paddling with a camera

Category: pictures

  • Starting 2021 Paddling Season with Kruger Canoe in Colorado

    Starting 2021 Paddling Season with Kruger Canoe in Colorado

    Sea Wind Kruger expedition canoe on Horsetooth Reservoir

    New Year Day afternoon. I started the 2021 paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir with Sea Wind, my expedition canoe. No drysuit or wetsuit needed, but loading this boat on Toyota 4Runner and carrying to water was a good crossfit training in comparison to paddleboards. It wasn’t a long trip, just 6 miles with a longer break for photography.

    This boat is almost 20 years old. I bought my Sea Wind, #127,  from Verlen Kruger in Michigan in 2001. Actually, it was the first canoe built by Mark Przedwojewski aka ManitouCruiser, then the new owner of Kruger Canoes. It’s all history now …

    canoe paddler overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir

    Horsetooth Reservoir is pretty low at 46% of its capacity. Last winter is was almost full. A very different scenery and paddling conditions. Water temperature is still 49F and no ice cover. See: current Horsetooth Reservoir conditions.

    Satanka Cove at northern end of the lake is the best place to start paddling. I usually launch my boats just next to the Horsetooth Dam. It is steep, but the shortest walk to the water from a parking lot. At low water level, the boat ramp (closed) at Satanka Cove is very long. You can also launch from Lory State Park at Soldier or Eltuck Cove, but again it’s a very long walk under current conditions.

    It looks like during last few years I was able to paddle Horsetooth Reservoir almost all winters. The effect of a global warming? I remember that 10-20 years ago I was doing most of my winter paddling and training on the South Platte River with an occasional trip to Lake Pueblo.

    Related posts:

    Winter Stand Up Paddling on Horsetooth Reservoir
    Do you need a hot tea for your winter paddling?
    South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP
  • Horizontal or/and Vertical Format in Kayak Photography

    Horizontal or/and Vertical Format in Kayak Photography

    This article was originally posted in May of 2009. Horizontal pictures usually work better on websites and on most of social media. There are exceptions, like Instagram where is better to post square or vertical images. Well, if you are shooting for a magazine cover is a different story.

    There are a lot of books on composition in photography and the art of seeing. My favorites include books by Michael Freeman, Art Wolfe and Freeman Patterson.

    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.

    Some subjects simply require the vertical (portrait) format. Sometimes the choice is not so obvious. Of course, the best solution is to shoot several pictures in both formats.

    I posted below a few couples of pictures shot from the same spot in both vertical and horizontal formats. In all situations the traditional horizontal format work pretty well. However, the vertical framing allows me to show better an interesting sky or something dramatic in a foreground. Older pictures (2007) were shot with Pentax Optio W10, while newer (2009) with Optio W30 camera.

    Horizontal or vertical? Which image version do you prefer in each case?

    Sunset over the South Platte River Sunset over the South Platte River

    Sunset over the South Platte River at Wildcat Mound
    below confluence with the St Vrain Creek. June 2007.

     

    Horsetooth Reservoir sunset Horsetooth Reservoir sunset

    Sunset over the Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins shot from Thunderbolt-x kayak. June 2007.

     

    Lonetree Reservoir Lonetree Reservoir

    Calm evening with Sea Wind canoe on the Lonetree Reservoir near Loveland. May 2009.

     

    Lonetree Reservoir Lonetree Reservoir, Colorado

    The same location as above, but shot blind from over my head. I would prefer to place a horizon lower or higher in the vertical picture. The horizon exactly in the middle of the frame may work better in a more static horizontal composition. May 2009.

     

    wildwater racing kayak wildwater racing kayak

    Jeremy Rodgers in a wildwater racing kayak below the Plumb Ditch Dam on the South Platte River. March 2009.

     

  • Fit2Paddle Paddling Photography on Instagram

    Fit2Paddle Paddling Photography on Instagram

    Every day I am posting pictures on Instagram. My Instagram feed is dominated by paddling, especially, SUP, but also includes images from other outdoor activities: mountain biking, hiking, inline skating and drone flying. Recent pictures were shot mostly with Sony cameras: A6000, A7R2, A7R3, some with waterproof Olympus Stylus and all aerials with DJI Phantom 4 pro drone. My Canon 5D Mark 3 camera stays in the home studio these days.

    Last year I started to race stand up paddleboards. This limited my chances to shoot pictures during actual racing. However, each race includes a long driving time which I am using for shooting including aerial video and photography.

