paddling with a camera

October Paddling with a Camera

marek — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:33 +0000

I had some big plans for paddling in October, but I ended up just visiting my local waters near Fort Collins. I was paddling my Thunderbolt kayak on Beaver Pond in Arapaho Natural Area and on Lonetree Reservoir.

First days of October were promising nice fall colors

Then, the first attack of winter came with very low night temperatures

All leaves on trees turned brown. No fall colors this year …

2nd winter attack with a big snow storm. It was a lot of snow in Fort Collins, but weather was warm and snow melted quickly

The last day of October I spent paddling on Beaver Pond again

After paddling I did some walking around the pond with my “big” camera, Canon 5D mark II

I noticed that a new Walmart Supercenter at Timnath on the other side of I-25 highway
is showing up in my pictures from the Beaver Pond …

Here is a selection of my October posts from the last three years. You can find much nicer fall colors from northern Colorado there.

2006

Pentax Optio W10 as Kayak Cam on Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon
Is It Fog over my Pond? October Evening Paddling
Biking and Shooting along the Poudre River – Fort Collins Downtown
Fun with Pentax Optio W10 Waterproof Camera in Auto (Interval) Mode
Paddling Shots from Deck and Helmet Mounted Waterproof Cameras
Last Fall Colors on the Poudre River
Is Pentax Optio W10/W20 the Paddler’s Camera? Many Boats, Many Cameras …
A Giant Octopus at Fossil Creek … OK, It Is a Squid
Entering the Season of Winter Paddling – Douglas Lake

2007

Bows, Sterns and Rudders of Moliceiro Boats from Aveiro, Portugal
Kayaking Colorado with Fall Colors near Fort Collins
10 Reviews of Pentax Optio W30 Camera – Waterproof, Dustproof and Ready for Paddling
7 Pictures from Fall Paddling in Colorado Featuring Thunderbolt Kayak
Where to Place a Horizon in Your Paddling Pictures?
Sunset over the Boyd Lake – Another Composition Idea for a Horizon in Your Picture?
Paddling Thunderbolt Kayak in Tight Places – Lone Tree Creek
Old Truck, Young Eagle and the South Platte River Mysteries
Full Moon Kayak Workout on the Horsetooth Reservoir

2008
Word Cloud from Paddling with a Camera Feed
A Big Pipe Feeding Boyd Lake
Dangerous Rapids on South Platte River 50 Miles below Denver… Where is Deer Island ?
Blogging, Blogging, and It’s Time for Migration Again

A year ago I migrated with Paddling with a Camera blog from iblog to Wordpress. The old blog remains on line.

Dismal River 2009 – Slideshow from Paddling Nebraska Sandhills

marek — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:46:42 +0000

In the last weekend of September I went with Connie for paddling trip to Mullen, Nebraska. We took our two dogs (Pixels and Dax) and Sea Wind canoe. In Mullen we met Rob Bean with another Kruger canoe (Sawyer Loon). Me, Rob and Pixel managed to run two river trips. Connie helped us with a shuttle. We all enjoyed a beautiful early fall weather.

The first one was 36 mile paddling on the Dismal River from highway 97 (Mullen) to highway 83 (Thedford). It took us nearly 10 hours. Next day, we drove to Valentine and paddled 15 easy miles on the Niobrara River.

I prepared a 40 picture slide show from the Dismal River:

Dismal River 2009

All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W30 camera. I included a few pictures from Rob also shot with the same model of Pentax.

I am usually reducing exposure when photographing during mid day (-0.3 or -0.7). EV compensation is assigned in my camera to a “green button” for a faster operation. It allows me to avoid overexposure of bright areas like our white boats.

I am going to post more technical comments and tips from that paddling followed by pictures from the Niobrara.

Reports from the Dismal River:
… Dismal River – The First Encounter, July 27-29, 2001
… Through Barbed Wire Fences, August 24-26, 2001
… In November Rain, November 22-24, 2001
… Dismal River of Nebraska Sandhills, Carhenge and Dobby’s Frontier Town, September 2005
… Dismal River GPS/photo log (it will be updated after 2009 trip)

Nebraska Sandhills books:
This Fragile Land: A Natural History of the Nebraska Sandhills by Paul A. Johnsgard
The Nebraska Sand Hills: The Human Landscape by Charles Barron McIntosh
The Last Prairie: A Sandhills Journal by Stephen R. Jones

Paddling in Northern Colorado – Douglas Lake

marek — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:02:57 +0000

I don’t often paddle on Douglas Lake since it is on the “wrong” side of town – north of Fort Collins near Wellington. However, I launched my Thunderbolt kayak there on September 14, 2009.

The lake was pretty low. Here is its northern shallow end with a lot of birds including pelicans. I believe there also more new houses there. I found the best launching spot (a shortest way to water) on the eastern shore (unless you prefer a boat ramp).

