paddling with a camera

Category: reviews

books and paddling gear

  • Lake Superior: Journeys on an Inland Sea by Gary and Joannie McGuffin

    Lake Superior: Journeys on an Inland Sea by Gary and Joannie McGuffin

    There are several books which have influenced my paddling and photography. One of them is definitely Superior: Journeys on an Inland Sea, a wonderful coffee table book by a Canadian couple, Gary and Joanie McGuffin, full of great pictures from their kayak and canoe trips on Lake Superior.

    I believe that most of the pictures including a paddler (i.e., Joannie) were carefully staged, but they are still impressive. I am not aware of many photography books published by paddlers. Only Joel W Rogers comes to my mind.

    This in an old book. I bought it probably 20 years ago. Nowadays, you can buy used in a good condition for a few dollars. Originally, I posted this review in December of 2004.

    After getting this book I started to plan my own paddling trip on Lake Superior. It hasn’t happened yet with an exemption of a very short exploration of sea caves near Bayfield when driving back from Michigan and another short car visit in the same area. However, the book has had significant impact on my paddling.

    Lake Superior book

    I was intrigued by weird looking kayak-canoes used by McGuffins. After some research I learned about Verlen Kruger and his expedition canoes. McGuffins paddled his Monarch canoes. As a long time kayaker I wasn’t immediately convinced by Kruger’s designs, but after reading about some other long distance expeditions and e-mail exchange with Norm Miller I became a happy owner of Sea Wind canoe #127 in the summer of 2001.

    The McGuffins published several other books including Paddle Your Own Canoe, Where Rivers Run: A 6,000-Mile Exploration of Canada by Canoe, In the Footsteps of Grey Owl, Canoeing the Great Lakes Heritage Coast devoted to the 2003 expedition is also worth visiting. Again, a lot of wonderful pictures including impressive panoramas. It was example of a modern expedition combining a home built strip canoe with a high technology equipment – digital cameras, laptop and satellite communication to send updates from the trip. They also produce Wilderness Paddling calendar. It is worth to visit their web page.

  • Crocks or Everything Turns Green in Springtime

    Three pictures from an evening paddle workout – Surfrigger canoe on the Lonetree Reservoir near Loveland, CO. The lake is still full, you can 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



  • 160 Lakes and Reservoirs of Colorado


    Colorado Lakes and Reservoirs. Fishing and Boating Guide.
    2008, 9th edition, paperback, 216 pages, published by Outdoor Books & Maps (Adler Publishing Company, Inc.).

    Colorado’s landscape is speckled with hundreds of natural and man-made lakes. This guide provides detailed information about 160 of those lakes and reservoirs. Its pages contain vital information that profiles these locations, including driving directions, maps, fishing regulations, lake size, fish species, boating ramps, camping facilities, contact information, and much more. The NEW 2008 edition contains completely updated information, in addition to dozens of new photographs.

    This book provides invaluable information for paddlers in Colorado. It is 9th edition and 3rd version I bought. I own also 4th and 7th editions.

    160 bigger lakes are provided with a detailed descriptions and maps and many more are listed with just a short information. Some of my paddling waters in northern Colorado like Boedecker Reservoir near Loveland or Douglas Lake at Fort Collins can be found only in the index. There are still smaller lakes and ponds suitable for paddling like my Beaver Pond at Arapaho Bend Natural Area which are not mentioned at all.

    I have a pretty good knowledge of my local paddling waters, but this book makes me looking at some more distance paddling locations, especially, in the mountain Colorado.

    Related resources:
    Paddling Colorado: A Guide To The State’s Best Paddling Routes (Paddling Series)

  • New Kayak and Canoe Paddling Books in 2009

    We can expect several new kayak and canoe books (available for preorder from Amazon) in the first half of the 2009 year. These include paddling guides for several states (Colorado, Alaska, Georgia, Connecticut and Rhode Island) and Boundary Waters Canoe Area, some more technical books like kayak surfing, rolling and fishing, and general “ultimate” books on kayaking and canoe. There is even a book on dragon boat racing. February 2009
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  • Kayaking Calendars 2009

    I was just browsing 2009 calendars on amazon.com and found three paddling calendars.

    Wilderness Paddling is offered by by well known paddlers, photographers and authors, Gary and Joanie McGuffin. I am sure it features both kayaks and canoes. 2008 Wilderness Paddling is just hanging over my desk. Two other calendars seem to be focused on sea kayaking.

