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Kayak Photography - Get Ready to Love It!

Fear of losing their camera to the watery depths is the reason most folks give for not trying kayak photography. Sadly, they are missing out on one of the greatest sources for beautiful pictures. There may not be any float trip operators in your town, but I'll bet there is a reservoir nearby.  A small recreational kayak can open up a whole new world of photography fun in your own backyard.

My wife Dianne and I started exploring kayak photography a few years ago. Dianne and I are not expert photographers.  However, we have learned a few tricks that have vastly improved our kayak photography efforts in Oklahoma.

We hope a few folks might benefit from the lessons we have learned. So here goes:

Top 5 Kayak Photography Tips from FreeWine

Updated: April 11, 2008.

Kayak Photography Tip 1:  Paddle During the Magic Hours.

Many kayakers do the majority of their kayaking after 10am and before 4pm. This is sad from a kayak photography perspective because any photographer will tell you that morning and late afternoon provide the best light for shooting. Shooting around the noon hour tends to provide a harsh nearly colorless light that is better suited for tanning a torso than landscape photography.

Consider launching at 4pm someday instead of landing. Capture the golden sunset light reflected off the waves made by your tiny boat and you are much more likely to see magic happen!

Check online weather sites for what time Nautical Twilight will occur on the day you plan to paddle. If you get on the water by early morning Nautical Twilight OR stay on the water until after the evening Nautical Twilight you will catch the best light the day has to offer.

While you are looking at that online weather forecast, check the expected wind speed. I like using the Weather Underground Site (http://www.wunderground.com/) because they give an hour-by-hour forecast of the wind speed. Even on windy days the wind often settles down for a couple hours of calm early in the morning or late in the evening. These are great times to get out an take some reflection shots at water-level from your kayak.

Kayak Photography Tip 2:  Hunt the reflections.

Clouds, trees, flowers, rocks, etc. all create brilliant reflections. Trees that arch over the river make graceful circles in your kayaking photos when they combined with their reflections. For many seasons in Oklahoma, the skies are the most dramatic thing in sight.

Our weather patterns here in Oklahoma provide us with a secret wealth of stunning sunrises and breathtaking sunsets. Remember that on still waters the sky will be reflected, meaning that you are seeing TWICE the sunset that the rest of the world is seeing....lucky you!

Kayak Photography Tip 3:  Try including the kayak and/or the kayak paddle in your pictures.

Capturing the experience of kayaking means more than simply shooting sunrises and sunsets on the water… although I absolutely LOVE doing that. A picture of the kayak paddle or the gentle wake created by a kayak in motion really speaks to fellow paddlers and they can add a lot to your kayak photography, too!

I should say that there are those in the photography community that think taking landscape shots with the kayak bow in the shot is poor form. Myself, I think it helps the viewer get a sense of 'bring there' in the moment with you.  I don't really see how that could be a bad thing.  Your mileage may vary.

Kayak Photography Tip 4:  Wet the deck of the kayak to add reflected light to your shots.

Capturing light is the name of the game in any kind of photography, kayak photography is no different. One of the first things I noticed was that my little plastic kayak photographed like one of those gleaming, colorful and expensive fiberglass kayaks...IF the deck of the kayak was wet. Some Flickr Friends even accused me of waxing my kayak after they saw the pictures.

Kayak Photography Tip 5:  Use software, such as the freeware tool Picasa, to straighten the horizon line of your shots.

The wake, waves and wobbling off your kayak are sure to cause the horizon line on many of your shots to be abnormally skewed. It may seem subtle, but the human eye picks up details like this without thinking about it. Correcting a skewed horizon only takes a second in Picasa. I have some vision issues that cause me to have to correct this problem on most shots that I take...even on land!

That is all of the kayak photography tips I have for today. If you liked this article and want to see more like it, check out our Oklahoma Kayaking Blog and leave us a comment. We would love to hear from you.

May Your Days Be Filled with Good Light and Happy Paddling,

Thomas & Dianne Jones (FreeWine)

Kayaking with Camera - Equipment Safety Tips

• In my opinion, photo gear in a kayak is most at risk during launches and take-outs. Like a pilot, you will want to add extra attention to safety during take-off and landing.
• Carry a hand towel to wipe off the water drops that occasionally get on the lens and carry a water resistant camera bag. Can't afford a waterproof camera bog?  I often use those soft-sided 6-pack coolers that you can often get for free as promo items.
• I usually launch and take-out with my camera in the bag, tied to the kayak and in easy reach in case of rain or rapids.
• Wear the camera strap around your neck when shooting over water, for obvious reasons.
• Use your lens cap when you stop shooting even if you don't put your camera back in the bag. This helps avoid water drops that splash onto the lens while paddling.
• Polarizing filters are great for reducing glare in all types of outdoor photography, in the kayak I find it is easier to clean off the filter than the camera lens.

Most importantly...wear a PFD anytime you paddle your canoe or kayak.  Not wearing a PFD only makes the paddler look like a novice or a fool.  Also, the pockets on a good kayaker PFD are handy for photographers.

Taken by Thomas at Dripping Springs Lake near Okmulgee, Oklahoma

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