually liked. I feel like that's when people started to realize, like—most people actually like pictures of empty waves or perfect lineup shots and that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's an interesting one. And yeah, like you say, the magazines that are successful now—definitely, you know, are still around. There's like... Australia still has quite a few surf magazines. Surprising amount of surf magazines compared to the States. Yeah, like magazines like White Horses and The Surfer's Journal are more about, thank you—yeah, the culture of surfing, and yeah, and epic locations, rather than—yeah, straight-up really tight crop action shots.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. So a lot of surfers... I don't know, amateur surf photographers. Any tips for capturing those moments?
Rambo Estrada
The main thing is just patience. You have to be prepared to stand there and wait. If the waves are good enough—like if the waves are perfect, say if you were on a trip to Indonesia, where there's just room swells and perfect reef breaks—then you can easily just grab a snap quickly before you go for a surf. Yeah, somewhere like New Zealand, you've got to be quite a bit more patient because our windows are so much smaller for like really epic waves. So patience is a big one, and you kind of have to be prepared to sacrifice maybe a little bit of surf time. And if you... I feel like most surfers, if the waves are really good, they're just going to get frothed out, put their wetsuit on, and run out there, go for a surf as long as they can until maybe the waves aren't as good, then come in and then try and take a photo and be like, "It was really good, but you know, it's kind of gone." New Zealand’s a classic—it'll go onshore, right? Like it's offshore in the mornings, and then you surf. You might surf for two to three hours, and then the sea breeze comes up. So it would be a big matter of maybe just sacrificing that first sort of, you know, 10 or 15 minutes of your surf and getting something that was really cool then. And then, yeah, and at the end of the day, you're not really missing out on that much surf time, but you could capture something that was really cool.
Michael Frampton
What about gear? Let's say I had two and a half grand and I wanted to buy a decent camera that was conducive to landscape and surf photography. Any advice in that direction?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, there's so much amazing gear out there, and you really kind of have to drill down on what you wanted to focus on. So some people, they think of surf photography as standing on the beach with, like, a longer lens. And then other people think of surf photography as swimming in the water with a housing. And they're two quite separate kits, I guess. But yeah, I shoot with Sony mirrorless cameras. And they have a really good range, which is... they basically start with A6 and then have three other numerals on them. But the a6400, that's like a really good all-round camera. I actually did a—I borrowed one and I shot with it for like a month, and I was supposed to make a YouTube video about shooting with an entry-level camera, but I never got the video finished. But yeah, I found that was a really good camera just to get started with. That camera would be great. And then it would just be a matter of lenses. With lenses, you want to spend as much as you can. So yeah, if you had, say, two thousand dollars to spend on a lens and there was a lens that was two and a half, and there was a lens at fifteen hundred, it's probably better spending that little bit extra, you know, like saving for a little bit longer and getting that slightly better lens because the image quality that you'll get from a better lens is going to be so much superior. But yeah, when I first started, I used to just—I was really cheap as far as what I would spend. So I would always look for a bargain and then eventually I would outgrow that. But I think starting off low-end, and then once you find that equipment's holding you back, then upgrading can be a good option as well. But yeah, for me, I remember I shot a wedding and I had a cheaper lens. And then I took a photo of the bridal party—I had another lens I could use, but this one I had new. I'd picked it up secondhand and I was like real frothed out on it for some reason. And then when I was going through the photos later on, the groomsmen on each end of the bridal party were like super soft, out of focus, because it was a cheaper lens. And a cheaper lens, it's got a sharp in the middle and softer on the edges. So that was a pretty harsh lesson that I had outgrown that lens and I needed to upgrade.
Michael Frampton
In terms of the technicality of things... You would have started out when it was all film and light meters and stuff. And now the technology with cameras is just so incredible—you just put it on auto setting. Are you guilty of that, just using the auto setting, or are you always in control of the aperture and the shutter speed, etc.?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, so I shoot a kind of hybrid way of shooting. I shoot in aperture priority, which means I'm controlling the aperture, because the aperture is the main thing that's going to give the look and feel of your photo. For those that aren't really that photography-minded, a lower aperture, which is a larger hole in the lens letting in more light, is going to give you like a nice soft background. So if you're shooting a portrait, you'd shoot like a low aperture. And then a higher aperture is going to make everything in focus. So that can affect the look and feel of your image—not really a whole heap for like a lineup shot, because it's quite wide, so you're not really going to have like a shallow depth of field. So yeah, the way I shoot is aperture priority, and then there's a way that you can have an auto ISO. So your ISO is going up and down. And then the shutter speed, you can give it a minimum shutter speed. So I'll usually do it so the shutter speed can't drop below 1/1000, but it can go above 1/1000 if needed to. So then that way, you're pretty much controlling your shutter and you're controlling your aperture, but you're letting your ISO roam. So that means that if you're shooting like a perfect left-hander that way, and you're looking into the sun, and then a right-hander comes this way and you're with the sun, then your camera is going to adjust. And then that way you can capture everything. And it may not be 100% perfect, but there's enough leeway when you shoot a RAW photo that you can pull it up or pull it down and you're going to get it close enough. Yeah, so that's the way that I've found to shoot the most economically with your settings. And then just so you're never going to—you're basically never going to take a terrible photo if you shoot like that. Whereas if you shoot fully in manual and you shoot something that's like from bright sunlight to the shade, then that way you actually—you don't capture the photo. You've pretty much lost it.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. So, I mean, ISO was originally a rating for the fineness of the grain of film. So ISO nowadays represents the resolution of the image. Is that correct?
Rambo Estrada
No, it's how sensitive the sensor is. So it's about the sensor sensitivity. So the lower your ISO, the cleaner—the less sensitive your sensor is—but the cleaner image you're going to get. And then the higher your ISO, it means that your sensor is a lot more sensitive, but you're not going to get as clean an image. So you're just going to get... It's sort of the same as film. If you shot like a high ISO film, it's going to end up quite grainy. And that's exactly this.
Michael Frampton
Okay. Okay. So the type of camera that has the range to be able to do what you just said—prioritize and minimum shutter speed—what's the... You're on the Sony, what's the Sony that has all of those?
Rambo Estrada
Mirrorless. All of the ones, yeah. Okay. It would just be... You'd have to go back—there's a camera called the A6000, which was like Sony's first decent mirrorless camera, I reckon. And then that one doesn't do it, but that camera is probably like eight to nine years old now. Anything newer than that does. It's just—you have to hunt around. It's not something that's intuitive to find on your settings. You kind of have to have a little bit—you have to have that knowledge and know it's possible in the first place. And then you kind of got to dig around to find it. It's called an ISO minimum shutter speed. So I actually have it as a custom button, because it's something that I use a lot. So I just—I have that set up as a custom button. And if I was shooting lifestyle, I just dropped that down to 1/250 of a second, because your lifestyle is not—you know, someone's not really moving very quickly when you're taking a portrait or whatever. And then if I quickly went to action, then I'd just hit that custom button and I'd change it up to 1/1000 of a second and then, yeah, go from there. And it's good for action.
Michael Frampton
Interesting. So you'd use a similar type of setting for wedding stuff?
Rambo Estrada
That's exactly the same as how I'd shoot a wedding. But I make the minimum shutter speed 1/250 of a second for a wedding, and then 1/1000 for action. Yeah, so it's really simple. And then the other cool thing about cameras as well is they'll have an exposure compensation dial. So because you're looking through a mirrorless camera, what you see in your viewfinder is what you're going to get in your photo, because it's seeing what's on the sensor. And then—so if you're finding... What you'll find is your camera's metering is trying to make everything 50% gray. That's basically how your camera tries to meter. So in its mind, it's trying to balance everything in the frame so it's 50% gray. So if you were shooting, say, surfing, for example, and there's this massive black cliff behind the surfer, your camera's going to think, "Okay, this whole scene is very dark. I need to bring the exposure up." And so what will happen is your surfer and the wave—if they were small in the frame and there was a big cliff—your surfer and the wave are going to end up way too bright. And so that's when you have... there's like a little exposure compensation wheel and you can say, "I actually want this to be one stop darker than what you're going to measure." Tell the camera that.
Michael Frampton
Okay.
Rambo Estrada
So I'll probably get a bit deep here. So you can basically—if you're looking through the viewfinder and you're thinking, "My photo's a bit bright or a bit dark"—you just get that exposure wheel, compensation wheel, and you push it down or push it up and it just brings it up or down automatically. Yeah, it's probably a bit much. I've probably gone a bit deep.
Michael Frampton
So if you're shooting RAW, you're stuck with the exposure of that single image no matter what?
Rambo Estrada
You are, but you can push it up and down when you do your post-production. So in Lightroom, yeah, you can. You can probably go—this depends on how good your camera is—but the dynamic range of your sensor, which means how much of the light, really light information, how much of the really dark information it captures. So the better your sensor, the more dynamic range it's going to have. And so the more dynamic range you have, the more you can push your exposure up or down and rescue things that you may have ruined.
Michael Frampton
Okay, so that's why you'd buy a better camera body—to get that sort of thing?
Rambo Estrada
It might not be why you'd buy it, but it's definitely like a real bonus for sure.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. So if you've got the ISO as the variable and a minimum shutter speed, and you're controlling the aperture, and then you've got the exposure compensation you're talking about—is that something that you would do on the fly? It's like, "Quick, there's a dark cloud. I've got to flick that across to minus one or up one." Is that what you're saying?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, exactly. When you're looking through the viewfinder, you'll see, okay, this shot looks like it's going to be a bit dark. So you might just pump it up a little bit or you might bring it down a little bit, yeah. But if I was in—say, if I was going for—there's a favorite spot of mine in the South Island that has a massive dark cliff behind it. So if I was going out for a swim and I was shooting there, I would set the exposure compensation down by pretty much a whole stop even before I put the camera in the housing because I know I'm going to be shooting in that direction. I'm going to be shooting with backlift. And then when I'm on the fly and I'm shooting, I might adjust it a little bit here and there. But yeah, most of the time I'd probably just leave it at that.
Michael Frampton
And do you use autofocus?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah, so you use a continuous autofocus, which means that if you're holding your finger down—half down on the trigger—whatever is in your little focal point is going to keep adjusting so that's in focus. So if you're shooting a surfer and he's coming towards you like that, as long as you've got your finger half down and they're in your little focal point, then the focus is going to adjust as they come closer and closer.
Michael Frampton
Because you can change different meter settings, right? This is like—you want it to focus on the center of your image or take an average or whatever. Do you play around with those settings a lot?
Rambo Estrada
Not heaps. I definitely use what you call a medium spot. So it's like a medium-size point in the frame, and I'll know where that is. And so that's where I'll try and position what I'm shooting. And then if I—generally if I'm shooting, if I'm sitting in the water, then I'll... I usually have it in the middle, because you know there's a wave coming at you, it's pretty much just going to be in the middle of your frame. But if I wanted to shoot like a massive backdrop, you know, like a real big backdrop and have the wave low on the frame, then you'd move that focal point like a little bit lower on the frame. But yeah, I don't usually move it a lot. It'll just be... I've actually only just got a housing now where it's easy to move, because it's quite a hard control to have. It's like a little tiny joystick, and if you're doing that with buttons, it's quite difficult. So yeah, I'm enjoying the luxury of being able to move it around, but I'd probably only move it like three or four times a year. A swamp.
Michael Frampton
When you're in the water, what's your solution to having the water droplets in front of the lens?
Rambo Estrada
It depends on what your front element's made of. You can get—most housing companies, their front elements are made out of like a Perspex, or acrylic I guess. Perspex and acrylic, maybe they're the same thing. The housings I use are called Seafrogs. They have a glass front element. And so I actually used to, when I used to shoot with a different housing brand, I used to get the acrylic element knocked out and then get some glass cut for it and silicon that in instead, because I find that glass is going to have like a lot flatter, smoother surface. So water is going to drain off that a lot easier. And then glass is a lot more scratch-resistant. So if you get a scratch on your acrylic, then a water droplet is more likely to stick to that scratch and not sort of bead off. So when it comes to glass, I just use Rain-X, which you buy at the service station. You're supposed to buy one, yeah. So I use that. That helps the water drain off really nice and easily. Rain-X apparently isn't great for O-rings, like the seals around the edge of your port. So you don't really want to pour Rain-X on it and have it go everywhere. I just put it on a cloth and then rub it on. And so that works well. And then, yeah, you might find after a couple of hours, the Rain-X starts to wear off. And then this is a tip from my guru, Corey Scott, that he gave me back in the day: if you put your finger behind your ear like that, you'll usually have like a bit of natural body oils there, and you can rub that on your port. And then you'll find that it works similar to the Rain-X. Yeah. So that's for glass. And then for Perspex, yeah, there’s all sorts of different things people do. I used to use Turtle Wax. So what the Turtle Wax is doing is it's sort of filling any of those like real tiny little scratches and giving it a—and then it would run off.