I also found some new construction on the other side of the lake.

A new (or maybe rebuild) levee with a spillway.

A peek over the levee towards mountains.

Paddling at and after sunset was magical – a calm lake surrounded by thunderstorms. All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W30 camera.

Sisson Nucleus Kayak on Douglas Lake
Douglas Lake – Sea Kayaking in Northern Colorado
160 Lakes and Reservoirs of Colorado
Wayfarer’s Paddling Destinations: Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs

2009 Missouri River 340 Race in Fitness Paddling Blog

marek — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:21:22 +0000

36 hours before the start of 2009 MR340 Race. Kansas City skyline with a silhouette of Lewis and Clark as seen from the Kaw Point at the confluence of Kansas (Kaw) and Missouri Rivers. The moon is getting full specially for the race.

I posted several articles on the 2009 Missouri River 340 Race from Kansas CIty to St Charles in Fitness Paddling blog:

It was my 4th MR340 Race. This year I paddled Surfrigger, my outrigger canoe and completed the race in 61:11 hours.

As usual, I paddled with my Pentax Optio W30 camera, but I was shooting pictures mostly before the start and after finish. Surfrigger kept me busy paddling. I will be writing more about my racing plans and training for the next year.

Waiting for the race start delayed by a thunderstorm

Paddling Photography in September (2005-2008)

marek — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:21:08 +0000

Paddling and photographing in a late summer …

Let’s look at a selection of my blog posts in September during last four years. A year ago, post activity was very low. I was moving my blog to a new format under WordPress.

I was paddling on local lakes in northern Colorado with the exception of Dismal River trip three year ago. I am planning to paddle the Dismal again this year in the last weekend of September.

2005

Cache la Poudre River – Paddling below Fort Collins from Strauss Cabin to Archery Range

Dismal River of Nebraska Sandhills, Carhenge and Dobby’s Frontier Town (originally posted in the old Wayfarer blog in September, 2005)

Worf, the Newfoundland (1996-2005)

Gross Reservoir – Fall Paddling in Colorado Rocky Mountains

2006

Glenwood Canyon – Kayaking and Inline Skating along the Colorado River

Douglas Lake – Sea Kayaking in Northern Colorado

Kayak Photography: Using Your Paddle to Stabilize the Camera – Video Clip

Shores of Colorado – Paddling Lakes at Foothills of Rocky Mountains

7 Tips on Kayak Photography: How Did You Shoot It?

How-to Photography Articles in Problogger’s Group Writing Project

Paddling with Fall Colors near Fort Collins in Northern Colorado

Sisson Nucleus Kayak in Fall Colors – A Photo Study

2007

A Floating Strap for Your Waterproof but Sinkable Camera

7 Digital Camera Predators – Do They Threat Your Waterproof Pentax or Olympus?

A Peaceful Sunset after a Heavy Gun Fire on the Lonetree Reservoir

Canon EOS 40D Is Coming – Time to Upgrade My DSLR Camera? Update …

Kayak and Canoe Paddling Video Clips, Movies and Animations – 2007

Sunset Is Not Always Spectacular over the Front Range of Rocky Mountains

Frog Podcast from Colorado Foothills

How to Mount a Camera on a Kayak Deck with Suction Cups from Sticky Pod

Moliceiros Boats On the Central Canal in Aveiro, Portugal

2008

Bent Shaft Paddle and Outrigger Canoe

Pentax Optio, Sisson Nucleus Kayak and 3 Pictures from My Paddling Pond

Kayak and Canoe Paddling Stock Portfolio

marek — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:53:24 +0000

In November 2007 I started to sell my pictures through microstock agencies. In addition to a waterproof Pentax Optio W30 camera I often carry my DSLR camera, Canon EOS D40, with a tripod for paddling trips. It is a little bit tricky in the case of a low volume racing kayak like my Thunderbolt-X. Most often, I just pack a camera with a tripod and shoot from land. I am also trying to mount my camera on a kayak deck with the sticky pod.

Here are examples of my stock paddling photography from Kayak and canoe collection at Dreamstime, one of my microstock agencies.

My paddling pictures do not sell so well on microstock, at least, in comparison to my table studio production which actually brings me some money. However, is so much more fun to shoot outdoors, so I will keep paddling with a camera.

I am describing my experience with microstock photography including monthly earnings reports in Pixels Away microstock blog.

My popular stock photos on Dreamstime

Canon EOS 40D Camera on the Bow of a Racing Kayak
WSBS Thunderbolt-X Kayak on the Lonetree Reservoir
My microstock referral links for photographers:
Dreamstime, ShutterStock, BigStockPhoto, 123RF, FeaturePics, Panthermedia, CanStockPhoto

Adobe Lightroom Flash Gallery – Colorado River Race

marek — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:48:28 +0000

Colorado River below Dotsero seen from the bow of my Thunderbolt-X kayak during the 2007 race.
Jeremy Rodgers in his JKK Supernova is still visible far in front of me.