    As usual at this time of year I am thinking about producing my own paddling calendar. I have never found time to do it. Maybe, I should just produce a single month page at a time. There is plenty (at least for Windows) of not so expensive calendar software.





  • Canon PowerShot G10 with Waterproof Case for Paddling?

    I am quite happy to paddle and shoot with Pentax Optio “W” cameras as long as producing pictures to be displayed online. They are waterproof, compact, easily accessible in any conditions. The image quality is OK for a blog or website, but usually there is just too much of digital noise for some commercial applications. So, for my stock photography, I am carrying a DSLR camera, Canon EOS 40D. It may be a rather challenging task if I paddle a racing boat like my Thunderbolt-X kayak.

    In the search for some alternative solutions I have been watching evolution of Canon PowerShot G series cameras. Canon offers waterproof cases for them.

    The newest Canon G10 certainly looks interesting, and arguably, it may be the best compact digital camera available. It’s not cheap: ~$420 for the camera and ~$190 for the waterproof case at amazon.com.

    I have been spoiled by Pentax Optio W10 and W30 cameras with the interval (time lapse) shooting mode. Now, I would like to see that feature in any camera. No luck with the Canon G10, though. However, there is some hope to control this camera remotely since it accepts the same shutter remote as Canon Rebel. How to deal with the waterproof case with the remote attached is a different story.

    canon powershot g10

    Here are some reviews of Canon G10.

    Trusted Reviews:
    “The Canon PowerShot G10 is still going to be the benchmark by which all other high-spec compacts are measured, but it’s no longer the top dog. It is beaten on picture quality and portability by the smaller, lighter and slightly cheaper Panasonic LX3, and is beaten badly on value for money by most entry-level DSLRs. It’s still an impressive camera and can produce excellent results, especially in Raw mode, but the price means its appeal is a little too specialised for some.”

    Digital Camera Review:
    “At the moment, the advanced compact camera market has settled in terms of price at around the $500 mark. For that kind of outlay, it’s not unreasonable to ask yourself whether your needs might not be better served by an entry-level DSLR: basic models from every manufacturer will do essentially everything the G10 does, provide superior high-ISO and shooting speed performance without exception, and do so for only a little more than this PowerShot’s considerable price tag (not to mention that the G10 weighs almost as much as many of these larger cameras).”

    The Online Photographer:
    Canon has now demonstrated that a small camera with a small sensor can provide the ergonomics, speed, flexibility, and image quality that would please most serious photographers.

    CNET editors’ review:
    The primary reason to buy a camera like this, however, is the photo quality, and here the Canon G10 doesn’t disappoint. Color and exposures are great. There’s some wide-angle distortion at the 28mm-equivalent maximum, but photos have very good center and edge-to-edge sharpness at longer focal lengths. ISO 80 and 100 produce relatively pristine images and if you’re alert to it, you’ll see some noise-suppression artifacts starting at ISO 200. But photos look quite usable up to and including ISO 400; at ISO 800 they get visibly soft.

    Luminuous Landscape: Comparison of Canon G10 and Nikon P6000.

    byThom: Comparison of Canon PowerShot G10, Nikon Coolpix P6000, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3.
    “If you need pixels, you need the Canon, hands down. If you need the fast, wide, defect-free lens, you need the Panasonic. You don’t need the Coolpix.”

    Ken Rockwell
    “The G10 is the best compact digital camera I’ve ever used, but no compact is as good as any real (interchangeable-lens) SLR.”

  • This Is the Sea 4 by Justine Curgenven

    Queen Charlotte Islands, Norway, Israel, Baja California, Lake Superior, The Bass Strait, The Ottawa River, New Zealand.

    Featuring 3 fascinating expedition stories Haida culture & humpback whales around British Columbia s Queen Charlotte islands; island hopping from Australia to Tasmania across the Bass Strait; & a 2400km trip around the stunning South island of New Zealand complete with intimidating surf & a helicopter evacuation. Rough water rolling, Greenland rope gymnastics & commando kayaking with DUBSIDE, Kayak fishing in San Diego, Rock hopping in Baja, kayak games with father and son in Norways stunning fjords, paddling the Dead Sea in Israel, Seakayaking the Grade 4 Ottawa River, Lake Superiors Apostle islands, and more …

    This is something I would like to get as a Christmas gift. I bought all three previous movies from the “TITS” series by Justine Curgenven and I am returning to the them quite often. I am watching not only sea kayaking in great presentation, but I am exploring how these videos were shot and what can I implement into my own attempts in making paddling movies.

