How to Photograph Breaching Humpback Whales

My top 6 tips for photographing breaching humpback whales

The East Coast of Australia experiences its annual humpback whale migration between the months of June and November. Every year photographers pack a bag with their best telephoto lens and head offshore with hopes of photographing these giant animals. Humpbacks are renowned for the many different behaviours they commonly display ranging from pec and tail slapping to head lunging and maybe even a spy hop or 2. However, as exciting as each of these behaviours are, nothing compares to witnessing these 30 tonne animals breach from the ocean’s surface!

Capturing the perfect humpback whale breach shot is not always easy and involves an understanding of your camera and equipment as well as excellent timing and lots of patience. If you aspire to add some acrobatic humpback whale images to your portfolio, in this article I highlight my top 5 tips to ensure you’re ready to capture those few perfect frames.

1. BRING THE RIGHT LENS

The importance of working with the most appropriate camera lens cannot be overstated. If, like me, you’re all about filling the frame and capturing details, textures and water displacement, you will require a telephoto lens with sufficient reach.

All of my best breach shots have been photographed with a focal length between 100 and 300mm. Shooting any closer than 300mm can begin to introduce too much camera shake while on a moving boat and also becomes very difficult to hold after an hour or so, while shooting with a lens wider than 100mm struggles to provide enough reach for those exciting close-ups.

I recommend either a 100-400mm or 70-200mm. Both of these lenses provide a perfect focal range to ensure you’re ready for just about anything.

2. AUTOFOCUS IS KEY

Humpback whales are very active animals and therefore best photographed using your camera’s autofocus system; specifically, using the continuous autofocus mode. If you’re shooting with a modern mirrorless system, you will have a few different focus settings to choose from ranging from animal detection and 3D tracking to being able to adjust the specific size of your focus area.

Choosing your focus settings will depend primarily on your camera’s capabilities as well as your own preferences, however, I recommend selecting a large focus area and prefer to remain in full control of where I position the focus point when composing as opposed to relying on auto tracking modes. Because it’s difficult to know exactly where the whale will breach, it helps to place the focus point first relative to the surrounding environment and move the camera as needed to capture the whale inside that area when the moment presents.

3. CONTINUOUS SHOOTING

Use your camera's continuous shooting mode! This is very important and will significantly enhance your chances of achieving that one perfect photo. A humpback’s breach may only last a total of 2 to 3 seconds but within that short period of time are potentially 10 to 20 amazing images. A camera capable of firing at 10 frames per second or faster is optimal, but even 7 or 5 frames per second is more than enough to achieve fantastic results.

4. PRIORITISE SHUTTER SPEED

When it comes to camera settings, it’s best to prioritise shutter speed. Not only will the whale be moving very fast, but you will also be rocking on the boat and relying on a steady hand to minimise camera shake is not enough. A shutter speed between 1/2000 and 1/4000 will quite easily freeze the whale's motion; where you sit within this range will depend primarily on the amount of natural light available.

With regards to aperture, a f-stop between f5 and f8 is a good starting point to achieve sufficient focus of the entire whale and surrounding water displacement. It may be tempting to open the aperture and rely on lower f-stops to enhance exposure, but this can result in parts of the whale being soft or blurred due to the shallow depth of field.

Finally, balance exposure with ISO. Your ISO will vary depending on the amount of natural light available as well as your chosen shutter speed and aperture. Keeping your ISO as low as possible between 100 and 1000 will produce the highest image quality, however, depending on your camera’s capabilities, you may be able to push this a little higher to allow for a faster shutter speed or a little more depth of field, particularly during days with low natural light. Remember to test your settings in between whale encounters; other boats in the area can be very helpful to ensure you have everything dialled in before the next breach.

5. GET COMFORTABLE

Photographing humpback whales requires a lot of focus, patience and believe it or not, endurance. Holding a large telephoto lens at chest-level anticipating the next breach quickly becomes challenging and I promise the moment you decide to take a break, those whales will launch from the sea in spectacular fashion! Aim to be one of the first on board and find a comfortable position to set up for the day. Once settled, remain focused and above all stay ready!

6. LOW VESSEL, GREAT SHOTS!

Last but not least, choose your whale watching vessel carefully. The best boats to shoot from are those that allow you to get close to the surface of the water. While the larger vessels may appear more comfortable, a smaller boat capable of holding no more than 10 guests will not only provide a more intimate experience but also allow for drastically improved perspectives!

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