November 12, 2011. A very windy afternoon on Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area in Fort Collins. There were wind gusts up to 50 mph. I paddled JKK Supernova sea kayak and Rob Bean his Sawyer Loon canoe. Most of the time were hugging the west shore to get some protection from the wind.

All pictures were shot with GoPro HD Hero camera set in an interval mode (a still picture every 30s). The camera was mounted on a telescoping mast and Sticky Pod suction cups nn the stern deck of my kayak. The mast was extended to about 50″ above the deck. The camera was looking forward first, then I turn it 180 degrees to look back. Unfortunately, the camera was collecting some water splashes due to high wind.

Related posts:
A Bird’s-Eye View of Kayaking with GoPro Hero Camera
First Snow Paddling with JKK Multisport Supernova Kayak
3 Kayaks: JKK Supernova, WSBS Thunderbolt-X and Sisson Nucleus 100
South Platte River with GoPro Hero HD Camera and Thunderbolt Kayak

I am trying to shoot some paddling oriented pictures in my home studio. Here is the recent composition: two Watershed waterproof duffels with a wooden canoe paddle and a hat. I am going to take it set up outdoors and add a river.

Waterproof duffels

I bought these two Watershed Yukon duffles for the 1994 Watertribe Everglades Challenge , and used them also in the 2006 Ultimate Florida Challenge, two Missouri River 340 races and numerous overnight trips. They fit very tightly side by side in a cockpit of my Sea Wind canoe behind a seat and serve three purposes:
1. my main cargo storage with an easy access
2. extra flotation
3. a “bed” to lay down back to rest or take a nap on water or land

After years of use and abuse they are still in a good shape, waterproof and airtight.The only drawback, especially for racing: a long seal is somewhat time consuming to close. Watershed has several models in different sizes.

Hat

This is my cold season head cover. I like it especially for paddling a kayak with a wing paddle which splashes a lot of water onto paddler’s head.

Paddle

I paddle my canoes with Zaveral racing paddles. They are great for paddling, but not so great for photography. The nice wooden Bending Branches Cruiser paddle above travels with me only as a spare in the Sea Wind canoe and appears in action mostly for photography like here on the South Platte. It is much more photogenic than black carbon fiber.

March 16, 2010. My lake paddling season in Colorado is opened!

I took Sea Wind Canoe for a short paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir. I started at Satanka Cove next to the dam and managed to go to the South Eltuck Cove. Ice was melting along shores creating a narrow channel of free water. However, wind was shifting ice and some passages were closed making necessary to drag or push my boat over ice.

All the way I stayed next to the shore, so my round trip got pretty long – 6 miles. Ice canoe racing was coming to my mind. Now, I need a little bit of snow to enhance my pictures.

Related posts:
Paddling and Photographing the Horsetooth Reservoir in Northern Colorado
Cost of Paddling – Access to Local, County, State and Federal Waters
Paddling Horsetooth Reservoir in Winter Scenery
Sea Wind on the Horsetooth Reservoir – Colorado Winter Paddling Video
Launching Thunderbolt Kayak on Horsetooth Reservoir from Lory State Park
Ice Canoe Racing across St Lawrence River in Quebec City

After producing 4 parts of TITS (This is the Sea 1, 2, 3, 4) series devoted to sea kayaking, Justine Curgenven delivers This is canoeing.

“THIS IS CANOEING” is a 2-disc celebration of canoeing, showcasing top single-blade paddlers in their pursuit of remote wilderness journeys or challenging white water. Multi-award winning film maker, Justine Curgenven captures the essence of canoeing in 12 short films. From open canoe slalom races to 1,000 mile birchbark expeditions, Justine provides insights into the diversity of the sport and the influential people who tell it’s story. Immerse yourself in this globe-trotting 3 hours of adventure to world class canoeing destinations in Canada, the United States, Scotland & Wales.

I just ordered my copy from Amazon.

One of the first on-line reviews comes from Simon Willis:

Despite the title, this DVD is not about canoeing, it’s about canoeists, the people who canoe.

A major part of Justine Curgenven’s documentary-making skill has been to find the right characters and these chosen individuals are relaxed, quirky, interesting and utterly captivated by their chosen sport.

It’s obvious Justine likes them and they both like and trust her. The results are quality documentary making.

In November 2007 I started to sell my pictures through microstock agencies. In addition to a waterproof Pentax Optio W30 camera I often carry my DSLR camera, Canon EOS D40, with a tripod for paddling trips. It is a little bit tricky in the case of a low volume racing kayak like my Thunderbolt-X. Most often, I just pack a camera with a tripod and shoot from land. I am also trying to mount my camera on a kayak deck with the sticky pod.

Here are examples of my stock paddling photography from Kayak and canoe collection at Dreamstime, one of my microstock agencies.

My paddling pictures do not sell so well on microstock, at least, in comparison to my table studio production which actually brings me some money. However, is so much more fun to shoot outdoors, so I will keep paddling with a camera.

I am describing my experience with microstock photography including monthly earnings reports in Pixels Away microstock blog.

Canon EOS 40D Camera on the Bow of a Racing Kayak
WSBS Thunderbolt-X Kayak on the Lonetree Reservoir
My microstock referral links for photographers:
Dreamstime, ShutterStock, BigStockPhoto, 123RF, FeaturePics, Panthermedia, CanStockPhoto

Three pictures from an evening paddle workout – Surfrigger canoe on the Lonetree Reservoir near Loveland, CO. The lake is still full, you can still paddle among submerged cottonwood trees or sneak into a supply ditch. You will see a lot fishing boats and fishermen on shores, but it is quiet. Of course, it is nice place to watch or photograph sunsets over mountains, especially, now when thunderstorms are moving around.

I was testing my new “high visibility” crocks in Surfrigger. They worked, but I prefer my regular water shoes which give a little bit more room to move my feet around in a tight cockpit. The Surfrigger hull is the narrowest (15′) in my paddling fleet.

This is my second pair of crocs. I’ve been using these clogs in Sea Wind canoe (2008 MR340 race) and, even, in Thunderbolt-X kayak.

Other picture posts from the Lonetree Reservoir:
Paddling through Forest and Irrigation Ditches
A Peaceful Sunset after a Heavy Gun Fire on the Lonetree Reservoir
5 Pictures in 1: HDR Image of Sea Wind Canoe and Colorado Sunset
Sunset Is Not Always Spectacular over the Front Range of Rocky Mountains
3 Pictures from Sunset Paddling in Northern Colorado

Two pictures of Surfrigger, my outrigger canoe …

It turned out to be sort of a still life study with my paddle resting on a canoe bow. It was calm without any wind, but I still had troubles to keep that long (24′) and light boat still on water for photography.