  • 3 Reviews of Olympus Stylus 1050 SW Waterproof Camera with Tap Control

    A month ago Olympus introduced a new model to the line of their waterproof and shockproof cameras: Stylus 1050 SW. It features a brand new digital camera feature – Tap Control. Tap Control is intended to help photographers wearing gloves access camera controls.

    The Stylus 1050 SW camera can be controlled with a simple tap on its top, back or sides, which is made possible thanks to the new camera’s 3D accelerometer that detects the direction of the force on the camera’s body. For example, to turn on the flash or Shadow Adjustment Technology, tap the camera’s side twice.

    Olympus Stylus 1005 SE blue

    I have found three reviews of the new camera. There are rather moderately enthusiastic, but Olympus Stylus SW has its fans.

    1. PC Magazine

    Unless you’re dead set on a ruggedized or waterproof camera, there are plenty of options that will deliver sharper 10.1-megapixel shots and a lot less shutter lag than the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW, including the Canon PowerShot SD790 IS or the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T300. If you need a waterproof shooter, the Stylus 1030 SW offers better-looking images (but for a steep $400). If you’ve been holding back on taking shots on the ski slopes or just want more nimble controls, however, the 1050 SW’s innovative tapping controls might appeal to you. Just don’t expect speed or stellar shots.

    Olympus Stylus 1005 SE silver

    2. Cameras.co.uk

    Without doubt the main attraction of the Olympus MJU 1050SW is its ro

    bustness. If you are looking for a family camera or just one you can use around the pool and on ski slopes then the picture quality is fine for snapshots. It is a concern that the camera is so slow to take a photo and this could certainly cause you to miss photo opportunities.

    Olympus Stylus 1005 SE black

    3. CNET Australia

    While the 1050SW has some excellent features for casual swimmers, skiers and action lovers, the older 1030SW is a more robust and tough camera for dedicated divers and enthusiasts. However, the 1050SW is much more capable in normal settings, looking and feeling like a standard point-and-shoot. For a camera that can be thrown about casually in a bag, in the water and at a party, the 1050SW is a good package.

    Related posts:

  • Kayak and Water Photography by Jock Bradley

    I am just reading Kayaking for Fitness book by Jodi Bigelow. I am going to write a review of this book, but the first thing which grabbed my attention was a great photography by Jock Bradley. Certainly, it is inspiration for my picture shooting.

    Jock Bradley is considered to be one of the finest kayaking photographers in the world. His images have appeared in countless magazines such as Canoe and Kayak, Paddler, Kayak Session, Men’s Journal, Outside, National Geographic Adventure and Sports Illustrated. A few years ago he published “Torrent” – a coffee table book collection of his finest whitewater images. You can see his portfolio dominated by kayaking and water themes on his web page: Jock Bradley Photography.

    Here is a quote from his professional bio:

    Early in my career it was clear that my eye was attracted to water. I found that I loved both the graphic power and the tranquil serenity it offered. Paying bills and raising a family led me along a more financially stable path of doing corporate assignments until about seven years ago. It was then, as a kayaker I decided to finally succumb to my true calling.

    At first it was just about athletes kayaking over waterfalls that captivated me. The graceful synergy of the kayaker as he avoided bodily injury or death while plummeting over a sixty-foot waterfall was fascinating. For a few years, I immersed myself and explored the creative depths of this genre. To celebrate this photographic chapter of my life I recently had a coffee table book published showcasing some of my favorite whitewater images.

    My vision has evolved from high-risk adrenaline activities to equally graphic and enduring images of people interacting with water. From kayaking, to yachting, to snow sports, anywhere there is water, you will find my camera focused on the activity.

    His pictures appear in several recent books on kayaking including Kayak Fishing, Sea Kayaking Rough Waters, and Canoe Camping. I am sure he is involved in more books, but it is not so easy to find them since the photographer is not usually listed as a book co-author.

    Related post: Kayak Photography Links – Tips and Hints for Paddling Photographers