Shooting from a boat

[Pao Dolina]

In a few weeks time I will be shooting some birds of prey from the boat below. I would like to know what boat-specific photo gear and shooting techniques I should practice on land before trying this out. I will not be steering the boat so my full attention is to shooting the birds.

http://balarila.smugmug.com/Other/Stuff/MWCBoat/750660026_PEaor-XL.jpg

[Jim Neiger]

I would suggest hand holding with lots of practice before hand if possible. It might be easier to answer your question if we knew what equipment you have available and some details about the area you will be photographijng in.

[Mike Tracy]

Hand holding and maybe tote a bean bag with you. All the framework for the top as well as the top itself would be my biggest concern. I would definitely claim the bow seat to give you the best chance.

[Pao Dolina]

Equipment I have access too are

800/5.6L IS
300/2.8L IS
Extender 2x
Extender 1.4x
Gitzo GT5541LS
Wimerley WH-200
Manfrotto 557B Video Monopod.

We can remove the tarpoline roof with no problem

I'll be shooting at the The La Mesa Watershed and Eco-Park is a dam and an ecological reservation site in Quezon City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_City) in the Philippines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines). It is part of the Angat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angat_Dam)-Ipo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipo_Dam)-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Manila). The La Mesa Dam is an earth dam whose reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters occupying an area of 27 square kilometers.

La Mesa in Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=14%C2%B043%E2%80%B2N+121%C2%B005%E2%80%B2E&ie=UTF8&ll=14.722051,121.081481&spn=0.029179,0.067978&t=h&z=15)

The location has the Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Ospreys, Purple Heron, Yellow Bittern and other smaller birds.

[Michael Bertelsen]

Hi Pao,

Having looked at the boat you will be using it's very narrow and has a canoe style hull.
This means that anyone in the boat that makes the slightest movement will also cause the boat to rock.
So I would go with Jim's advice and try to hand hold.
I think you will like the monopod as long as you can place the foot on the boats centerline.
In my opinion I would leave the tripod on shore.
Wish I was going with you.

Michael Bertelsen
www.algonquinparkphototours.com (http://www.algonquinparkphototours.com)

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Keep it all dry on the inside ie. the humidity there can be unforgiving, looking at the boat and depending on the weather possibly a monopod for the 300 and a good tripod for the 600, I have lost count of the photographers I know who have fallen overboard on boat trips ask the captain about the stability of the craft and happy hunting.:)

[Pao Dolina]

Hi Pao,

Having looked at the boat you will be using it's very narrow and has a canoe style hull.
This means that anyone in the boat that makes the slightest movement will also cause the boat to rock.
So I would go with Jim's advice and try to hand hold.
I think you will like the monopod as long as you can place the foot on the boats centerline.
In my opinion I would leave the tripod on shore.
Wish I was going with you.

Michael Bertelsen
www.algonquinparkphototours.com (http://www.algonquinparkphototours.com)
According to the photog the boat's wider than what's on the photo. The distortion of an ultra wide angle zoom caused the boat to stretch out a bit. As demonstrated by the boatman's head.

So I really have to shoot with a 300 + Extender + body + monopod. *sigh* Would've been nice to shoot with an 800 + extender. :))

[philperry]

Interesting query Pao. Later this year I will be hoping to photograph jaguars, if I get lucky, from a small motorised river boat in Brazil's Pantanal and will face similar problems.

I am planning on taking two bodies with my 75-300 DO IS and 400 f4 DO IS lenses. I propose to hand hold the former. For the latter I am thinking of using either a BushHawk rifle grip & electric release, a monopod or a small travel tripod with a Mongoose gimbal head. Its a bit tricky knowing which combination will be best, so I may need to decide when I am there.

[john j. henderson]

I have shot a bit on a boat, lived on a boat and have captains license. I would have them remove the canopy and sit in the middle of the boat. This is the area of least movement; the front and rear ends have the most movement.

Will you be on boat alone, is so, have boat operator turn off the engine to reduce vibration. It would be pretty difficult to use a long lens (600 or 800) on a boat that is not beached or on very calm water. Agree with other, plan to hand-hold. Raise you ISO to compensate for movements of boat and self.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Pao Will be fun !!

Agree with Jim on hand holding, form a boat is about the only way, even a monopod will cause problems if there is any movement.

Good points by John regarding the center of the boat and keeping the magnification down, just use what you need !!!

[Stephen Feingold]

The best device for shooting from boats and planes is a gyroscopic stabilizer. Several companies make them, but Kenyon is popular for still cameras.