I am organizing my pictures into slide shows due paddling destination or event. I have several older slide shows created with Adobe Photoshop. They cover paddling up to 2006 on the Colorado, North Platte, Dismal, and Cache la Poudre rivers and Gross Reservoir. Recently, I started to experiment with Adobe Lightroom 2 and flash web galleries. The first slide show in this new series is devoted to

Colorado River Race in Glenwood Canyon

Please let me know if you have any comments or problems with a flash player. I haven’t tried to embed the flash gallery directly into the Wordpress blog yet.

This annual race on the Colorado River has been organized for many years (since 1978?) by Canoe Colorado. The race starts at Dotsero and goes 10 miles into the Glenwood Canyon with a finish at Hanging Lake parking area.

I paddled 5 of recent races: 2002 (CLC Patuxent 19.5 kayak), 2004 and 2005 (Sisson Nucleus 100 kayak), 2006 and 2007 (WSBS Thunderbolt-X kayak. I always tried to shoot some pictures before and after the race. Some pictures in 2002 were shot by Connie. During my last race in 2007 I had Pentax Optio W30 camera mounted with the sticky pod on the front deck of Thunderbolt-X kayak.

This year the race will take place on August 23 (Sunday). Please visit the Fitness Paddling blog for more information and links to race results, reports and movies.

Paddling Gross Reservoir near Boulder, Colorado

marek — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:58:07 +0000

Every year I try to visit the Gross Reservoir located west of Boulder at least once. It is one of mountain reservoirs owned by Denver Water. The Gross is opened for paddling during summer months (the Memorial Day weekend through September 30), is very scenic and quiet (with exemption of a few trains going to the Moffat Tunnel).

My recent 10 mile paddling on the Gross Reservoir was on July 3, 2009. I paddled the Surfrigger (outrigger canoe) and Rob his new/old Sawyer Loon. Loon is much lighter and faster than my Sea Wind.

All pictures below were taken from a boat with Pentax Optio W30 camera. If you check my previous trips reports you will notice that I am shooting at the same spots. The inlet of the South Boulder Creek is my favorite place to visit. I am also checking a burnt forest every time.

Rob posted some of his pictures on Facebook.

Bennett Peak to Pick Bridge on the North Platte River, Wyoming

marek — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:20:57 +0000

I am extending my paddling on the North Platte River in southern Wyoming. Last Sunday I had a very nice trip from Bennett Peak campground to Pick Bridge below Saratoga. I paddled Sea Wind canoe with Pixel, the water corgi, as a partner. Connie with Dax were waiting for me at the Pick Bridge. It was a fast training run: 36 miles in exactly 4 hours without any stops.

River flow: ~1700 cfs in the North Platte at Northgate + ~1000 cfs from the Encampment River joining just above Treasure Island, ~4500 cfs in the North Platte further downstream. It was still high water, but much lower than a month ago during the Wyoming Outback Challenge. A perfect weather with just a moderate wind, very green with a lot flowers. A lot of wildlife including nesting bald eagles.

The river below the Bennett Peak campground is very scenic. It flows in a granite canyon with many rocks and cliffs. There are multiple narrower channels in several places. Paddling was easy. I suppose that it may be more challenging at lower water: some rocks sticking out and rocky shallows in some channels.

Driving to the Bennett Peak access takes some time. It can be reached by 19 mile long dirt road starting at highway 230 a few miles east of Riverside. The road is well marked and pretty scenic. The first 10 miles you can drive at highway speed, then you need to slow down.

I started to paddle at 11am. The light was very harsh and not so pleasant for photography. Nevertheless, I shot a few pictures with Pentax Optio W30 camera between the Bennett Peak and Treasure Island for documentary reasons.

Other resources:
The Floater’s Guide to Wyoming Rivers: Paddle and Portage
Wyoming Atlas & Gazettee
map of public access areas by Wyoming Game and Fish Department
North Platte River flow: Northgate, CO | Ft Steele/Dugway

WSBS Thunderbolt-X Kayak on the Lonetree Reservoir

marek — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:41:35 +0000

Launching my Thunderbolt kayak on the Lonetree Reservoir near Loveland – tall grass and high water.
It was a pretty wet spring in Colorado.

This time I was carrying my standard “self portrait” DSLR camera gear: Canon 40D, EFs 17-55mm zoom lens, Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and TC80N3 Timer Remote Control. Of course, Pentax Optio W30 waterproof camera is always attached to my life jacket.

This is one of my stock images and is available for purchase from Featurepics together with some other paddling pictures.