pictures, video, stories, reviews, tips & gear for paddling photography
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The annual spring kickoff paddling trip on the South Platte River took place this year with two weeks delay on April 6, 2013, due to a winter weather. Typically, this trip is organized on the third Saturday of March. It starts in Evans Riverside Park and goes 9 miles downriver to Kersey or 14 miles to Kuner wuth a lunch break at the second dam portage. Several Colorado paddling clubs participate (Rocky Mountain Canoe Club, Poudre Paddlers Club, Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, High Country River Rafters, and Colorado White Water Association), but no membership is required to paddle.
We had a good weather this year with some signs of spring, but pretty low water, ~550 cfs at Kersey. I took the pictures above with my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera. They can be licensed for editorial use from my stock photography portfolio
This year I paddled Badfish inflatable SUP in a longer version of this trip to Kuner. It was not a first time of this paddleboard on the South Platte since I started my SUP season in early February this year with upstream and downstream paddling at Kersey.
I had a nice paddling with some problems on several shallow spots. I paddled a couple of miles without the center 10″ fin, but tracking of Badfish was pretty bad. I will try a shorter fin in my next paddling.
Related posts:
Opening 2013 Paddling Season with Badfish SUP on the South Platte River
SUP on the South Platte River – Opening Winter Paddling Season
South Platte River below Denver, Colorado – GPS/photo river guide. Links to flow data.
Shot with GoPro Hero camera mounted on a front deck of JKK Supernova kayak
A bird’s-eye view? Well, it’s more like a low flying goose perspective. I am testing GoPro HD Hero camera mounted on a telescoping mast a few feet above kayak deck.
I just got a fisheye lens for my Canon 5D/II: Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye.
Like most paddlers I have a tendency to shoot pictures in a horizontal (landscape) format. It is more tricky to shoot in a vertical format from my tippy kayaks, especially, when I have to use a paddle to stabilize my camera.
10 years ago: paddling outrigger canoe, Surfrigger, on Horsetooth and Boyd Lakes in northern Colorado, winter and summer.
Surfrigger (24′x13.5″, ~28lb) built by John Diller from Savage River Works arrived to Fort Collins in the very end of January 2003. This solo outrigger canoe designed by Kris Kjeldsen, a New Zealand designer and has won many races in that area and in the west coast. A very light and stiff carbon/kevlar lay-up, rudder, the small volume cockpit with sprayskirt, two small hatches allow me to do some light overnight paddling.
I’ve been paddling Surfrigger on local waters in Colorado including Horsetooth Reservoir, Boyd Lake, Gross Reservoir and Lake Pueblo. I also paddled her during 2003 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge in Florida and 2009 Missouri River 340 Race.
Surfrigger is an interesting platform for photography and videomaking providing a variety of shooting angles.
Related posts:
Bent Shaft Paddle and Racing Outrigger Canoe
Surfrigger Canoe on the Boyd Lake
Crocks or Everything Turns Green in Springtime
Photo Impressions on Surfrigger, My Outrigger Canoe
8 years ago, end of March, 2005 …
Sea Wind canoe was featuring in a movie clip from paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir in a winter scenery.
I launched from Lory State Park at North Eltuck Cove and paddled south to Orchard Cove and back. Launching was fun since I didn’t have to carry the boat to the water. Water Abstracts come from the same paddling trip.
I am reviewing my old forgotten paddling video clips and posting them to my YouTube channel. Here is one from March of 2007. First paddling that season with Thunderbolt-X kayak on Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area. I was just playing in a small area of free water and pushing the kayak through a soft ice.
I bought Thunderbolt designed and built by Doug Bushnell from West Side Boat Shop in December of 2006.
Compact waterproof digital cameras like Pentax Optio W-series or Olympus Tough series are popular among paddlers. They may not offer the highest image quality among point-and-shoot cameras, but they still produce decent pictures. Most importantly, you can photograph in conditions where other cameras are better kept in a dry case or box.
However, new camera owners are often getting pretty bad, blurry pictures and are really disappointed with a purchase. Shooting on water from a kayak or canoe requires some extra efforts and practice from a paddling photographer. Here are a few tips which may help. This is an update of my old post written 5 years ago. Cameras are getting better, but, I believe, the tips below are still valid. I have been using Pentax Optio waterproof cameras starting from the original model WP, then W10, W30, and, currently, WG2 is attached to my life jacket.
In April of 2005 I bought my first digital waterproof camera – Pentax Optio WP. It was pretty unique little camera at that time which really changed my paddling photography and blogging. Since then, I have upgraded through several models of Pentax Optio as seen on the picture above.
Currently, I am using Pentax Optio WG-2. You can already buy a newer version, Pentax Optio WG-3, and several other similar waterproof cameras from other manufactures. Pentax Optio, whatever version, stays always attached to my life jacket and ready to use.
Here is what I wrote 8 years ago …
royalty free pictures
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