Kayaking

[f86sabjf]

Anyone here ever used a kayak for wildlife shots??? I was noticing the other day that wildlife on rivers dont really seem to be bothered by kayaks passing buy. This got my wheels turning a little bit

[volks]

Never tried it. Might be a little difficult keeping the camera steady for a good shot ?

[mjs1973]

YES!!! I bought my first kayak over 3 years ago with the intention of using it for photography. I love it, and highly recommend it for shooting wildlife on or around lakes and rivers. There are many kayaks on the market that have great stability so you don't really have to worry too much about tipping over. A couple things to look for in a kayak, besides stability is the cockpit opening and a comfortable seat. The more open the cockpit, the easier it will be to get in an out of, and the easier it will be to access your gear. A comfortable seat is important because you will most likely be sitting for a few hours at a time. One of the best boats on the market for photography IHO is the Native Watercraft Ultimate 12. Very stable, wide open and a great seat.

I gotta run but I will add some more info/tips later.

[mjs1973]

I know I have posted some info about photographing from my kayak in the past, but I can't seem to find those threads with the new search functions on the site. A couple of things that I have learned is that you really have to ready when you're in your kayak. For me, that means I have my camera/lens sitting on the floor of my boat, right between my legs and ready to go. I also have a monopod attached. If you're wondering about my gear getting wet sitting on the floor, it does. The gear is tougher than you might think and it can handle a few water drops. I also keep a shammy in the boat with me that I can lay over top of my gear to help keep it dry if I think it's going to get too wet.

I have tried setting up a tripod in my boat, and it does work, but I find that it is too restrictive. If you are shooting with a 500mm/600mm f/4 you might not have much of a choice, but I found that using a monopod gives me much more flexibility. With a tripod, you are limited to shooting what's right in front of you and a few degrees to each side. With a monopod, I can easily cover a 180 degree range and even shoot behind me if I have to.

Fast IS/VR lenses can really help you out in a kayak as well. I use to use an old Sigma 170-500mm lens in my boat, but it was just too slow most of the time. My main lens combo now is a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L with a 2xTC. Even with the 2x TC and stopped down to f/8, I' still a bit faster than the old Simga which I had to shoot at f/9 to get sharp images. Add IS to that extra speed and I come home with more keepers. I gave up 100mm in length, but for what I gained it was worth it.

Slow and steady is the name of the game and before long you will be able to drift in close to some critters.

[f86sabjf]

Thanks for the replys Mike.

I'm trying to figure out just how open a cockpit to have. Reason being is i'm fair skinned and in Fla. Doesnt take long to get roasted down here. Maybe i should get some of those lightwiehgt columbia sportswear type clothes in longsleeve and pant short combos to surivive it. I tried your link and cant get it to work

[mjs1973]

I'm pretty fair skinned myself and burn very easily. Sun screen and a wide brimmed hat are my best friends. Once in a while I will wear a long sleeve shirt but usually I just go with sunscreen. One other thing I forgot to mention. A PFD with pockets is really nice to have to keep some extra gear in like batteries. I keep a P&S camera in one of the pockets on my PFD too.

The link was just me trying to insert a photo. I haven't posted much since the site upgrade so I'm not sure what happened. I can see it on my end. Can you see the image if you go here:

Curious Coons

[f86sabjf]

Hey Mike

just wanted to Thank You on the heads up about Native watercraft. I should have a Ultimate 14.5 coming home really soon.