    You are welcome to visit my Instagram and like, follow, share, comment …

    [instagram-feed]

    word abstract - social media concept

  • Late March Paddling with 2018 All Star SUP by Starboard

    Late March Paddling with 2018 All Star SUP by Starboard

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    Beaver Pond in early springtime

    Late March on Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area near Fort Collins. The lake was ice free for about two weeks. No green colors yet. Geese are still swimming, but starting to settle down on two islands. Muskrats are showing up near shores. I was visiting this area in winter time as well, but with my fat bike.

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    2018 model of 14×26 All Star SUP by Starboard.

    It is where my last winter time on water, and then my first spring paddling took place. I was testing my new stand up paddleboard: 2018 14×26 All Star by Starboard in carbon sandwich layout. I’ve ordered it from Paddle Surf Warehouse in California – a great customer service, free shipping, a bag and a custom cut VESL paddle was included. The paddleboard was ordered on Monday and arrived in a good shape to my home on Friday.

    2014 All Star stand up paddleboard
    2014 14×28 All Star stand up paddleboard

    It is my second All Star SUP. The first one, 2014 model 14×28, I got in the fall of 2016. I used it for paddling workouts on my local lakes and rivers (with a pivoting fin), and for a few long distance river races in 2017: South Dakota Kayak Challenge, Fort to Field 50 on the Missouri River, and 31 mile Chattajack. 2017 MR340 race I paddled a heavy expedition board.

    Racing plans for 2018 All Star SUP? Some shorter river marathons including Chattajack. I am not sure about MR340 yet. Maybe, I will have to sit down …

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    A photo session with the Starboard SUP

    I don’t dress for immersion when paddling the Beaver Pond (or the shallow South Platte River). However, I am staying close to the shore at this time of year. I paddled Horsetooth Reservoir in winter, but always in Supskin drysuit.

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    A photo session with the Starboard SUP

    All pictures were shot with the mirrorless Sony A7R2 camera with Sony 24-70mm lens. The camera is mounted on a light Gitzo Mountaineer Tripod. This is my minimalist camera set for paddling, biking or hiking. I usually carry the camera in Ortlieb Aqua Waterproof Camera Bag. That bag can hold a DSLR camera with a zoom lens, so it is a little bit too large for my mirrorless Sony. I can add a small tabletop tripod to the bag.

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    A photo session with the Starboard SUP

    Selfies were shot using time-lapse application on the Sony camera. Unfortunately, this approach requires sorting through hundreds of images. There is no need for an external intervalometer for Sony A7R2 or Sony A6000. I am not sure if this apps is available for the new Sony A7R3 yet.

    All Star stand up paddleboard by Starboard
    Dusk after paddling

    Typically, I am shooting pictures around sunset after my paddling workout. Wind calms down. Something interesting is going on the sky. I am included the above pictures in my stock photography portfolio. See, where to buy and license my pictures and video footage.

    Are you using SUP as a platform for photography? Please share your experiences.

  • 6 Sunset Pictures from 10 Minutes of Paddling on Boyd Lake

    6 Sunset Pictures from 10 Minutes of Paddling on Boyd Lake

    Here is another composition exercise from the old blog posted originally in June 2007. It is good to use a waterproof camera, especially, when you are paddling a tippy boat. And, always keep that camera on a leash. Usually, I have a camera tethered to my life jacket.

    10 years ago I was paddling with Pentax Optio W10, and now with a similar Olympus STYLUS Tough TG-5. I switched mostly because the new camera offers RAW format for picture recording, so I have a full control in postprocessing. For a more casual shooter this may be not so important.

    Of course, I paddled much longer on the Boyd Lake, but I stopped for 10 minutes in the southern end of the lake to enjoy a magic light just before sunset. I shot several pictures looking north trying different angles, different placement of a horizon, with and without a kayak bow in the frame and switching from horizontal to vertical format. All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W10 with EV compensation set between -1 and and -1.7 and white balance left on “auto”.


    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    Boyd Lake, Colorado

    The above 6 pictures were selected from 20+ pictures I shot during that 10 minute photo session. The light was changing. You can see these young flooded cottonwood trees in the light at first, then they went into shadow. It looks quiet and calm, but passing power boats were sending wakes to my tippy photography platform – WSBS Thunderbolt-X kayak. It would be rather embarrassing to flip over in 1 foot deep water.

    Then, it was time to look west and shoot the sun and clouds over mountains, but that is another photo story …

    Which is your favorite picture?

