Top Four Rock Solid Tips to Taking Stellar Kayak Photographs:
1. Kayak motion. Anchor it for stabilization. Throw an anchor overboard or nest in some thick vegetation. Tie a rope to a rock if you have to but stop the drifting.
2. Change the angles. Your kayak may be eye level with your subject but the camera doesn't have to be. Hold it high, submerge it half underwater, twist an oblique angle. Switch it up!
3. Forego staying dry. If you want to capture nature in-the-moment, you may need to get out of the kayak and move about in the water.
4. Close at hand. Keep all the crucial equipment within reach. Hang it around your neck, from your belt, in a dry bag...whatever you have to do but keep it within reach.
Taking photographs from a kayak isn't simple. Frequently, I find it tougher than shooting photographs of my six daughters chasing after the last scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day.
Three reasons that make kayak photography very difficult.
Listed below are three reasons why kayak photography is more than difficult than you might think:
1. You're bobbing up and down in a kayak with the waves, wind, and current pushing you around in every direction except the direction you want to be pointed. Meanwhile, you've got a costly piece of equipment in your hands along with your paddle that is always getting in the way. Then, once the object that you're attempting to picture gets in the ideal place, subtle motion in the water is just enough to push it (or you) from this ideal framework.
2. You're sitting in a vessel at the exact same height as your subject. It's somewhat difficult to stand up and find a greater vantage point, therefore regrettably nearly every shot is at head / topwater perspective looking straight ahead. If you're flexible (and have sufficient balance in a kayak) to contort your own body around like a pretzel, maybe then it's possible to find a bit of a different angle. Here I feel blessed to have the trunk versatility required to find these shots (losing 60 pounds last summer helps! Go Keto!)
3. There is a clear concern of having your expensive camera gear suddenly becoming not wet. If you miss a paddle stroke or record a few frames of your kayak instead of what you were intending to photograph... the game is finished.
4 tips to help capture the best pictures
Those were a few reasons why taking photographs from a kayak is irritating, awkward and undesirable, but here are four tips for making things go a lot smoother:
Tip #1. Kayak motion:
We can not do too much about the object we're photographing, except request a copious quantity of patience because we request them to, "Paddle a bit to your left, no more, today throw a bit to your right, now come so the light is in your own kayak where I could view it..." so on etc.
An option we might do is search for something to anchor. Any bed of floating vegetation is very perfect for this. If that is available where you're photographing, park your boat in the center of a kelp bed, then catch a few strands and then tuck them under your deck. This eliminates your movement from the workflow for finding the shot. Additionally, floating up alongside a different kayak may provide you more stability and less ship motion.
Tip #2. Experiment with angles
that occasionally requires getting wet so be careful. If you would like to capture amazing views of kayaking, then you're not likely to just capture them while shooting from a kayak. A few of the best shots come from the shore or bridge high over the water looking down at your subjects or submerged half in the water as they glide towards you.
Nevertheless, as you're in your kayak, consider making the vessel appear more intriguing, perhaps from an unusual angle. A camera phone is actually great at this since it's so small and easy to maneuver around in your hands. Hold up your camera high over your head, near the water, or perhaps at the water (in case you've got a watertight housing, more on this in a little ) and keep asking yourself, "How do I create this view differently?"
Tip #3. Getting Wet
There are a couple of helpful products that will help you (attempt) to keep your gear dry. A pelican box strapped to the front or rear of your deck is going to be a bombproof, watertight safe haven. The issue with a Pelican case is that they are large and bulky and difficult to open. If you're fiddling with your gear because you can't' get it open, you're likely to miss many shots. But they're great if you're shooting with a bigger camera and fewer lenses (this works nicely for point and shoot cameras).
If I need my camera to be available and watertight, particularly if attempting to take somewhere in rough water, I use an underwater camera. This gets a little pricey and may not fit everyone's budget. You can use a generic underwater waterproof bag from a local sporting goods store to keep your costs down. Or you can get a high-end name brand that runs somewhere in the 300 dollar range. It is somewhat annoying and awkward but it's very good for getting shots in the water or in tough circumstances and it helps when you are able to relax knowing that your camera isn't likely to have a salty bath.
Tip #4. Ease of accessibility
Among my tricks for camera access is paddling with my cameras in cushioned camera bags tucked up under my cockpit. I've found the ideal mix is a decent Chest Carrier along with a Clik elite Telephoto SLR Carrier. I can balance this in-between my thighs in the kayak. As a tall man (at 6'3", 270 lbs) I've got less space than a typical size paddler within a standard cockpit. I place 2 additional lenses in cushioned lens bags and stuff them within a watertight bag and store them at my toes too.
If Mother Nature is calm, I grab the dry bag and camera bag and keep them together with the bag flap covering over my vulnerable camera. This provides me the fastest access for my camera whenever there's a bird or particular instant where speed is vital. Yes there's danger and I am playing the risk every moment, however, when conditions get rougher or I need a break from taking photos, I just tighten up the bag and I am all set.
Tip #5. Choosing the Proper vessel for Photography.
The ideal kayak for photography depends upon your paddling ability, size, and what exactly it is you will be photographing. A broader more secure vessel provides you more space on your cockpit for camera equipment and is not as tippy whilst shooting photographs. The Pinguino Sport and Pinguino 145 are Fantastic ships for photography. They have more space in the cockpit to sit comfy with a camera along with a few types of equipment and they have a wonderful balance between maneuverability and monitoring.
The dimensions of the photographer also come into play. Smaller paddlers can fit more smoothly in thinner yaks with more camera equipment. I am barely able to stuff big dry bags filled with lenses and additional camera gear packed with padded bags facing my toes. Additionally, a paddler's experience plays a huge role. If you're a newer paddler of ordinary build and you are going to be taking photographs whilst paddling, I'd encourage you to acquire a wider more secure kayak. If you're a seasoned paddler, I invite you to buy a kayak that does the kind of paddling you need to do and just be certain that you are able to watch your camera equipment on board.
Tip #6. Stands and rigs.
I already mentioned the use of a chest rig. But I found another helpful companion on my personal trips. A properly mounted tripod stand, securely fastened to the kayak, can serve as a whole new perspective for the viewer if you can capture video while kayaking. I have captured lengthy routes on video and the mixture of waters rushing and paddles moving water are about as soothing as I can image a sound to be.
Good luck with your endeavors and may your images be breathtaking!
More photography gear: Kayak Photography page.
