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. My camera mast remains the same as described a couple years ago in this blog. A reversed Gitzo monopod is mounted on My Sticky Pod platform with three suction cups. I am using a toy table tripod at the top end of monopod as a tripod mount for a camera. I used plastic ties and gaffer tape there, so no permanent modifications or damages to my carbon fiber monopod were made.

The pictures come from a recent paddling on Beaver Pond (Arapaho Bend Natural Area, Fort Collins) with JKK Supernova sea kayak. The camera mast was set up on a back deck of the kayak. I cannot mount the sticky pod platform on the steep front deck with a center ridge. I would have to figure out some more creative approach. I mounted the GoPro Hero with a single suction cup in my recent paddling with this kayak.

GoPro LCD Bacpac, a detachable LCD screen is really helpful in setting up the camera and reviewing shots.

The camera was setup on a fully extended mast, i.e., about 60″ (152cm) above the deck. The stability of Supernova was not really affected. It was a different story with a more tippy Thunderbolt kayak. I wish I could place my DSLR camera, Canon 5D, that high in a kayak.

I just started my 2011/12 cold season of paddling on the South Platte River. On October 14 I took the Thunderbolt kayak for upstream/downstream paddling workout starting at Kersey. I did a little bit more than 3 miles up river just passing the confluence with the Poudre River. It was a beautiful summer weather and the river had a good flow > 700 cfs.

I was testing my new GoPro HD Hero camera. I didn’t shoot video, but I started from my favorite interval mode taking still pictures every 60 seconds. I did a lot of this kind of shooting with my Pentax Optio cameras. GoPro Hero was mounted with a suction cup from Sticky Pod on the front deck of my kayak. A detachable LCD screen makes it much easier to position the camera and play back there results of your shooting. I will be reviewing features of the GoPro camera and different mountain options, especially, the GoPro Hero suction cup mount with my own based on Sticky Pod product.

The pictures turned to be pretty good. Of course, the pictures shot in full sun were in general too contrasty. For this post I choose pictures shot in a partial shadow or after sunset. The initial shot under the bridge, not particularly scenic spot, is quite interesting. The concrete bridge structure acted as a huge reflector. Well, it’s all about light.

My September paddling near Fort Collins in northern Colorado: three lakes and three different boats. All pictures were shot with paddling camera on duty – Pentax Optio W30.

I am a couple version behind the newest Optio models, but my W30 is still working perfectly. It’s always tethered to my life jacket, so I cannot lose it. I wonder if somebody has experience with the newer waterproof cameras from Pentax Optio W90 and Optio WG-1 Adventure Series, and, especially, with the waterproof infrared remote control. It looks interesting and is quit cheap (~$20).

Related posts:
Paddling Gross Reservoir near Boulder, Colorado
9 Pictures from Paddling Gross Reservoir in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains
Early Morning Paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir
Pentax Optio, Sisson Nucleus Kayak and 3 Pictures from My Paddling Pond

Last Sunday, when returning from the Colorado River Race in Glenwood Canyon, I drove over the Loveland Pass to avoid delays in the Eisenhower Tunnel. It didn’t help much. I was still stuck in a traffic below the tunnel. However, I enjoyed a few stops at highway 6 at and below the Loveland Pass. It was foggy, cloudy and mysterious. Time to time I could see the slow traffic on the Interstate 25 below.

This year, I paddled my Sea Wind Canoe in the Colorado River Race. I got a really good workout there. The race was dominated by SUPs (stand-up paddlers). You can find some pictures from the race and more commentary on the Fitness Paddling blog.

Related posts:
Colorado River 2011 Race Dominated by SUPs (Stand-Up Paddlers)
Slide show: Colorado River Race
10 Mile River Race in 60 Seconds – Thunderbolt Kayak in the Glenwood Canyon

Sunday morning, August 7, 2011. A loop around Boyd Lake – 9 miles in 2:15 hours in Sea Wind canoe.

It was my first paddling on the Boyd Lake this year. The lake is very full like many other reservoirs in Colorado. I launched the Sea Wind canoe at northern end of the park road – just a few steps across a bike trail at current water level on a sandy beach.

I paddled around the lake with a short stop for photography at the SE lake corner near the dam. There is a nice view of Loveland and Longs Peak from that spot. And, it seems that I am attracted to that concrete dam structure. A nice pattern of concrete elements. You can compare three pictures below with the pictures I shot at the same location 2 years ago, but from the shore.

Pictures were shot with my DSLR camera, Canon D5 M2 and EF 24-105 mm lens with a polarizer. Sea Wind canoe is a very stable platform for photography. So, for a easy paddling like today, I carry my Canon camera in Seattle Sport mini duffel. I don’t see that product in their catalog any more. I wouldn’t consider it waterproof, just splash proof. However, it offers an easy access to the camera even with a long lens attached. There is a room for an extra lens and/or flash or other accessories.

Related posts and resources:
Boyd Lake State Park
160 Lakes and Reservoirs of Colorado