Michael Frampton
Look at—
Rambo Estrada
But there are... So that's for what we call a flat port, which is like—I don't really shoot below a 50 mil in the water. So I shoot between a 50 mil and a 200 mil, depending on how I'm feeling and what the situation is. And so for those ones, the design—you shoot through what we call a dry port. So that means, yeah, you don't want any water on the port at all. And then if you're shooting a wide lens with a dome port—so it's like a round port that looks like a big glass mushroom—basically what you want there is, you dunk the dome and you shoot through a layer of water. So you've got a very thin layer of water and you're shooting through it. I think the idea is, with those, it's because it's such a massive surface that it's just near impossible to get so dry. And it's cut, you know, it's all round. It's like, it's not really going to sheet off like it would on a flat port. And so, with a dome port, yeah, it's designed so you shoot through a layer of water. So if a guy's shooting fisheye, you'd swim with the camera in the water. Just before the surfer gets to you, you'd pull it out, the bulk of the water comes off, a little layer sticks to it, and you might have maybe two or three seconds before that layer starts to dissolve. And then so you need to time it. And fisheye—the person needs to be really close anyway. And generally it's only like about one second where you're shooting as they whip past. To keep a layer of water on there, the most common thing people do is they spit on it or lick it. And that's pretty easy because you've got an endless supply of spit. And so you can just spit and lick. And then as you pull it out, you'll notice more water starting to stick to it. And then some people would use things like a potato or—you know, there's all sorts of—because I think it's kind of starchy. I think that helps things stick to it. But yeah, I don't really shoot—I probably shoot with a dome port maybe about once every two years. So it's not really something I'm often doing.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. Okay. And then for the land stuff, is all your stuff done with a tripod?
Rambo Estrada
No. Very little.
Michael Frampton
Really?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah. Most of my land stuff, I... I don't shoot that tight, so... I would use my go-to—I have two, well, I have three long lenses. I have a 70 to 200 mil, a 100 to 400 mil, and a 200 to 600 mil. But the 100 to 400 is what I use the most because it's the most versatile. So you're only losing 30 mil off the bottom from the 70 to 200, but you're gaining an extra 200 mil on the top. And the 200 to 600, I would usually only shoot that if I was basically on an assignment shooting surf action, where, you know, they wanted some sort of tighter cropped action shots. That's when I'd use that. But yeah, so most of my lineup shots are shot between around about 100 and 200 mil. And so it's not super tight. And I find when you've got a tripod, you're really just locked into like one, you know, one composition. If you're shooting like a reef break, which we don't really have in New Zealand—we have a couple, but not that many—so if you're shooting a reef break, the waves are breaking in the same spot every time. So then you might have a tripod, you set your composition up, you're like, "Okay, the wave's going to break there and this is all good." But most of the time at a beach break, you're just whipping around trying to find things. And I'll often be—to get elements in the frame how I want them—I'm moving a lot. So if I see a set coming 100 meters up the beach, I might take three or four steps to the right and then crouch down to get elements in the frame to line up, to include that wave, to get the backdrop how I want it, or to get like a bit of foreground. So yeah, I'm often moving a lot. And if you're shooting over 1/1000 of a second, you're not really going to get much in the way of camera shake where you need a tripod. So yeah, I'll often just be going rogue on my own. The other time where I use a tripod is if I'm shooting like a little bit of video as well. Because yeah, with video, you definitely need to have a tripod. I think if you're shooting above 1/1000 and it's sort of not a real long focal length, then you don't really need one. If you're shooting a long—say if I was shooting 600 mil at 1/1000 of a second—everything's exaggerated. So if you've got a slight movement like that on a really long lens, it's going to exaggerate that movement. So then you might get a camera shake at 1/1000 of a second. So you might—if you're shooting handheld at 600 mil—you might want to maybe go up to 1/2000 of a second just to be safe if there's enough light.
Michael Frampton
Sure. Yeah. So if you're shooting above a thousand, you don't see the need for a tripod or a monopod. Yep. And when you say handheld, is there any purposeful like, keep the camera still—like are you sitting down and putting your elbow on your knee or anything, or is it just trusting that the shutter speed?
