paddling with a camera

Tag: kayak

  • Winter Kayaking on the Lower St Vrain Creek

    Winter Kayaking on the Lower St Vrain Creek

    February 11, 2016. I did some scouting and a little bit of paddling on the lover St Vrain Creek.

    First, I checked some potential launching spots, i.e., bridges, below I-25 highway. Then, I ended up paddling upstream from the county road 19.5 bridge (Wildcat). I use that place near St Vrain Power Station quite often, mostly as a starting point for downriver trips on the South Platte River. It was also a starting point of the 31 miles South Platte River Marathon which I tried to organize a few year ago. You can paddle 1 miles down the St Vrain to the confluence with a flow even below 100 cfs. The 7.6 miles of the river from the road 19.5 along the Wildcat Mound to highway 60 near Milliken is really scenic. I call it Wildcat Mound run in my paddling.

    Pictures below show the river at 150cfs. I paddled about 2 miles upstream to the diversion dam where I had a photo session. Then, after sunset, I returned back as quickly as possible since it was getting really cold. Pictures were shot with Pentax Optio WG2 camera and Sony A7R 2 on a tripod (2 last pictures).

    I paddled my old Seda Cyclone kayak in this trip. I would prefer to use another boat for an upstream/downstream workout, i.e., JKK Supernova kayak, but that little blue kayak looks better in pictures. Years ago, I did several upstream trips on the St Vrain with Sisson Nucleus kayak.

    St Vrain Creek below I-25
    St Vrain Creek below I-25 freeway (from frontage road)

    St Vrain Creek
    St Vrain Creek upstream of Colorado Blvd (county road 13)

    St Vrain Creek
    Launching my kayak under bridge of county road 19.5 (Wildcat) near St Vrain Power Plant

    Paddling upstream St Vrain Creek
    Paddling upstream

    Old trestle
    Old trestle. It could be destroyed by the recent flooding. Before the flooding, the trestle wasn’t really visible from the river.

    blue whitewater kayak and river diversion dam - St Vrain Creek near Platteville in northern Colorado
    A longer photo session with my Sony A7R 2 camera at the diversion dam

    St Vrain Creek at dusk
    After sunset … Back to my launching spot after 20 minutes of cold downriver paddling and another quick photo session.

  • Wildwater Racing Kayak on the South Platte River

    Here is a little picture gallery from the recent paddling on the South Platte River (Sunday, March 15). We paddled upstream 5 miles from Kersey to Plumb Ditch Dam and back down the river. Beautiful warm weather and pretty low water (slightly around 400cfs at Kersey).

    I shot pictures of Jeremy in his wildwater racer below the dam with Pentax Optio W30 camera. At that water level I could walk without any problems on the dam crest.

    We didn’t have any real problems with paddling upstream, but if water keeps falling down it may get too shallow under the bridge below the Plumb Ditch Dam.

    Related posts:
    3rd South Platte River Upstream “Rotten Egg” Race – March 22, 2009
    Paddling, Training and Racing on the South Platte River
    South Platte River – GPS/photo map and guide
    Group Paddling Workout on the South Platte River
    Returning Back to (Paddling) Life












  • Thunderbolt-X Kayak Portrait

    My WSBS Thunderbolt-X kayak shot after sunset at Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area in Fort Collins. Camera: Canon EOS 40D on a tripod. I was trying to shoot in a style similar to my Surfrigger canoe pictures.

    Beaver Pond is still open, but I noticed some floating ice during yesterday paddling.

    The picture of Thunderbolt is available for purchase from Featurepics.




  • 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

  • Winter Dusk on the South Platte River

    Dusk on the South Platte River below the Plumb Ditch Dam near Greeley. Camera: Canon EOS 40D on a mini tripod. The picture was shot during a short evening paddling workout with Thunderbolt kayak starting at the Mitani-Tokuyasu State Wilderness Area (open till the end of February only) above Kersey.

    Some related posts from paddling the South Platte River in winter:


  • Use Your Paddle to Stabilize a Camera

    stabilize camera on paddleI often use a paddle to stabilize my Pentax Optio camera, especially, when paddling rather tippy boat like Sisson Nucleus or Spencer X-treme. It serves two functions:

    1. To have your paddle ready for bracing.

    2. To avoid shaking the camera when pressing a shutter button.

    I recommend this technique for shooting with any small camera, just keep your camera on a leash and attach a piece of non-slippery material to your paddle. I also recommend to use a 2 second self timer whenever possible and reasonable.

    Of course, this method may not work if you are paddling against 30 knot wind or through rapids …


    paddling & shooting

    I was caught on video by Marcie Nolan when shooting with my Pentax Optio W10 from Sisson Nucleus kayak during warm-up before the recent Dotsero Race on the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon.