Surf Photography in Siargao

Most people surf the best waves of their lives in Siargao and fly home with nothing to show for it but a story. A photographer on the beach or a drone overhead fixes that. We shoot surf sessions two ways: with a long telephoto lens from the shore, the boardwalk or a boat, and with a drone from above. Both work for any level, from a first wave in a lesson to a barrel at Cloud 9.

Long lens or drone?

The long lens gets close. From the beach, the Cloud 9 boardwalk or a banca in the channel, a telephoto lens fills the frame with you: your face, your stance, the spray off the top. It works in most conditions, including wind, and it is the better choice if you want to see your technique, because every frame shows exactly what your body is doing.

The drone shows the place. From above, the reef glows through the water and the whole wave fits in the frame, with you as the small figure drawing a line across it. It needs light wind, good light and room to fly away from the crowd, so drone sessions depend more on the day.

Book both for the same session and you get the close-ups and the wide shots together.

How a session works

1. Tell us your dates and level. Message us on WhatsApp with when you are here, where you want to surf and what you ride.
2. We pick the spot and the time. The night before, we check the tide, the swell and the wind and suggest where and when to shoot. For the drone, we also check that the wind will let us fly.
3. You surf, we shoot. Wear a bright rash guard and tell us the colour, so the photographer can follow you in a crowded lineup.
4. You get the photos. We go through the session, pick and edit your best waves and send you a download link.

Drone rules

We fly by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) rules for recreational drones: in daylight, within the pilot's line of sight, below 400 ft, at a safe distance from people who are not part of the shoot and never over a crowd. Some spots close to drones during contests and events, and on those days we shoot with the long lens instead.

When the light is best

• Early morning and late afternoon for the long lens. The low sun gives warm light and the wind is usually lighter.
• Mid-morning to early afternoon for the drone. With the sun high, the light goes straight through the water and the reef shows up in that famous turquoise.
• Mid to high tide at the General Luna reefs, which is when most of them work anyway. Our surf spots guide has the details.

Photos with lessons and guiding

A photo session fits on top of anything else you book with us. Add it to a beginner lesson to get your first wave on camera, or to surf guiding to see how you look on the boat breaks. We also rent boards if you want something that looks good in the photos.