Rambo Estrada
I'm trying to stay still. But usually you have two points of contact: you've got your hand and then your eye. So both those are keeping it a lot stiller. Some people like to shoot with the screen, but then you've only got like the—I mean, I guess you have three points of contact because you've got hand and eye, but with the screen you've only got the two, and that's, I find, quite hard. Whereas like that, it's kind of like locked in. So yeah, having your eye as another point of contact definitely helps lock it in. But I'm not really thinking about keeping super still, but I guess I'm making sure that I'm not moving. Yeah, makes sense. Yeah. So I'm not making it a priority to be like, you got to stay real still, but I'm like not running while I'm taking the photo.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, no, that's a good point, though. I think a lot of people just use the screen because of digital photography now. They don't use the eyepiece. But yeah, the eyepiece is now another point of stability. Yeah, for sure. Is there any other reason why you would use the eyepiece as well?
Rambo Estrada
The screen—it's quite hard to see exactly what your exposure is like when there's sun on it. So yeah, when you're looking through the eyepiece, all the other light's blocked out. So it's just your eye on the eyepiece, and then that way you're getting like a really good representation of what your exposure is going to look like. And yeah, you can see so much easier as well, like all the other settings on the screen. So you can see your aperture, your ISO, your shutter speed, where your focal point is. I find you can just see everything so much easier on the screen.
Michael Frampton
Do you shoot with both eyes open?
Rambo Estrada
And I've got like—this eye's like real wrinkly. This is the one that's like that. I'm not lying, it's so much more wrinkly than the front. Yeah. So... Yeah. If I see a photo of myself, I'm like—I’m kind of like that. I really scrunch it to make sure that nothing gets in there. So, yeah. I have like kept it open like—so from your periphery you can see if there's something else going on down the beach. I've got like a slight crazy eye, like where one eye goes in a slight other direction, but I tell people that's because I'm evolutionarily superior as a photographer—that I can look at multiple next steps. I'm not too sure where that one came from.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, because I mean, I used to shoot surfing a lot and I would often try and keep an eye on what's happening with one eye and then focus on the eyepiece with the other eye.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah.
Michael Frampton
It was a bit—it often makes you feel like a bit nauseous and... Yeah, cool.
Rambo Estrada
That's what she thought. Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Well, thanks for all those tips. It's—no, it's good.
Rambo Estrada
Cool. It's probably better. I have a lot—I'm getting started on that. This stuff I'll nerd out for sure.
Michael Frampton
I know, it's good. I'm interested in it, and I'm sure other people are too. I think there's a lot of people that are interested in photography nowadays. So yeah. That's all. There's some good tips.
Rambo Estrada
One thing, as far as like if someone is looking for knowledge on photography—there's one thing I would advise: reading their camera manual from start to finish. Because it's easy to get a new camera and just fall into the trap of, "I need to just work out the things that I want to do." And then when you work those things that you want to do out, you don't want to learn anymore. But I feel like when you know everything your camera can do, then there's some—that opens up so much more as far as your technical knowledge goes. So there may be things that your camera can do that you haven't thought of, and you haven't thought to look up. And that can be a massive help too. So that auto ISO feature, for example—the way that I shoot there—that was something I learned from reading a camera manual. And then I was like, "Whoa, this could change—totally change—the whole way I shoot." Yeah, that's such a really good way of gaining knowledge and being comfortable with your experience level of skill, I guess.
Michael Frampton
Do you miss film?
Rambo Estrada
No, I actually didn't really shoot very much film. I pretty much came into photography just at the start of digital photography. So I... I had a film camera that I just sort of found after I'd been shooting surf video. I found a film camera kicking around at home—I think it was a girlfriend's one from like photography class at school—and I messed around with that a lot and I learned the basics of the exposure triangle and that kind of stuff. But as soon as digital photography came in, I was like, "Yeah, film's dear to me." Like, it's... So... I don't really miss it at all. But my partner—she loves film. And I've bought many film cameras and many film lenses recently for her, for like Christmases and birthdays. She has like, yeah, full—she actually has like one of the last high-end SLR Canon SLRs. It was a professional film camera body. And she has like a big lens and stuff that she uses for surfing. So yeah, I'm still around it a lot. But yeah, I... I sort of strive—I always, I get a kick out of getting the most technically perfect image that I can. So I find that's quite satisfying. So if I looked at a photo and—because you can see the metadata, which tells you what all your settings were—so if I was reviewing a photo and I was like, "I shot this photo at 2,500th of a second," I feel like I've failed. Because if I shot it at a thousandth of a second, then I could have halved my ISO and had like a little bit cleaner image. So you'd never be able to tell the difference. But yeah, if you're looking at the photo, even in a magazine, you might not be able to tell the difference. But for me, like I just get a real kick out of having it as technically perfect as I can. And so... So it's highly unlikely that I'm one of those photographers that's going to go back to film, because yeah, I'm always looking forward to what's going to give me something that's going to be technically superior.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, and it shows in your photography—that very technical, like picture-perfect. No pun intended. But what about that—because I found, when I started in film and then went to digital, the first thing I noticed is like, man, I just take way too many photos now. Because each photo used to literally cost you money when it was film. So you were very selective with pushing the shutter.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Do you find as you grow as a photographer, you take less and less?
