paddling with a camera

Tag: canoe

  • Boyd Lake at dusk: bike and canoe adventure

    Boyd Lake at dusk: bike and canoe adventure

    I love photographing Boyd Lake at sunrise and sunset. This year I visited this State Park twice.

    Gravel biking

    First time it was in late January. The lake was covered by a solid ice and there was a lot of ice fishing going on. I rode a gravel bike, Trek Checkpoint, from my home in Fort Collins opting for one of several routes ranging from 22 to 26 miles, primarily on dedicated biking trails. For added variety, I occasionally incorporate sections of bike routes on residential streets. While these trails are mostly paved, it’s possible to find dirt paths along the shores of Boyd Lake.

    • senior male cyclist with his gravel bike on a frozen lake in Colorado - Boyd Lake State Park
    • lonely male figure on a frozen lake at dusk in Colorado - Boyd Lake State Park
    • dusk over frozen lake in Colorado - Boyd Lake State Park
    • lonely male figure on a frozen lake at dusk in Colorado - Boyd Lake State Park

    Canoe paddling

    The second visit was in the middle of March with Seawind canoe. The lake is opened for boating or any form of paddling this year on March 11th. It looks that there are no winter restrictions for paddling on lakes within Larimer County parks: Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake.

    I paddled a 8.5 loop around the lake starting a the rowing beach. It was a good workout with some wind. Seawind canoe is my strongest candidate for 340 Missouri River race this year. The lake was pretty full (88%), but I couldn’t reach the dam structure in southeastern corner, so we need a little bit more water. I was paddling too slow and missed beautiful sunset color by 10 minutes at my launching and finishing spot. However, I shot some pictures at blue hour. What is the blue hour?

    decked expedition canoe on a calm lake at dusk in Colorado - Boyd Lake State Park

    Blue hour

    Blue hour refers to the period of twilight before sunrise or after sunset when the sky takes on a deep blue hue with a soft, diffused quality of light. It occurs when the sun is below the horizon, and the indirect sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering shorter blue wavelengths more effectively than longer red wavelengths. As a result, the sky appears predominantly blue during this time, creating a unique and visually appealing atmosphere for photography.

    Photographers often cherish the blue hour for its atmospheric qualities, soft lighting, and vibrant colors. It’s considered an ideal time to capture landscapes, cityscapes, and architectural shots, as the gentle, diffused light can add depth, mood, and a sense of tranquility to the images. Additionally, during the blue hour, artificial lights such as streetlights and building illuminations become more pronounced, further enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the scene.

    Dawn and sunrise

    Later in spring and summer the lake will become very busy and crowded with all sort of power boats including jet ski. It may be a good time to practice stand up paddling skills in waves and chop. But, I will be rather driving to Boyd lake before sunrise when it is still calm and quiet. Here is a selection of old pictures and a video clips from early mornings on Boyd Lake.

    • summer dawn over Boyd Lake and Front Range of Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado
    • sunrise silhouette of a man with a fat mountain bike on a lake shore, Boyd Lake State Park in northern Colorado
    • sunrise over Boyd Lake and Front Range of Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado with a long stand up paddleboard on a shore ready for paddling
    • dawn over a swimming beach at Boyd Lake State Park, Colorado
    • silhouette of a male stand up paddler watching sunrise and flying geese over a calm lake, Boyd Lake State Park, Colorado

    Royalty free images

    The pictures above were shot with Sony A7R5 mirrorless camera with 24-105 zoom lens on a light travel tripod. It is my standard gear for biking and paddling. As usual, I am adding all pictures to my stock photography portfolio. There are available for licensing as royalty free images from Adobe stock and other agencies online. My portfolio currently includes: 30,000+ still images, 1000+ video clips, and growing stock of conceptual vector illustrations.

    Feel free to explore the paddling and rowing playlists on my FitOver67 youtube channel for more content.

  • 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

  • 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



  • Bent Shaft Paddle and Outrigger Canoe

    These two pictures of Surfrigger, my outrigger canoe, were shot about a month ago on Beaver Pond near Fort Collins. I used my “big” camera, Canon EOS 40D, with EF-s 17-55mm lens mounted on a tripod.

    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.

    Surfrigger featured in two of my old video clips: Surfrigger I made in winter on the Beaver Pond, and Surfrigger II from Boyd Lake and Horsetooth Reservoir paddling. Both movies were shot with Canon PowerShot S40 in a waterproof case. It was time before my first waterproof Pentax Optio.

    The Surfrigger pictures are available for licensing as royalty free from Featurepics.com. You can read more about microstock photography in Pixels Away blog.