    Related posts and links:

  • Paddling Canoe through a Magic Forest

    Paddling Canoe through a Magic Forest

    canoe paddling in fisheye lens perspective
    Fish eye lens perspective when paddling through a submerged forest

    I love to paddle the Lonetree Reservoir southwest of Loveland during springtime. You can always enjoy a nice view of Rocky Mountains Front Range. It is a great spot to shoot sunsets over mountains. When water is high I like to paddle through submerged trees and bushes. Please keep in mind that the heron rookery is a restricted area during the nesting season, but there are other places where you can paddle into a forest.

    Picture featuring Sea Wind canoe in cottonwood forest was shot on May 15m 2014 with Canon 5D Mark II camera and Sigma 15 mm Fisheye lens. I confess … I spent a longer while gliding in a canoe between cottonwood tress and playing with that lens. I was shooting in both landscape and portrait formats.

    Which version do you prefer? Horizontal or vertical?

    canoe paddling in fisheye lens prespective
    Let’s look at this scene in a vertical format.

    Related posts:
    – Canoe paddling in fisheye perspective – royalty free pictures.
    – Paddling through Forest and Irrigation Ditches
    – Fisheye Lens Perspective for Paddling?
    – Horizontal or/and Vertical Format in Kayak Photography

  • Paddling the Skeleton Coast

    Paddling the Skeleton Coast

    This little photo story was originally posted in my old paddling blog on April 14, 2007.

    deer skeleton
    A deer skull on the shore of Horsetooth Reservoir

    I had an unusual photo stop when paddling my Thunderbolt kayak on the Horsetooth Reservoir this afternoon. Somewhere on the west shore near Quarry Cove I found a deer skeleton. I spent more than half an hour photographing it. Now, I understand better Goergia O’Keeffe’s fascination with animal skulls which she used to collect and paint when living in New Mexico.

    All pictures were shot as usual with Pentax Optio W10, but I would really love to have there my DSLR camera with a tripod.


    deer skull - Horsetooth Reservoir
    deer skeleton- Horsetooth Reservoir
    Horsetooth Reservoir

    Related posts:
    – Winter Paddling with Sea Wind Canoe on Horsetooth Reservoir
    – Winter Paddling with JKK Supernova Kayak on Horsetooth Reservoir
    – Fisheye Lens Perspective for Paddling?

  • Alpacka Yukon Packraft on the Poudre River

    Alpacka Yukon Packraft on the Poudre River

    packraft poudre river
    Packraft on the Poudre River in Fort Collins, Colorado – February 2014

    I had two paddling photo sessions with my Alpacka Yukon packraft on the Poudre River in February. Both times I started at Kingfisher Point Natural Area. There is about half mile of slow water behind the diversion dam there. My cruising speed in a packraft is about 2.5 mph. So, paddling against even a slow current provided a pretty good workout.

    I added pictures of a packraft to my stock photography portfolio.

    Related posts:
    Wintertime Canoe, Packraft and SUP Paddling in northern Colorado
    Wildcat Mound Run – the South Platte River by Bike and Packraft
    Biking and Packrafting – A Selfsupported Classic Run on the South Platte River near Greeley
    Inline Skating and Packrafting – Road and River Test on the South Platte

  • Boat Portrait – Penobscot 16 Canoe from Old Town Canoes

    Boat Portrait – Penobscot 16 Canoe from Old Town Canoes

    Penobscot 16 canoe
    Red Penobscot 16 canoe on the Cache la Poudre River in Fort Collins, February 2014

    This red Penobscot 16 from Old Town Canoes is a new addition to my paddling fleet. I got it from in Cheyenne. Right now, it is my only tandem boat, although, the Badfish SUP can accommodate two people.

    This is the first boat bought as a photography prop. Now, I need to produce 50-100 saleable pictures to recover the cost. Red canoe on a calm lake with snowy mountains in a background comes to my mind. Maybe, Grand Teton or Clacier National Park? Well, after some abstracts shot in a garage, the first field photo sessions took place in February 2014 on the Poudre River in Fort Collins. There is up to 0.5 mile of calm or slow water behind a diversion dam accessible from the Kingfisher Point Natural Area near Nix Farm. This river section can be paddled even at a minimal river flow including winter time if it is not frozen.

    You are welcome to check new paddling pictures in my stock photography portfolio. There are available for immediate download and licensing as royalty free images.

    I will try to photograph other boats from my paddling fleet: kayaks, canoes, SUPs (stand up paddleboard) and a packraft. I am really waiting for some green color …

    Related posts:
    Waterproof Duffels, Canoe Paddle and Hat …
    Carbon Fiber and Wood Canoe Paddles in Royalty Free Pictures