Rambo Estrada
Uhhhh... I take a lot of photos. Yeah, I take a lot. And I have a really fast culling program called Photo Mechanic. It has a way where it reads—so when you shoot a RAW photo, within that RAW there's a small JPEG embedded into the RAW, and that JPEG is what you're viewing on the back of the camera. So that’s its reason. So when you look at your photos on the back of your camera, you're not actually looking at a RAW file. You're looking at a very small JPEG. And so this application called Photo Mechanic, when you sort through, it actually shows you the JPEG—it doesn't show you the RAW. So it shows you the embedded JPEG, so you can go through really quick. So I just have one finger on the arrow, and then I have another finger on like the number two, 'cause that's comfortable for me on the keyboard. And when I see a photo I like, I just hit number two. I literally go this fast—like I'm going that fast. I'm like, "Yeah, that one's pretty good. Wang." And then I only— I cull. It usually will cull off the card. So I put the card in my computer, then I bring out Photo Mechanic, and then I make my selects up there, and then I only import in the ones that I like. So that way, I might shoot 2,000 photos, and I might import 20.
Michael Frampton
Okay. So let me get this straight—you’re culling from the card itself via the JPEG, so it’s fast. And then when you download the RAW, you’ve already done your culling already?
Rambo Estrada
Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, that's life-changing. That makes sense.
Rambo Estrada
Yeah. It doesn't take that long for me to sort photos. And it's quite exciting for me sorting through the photos. You know, it's fun. So it's not like it's a chore. So yeah, I don't really hold back on shooting because so many times, you'll decide not to shoot and you'll look, and then a lean wave will just be breaking and then it'll flare up into this huge tube from a little bit of backwash hitting or something. So you can't—I spend so much, I put so much energy into being at these places. So I might be down the bottom of the South Island, so the last thing I want to do is miss a moment, I guess. So yeah, I'm not shy to have a maybe trigger finger.
Michael Frampton
Cool. No, that makes sense. That program sounds life-changing. Do you cull on the fly at all? Do you like scan back and delete? Or would you just do it all in post?
Rambo Estrada
On the—like on the camera? Yeah. Nah, like I... The act of deleting on the camera—because you have to confirm it. You know, like the camera doesn't want you to accidentally. So it's like a three-stage sort of process thing to delete off the camera. So that's just so time-consuming that I know it's going to be way quicker for me to just do it on the computer later on. Yeah, I think the difference between—because I shoot quite a few weddings as well. Weddings, you're used to culling massive amounts of images like every Saturday and Sunday. You know, like after you’ve shot a Friday and a Saturday wedding, you're used to culling through like 8,000 images or something. So yeah, surf stuff feels easy.
Michael Frampton
Okay, well, tell us—let us know your website.
Rambo Estrada
It’s estradasurfing.co.nz. All right, it's my—so where all my surf image stuff lives, yeah. But basically, if you search for “Rambo” and “photography,” the first thing that comes up is a meme of like Sylvester Stallone as Rambo with—someone's like Photoshopped a camera and he's taking a photo of a butterfly. And then pretty much everything after that is usually me. So I'm pretty easy to find. All—got to beat that meme one day.
Michael Frampton
Right. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, and what about Instagram?
Rambo Estrada
Rambo Estrada. Yeah, @ramboestrada.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. Cool. I urge listeners to go and check out the Instagram and the website. The images are incredible. There's loads of awesome—if you're looking for something to hang on the wall, I mean, it's right there. Your images are incredible, so I encourage listeners to go and check that out. I will put links in the show notes to that website and that Instagram handle as well, and we'll share some of your images when we release this as well.
Rambo Estrada
Get people in—appreciate that.
Michael Frampton
Well, thank you for taking the time today. Really cool.
Rambo Estrada
Easy.
Michael Frampton
Thanks, man.
Rambo Estrada
All right. Take it easy.
89 Rambo Estrada - Surf Photographer
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