Maria Enfondo

Hi! My name is Maria Enfondo and I am an extreme sports and lifestyle photographer traveling around the world chasing my two passions – kitesurfing and kite photography. In kitesurfing (as in any other extreme sport, I guess) it is important to capture the right moment from the right angle. Yes, sometimes it can be challenging to stand in the water or on the beach or on the rocks facing wind gusts, but you have to brave the elements, discipline yourself and work with what you have. It is up to you what camera body you get, anything with continuos shooting and a fast shutter speed will work for you. When it comes to lenses, get one with an image stabilizer it will help you out, as it will reduce potential camera shake and blur. No one likes to discover that your best shot is blurred or out of focus and there is only so much you can fix in the post-processing.

During most of my kite shots I use my favourite Nikkor 70-200VRII lens, I try to handle it with care and use it technically as correct as possible. With this lens I get shots that I really like. For some of the close-ups with a "presence effect" I use my wide angle Tokina 11-16. Since it is a wide-angle and entails that you’ll be in close proximity to your subject and so have a high chance of getting your lens and camera wet (water + camera/lens = broken gear) I suggest two things to minimize the chances. First, you need a water housing — I use a simple one as I don't swim with camera in the water. Second, for sure it is best to work with a rider who knows how to jump without landing the board on your head :) Photography is about experimenting and trying out new things. We hope this article will give you courage to venture out and attempt extreme sports photography, be it shooting your friends snowboarding or hitting up a local skateboard park. Just remember to be mindful, careful, prepared (gear-wise and remember to bring sun block or a wetsuit if you’ll need it), have your settings on continuous shooting, higher aperture and just have fun!