Shooting from canoe or boat
Recently bought a new canoe for the upcoming season. Would like feedback and experiences from those who have gone before me. Keeping gear dry, I have a lowepro AW backpack but would not be good for sitting in water in the bottom of a boat. Pelican case or good sealing cooler to keep gear in in between shooting locations. The watercraft will help reach and approach waterfowl in some locations that I frequent.
Would like to hear ideas and what to watch out for.
Thank You in advance
Chris:
I have done some shooting from a kayak, fair amount from small rowboats and fishing boats.
Yes to a Pelican or similar protection. A cooler might work OK as well, and certainly a lot cheaper to try. You really do need some protection from the spray/drips when not shooting.
Stability was always the issue for me in the kayak. There have been many wonderful images taken from them, but I always felt vaguely uncomfortable with my gear in them. The longest set up I used was a 300mm f/4 on a D300, effective focal length of 450mm.
One thing that might help is to have a cushion or pad to sit in the bottom of the canoe once you reach your destination. This will lower your center of gravity, and should help with stability. Tripod use isn't probably practical in a canoe, but you certainly can figure out some type of rest to place on the gunwales if needed.
You will often be shooting in marginal light, so a VR lens, higher ISO, faster lenses, will all help keep your shutter speed up.
Give it a try, can be great fun, just not as easy at it seems on first blush, at least not for me.
Good luck!
Randy
If keeping your gear dry is the main criterion then you might consider a dry bag. You can get these in various sizes and styles. With the clear ones you can see and locate various gadgets you might bring along. Easy to seal, clip onto the boat, access camera and such. Not the protection that a hard case offers but handy for many situations calling for keeping items dry in boats.
Thank you for the response, I came a crossed this deal on a used Coleman Ram X 16 which I could not pass up. Which are noted to be heavy but stable. Have used many different type of boats for hunting and fishing, but have not been in a canoe for quite a while. But it will be more portable and adaptable.
Mostly shooting D300 with 300mm f4 for BIF during the day and early morning and late evening I prefer to go with my 200mm f2 VR with 1.7TC. The reason for the canoe is there are some areas I would like to access on calm flat water but land approach is not feasible.
Yes I do think the pelican would give great protection and is on my list of things to get. But until then I have a cooler that seals watertight. Some place where I could store camera between location changes to keep dry and safe. Will also work well as a camera support with a bean bag on it. Then if the canoe feels comfortable and a good platform Pelican cases will be invested. I will need at least one by next year for a Alaska trip.
Hello,
I have an "Ultimate 12" from Native Watercraft.
Kind of a canoe / kayak cross.
I just take it out on smaller lakes - with that having the gear on a pad on the floor has worked out fine. Good insurance makes the whole process more relaxing as well.
Here's a photo of the setup - I have a wooden bar mounted across the front of the boat. There is a trolling motor hooked to that, so that I can do all my steering by foot - leaving both hands free for the camera.
I've since replaced the car battery with an ATV battery, so it isn't so front heavy. ;)
Steve:
Thanks for the picture. You are a brave fellow:) I find the tripods just too unstable when working with a small spread of the legs like this. It would be easy enough to build a small frame to support the ballhead and secure it to the boat. Would enjoy seeing some of the pictures you have created with this set up.
Cheers
Randy
Hey Randy,
The tripod holds the lens to my eye. I really do almost all the left / right movement with my foot, moving the boat. Of course I do a little with the tripod, but not much. With this in mind it is pretty stable.
When I take the 200-400 out I usually just handhold that.
Here's one example from this set-up with the 600 that gives a nice example of the low shooting angle. This is a juvenile common loon, about 10-12 weeks old.
Steve excellent setup. I had thought of a trolling motor down the road. Having the footcontrol would be most excellent.
PS Bought a pelican case for waterproof connection.
Steve,
I recently purchased an Ultimate 12 also. How do you transport yours? There are some elaborate setups out there.....personally I'm wondering why I can't just throw it in the back of the truck and go?
Colin
I've had a Yakima rack on my car for bikes for some time. They make a "canoe" set that is just four small pieces of rubber that hold it in place nicely. I'm sure other rack makers have something similar.Originally Posted by clknight
In general you want to avoid abrasions on the canoe / kayak material, so unless you had some type of softer liner in the bed of your truck I'd probably counsel against just throwing it in there. That being said, if you just put a small piece of foam under each end so it is resting on the foam and tie it down tightly that would likely be just fine.
Last way - I have a 2001 volvo wagon. If I fold the front passenger seat all the way down I can fit the whole thing inside. Much less noise than on the rack, and much less worry about it being stolen. Just have to clean it off well before I put it in there as it really is my wife's car. :D
I'll take another swing....My truck bed with the tailgate down is 7 feet 7 inches. If I tie it down I'll have just over 4 feet hanging off the bed. Will this cause the plastic body to deform or should it be OK? I have to find this out by Monday when I go to pick it up. =)
Thanks for your help!
Colin
It won't bend a millimeter. That will be just fine.
Thanks a bunch! I'm really looking forward to it.
Colin
Colin, I spend most of my time in a canoe when photographing, and I've been doing that for a few years now. Just a couple more things to think about. First, I'm curious, which canoe did you purchase?
I cannot stress enough how important the pelican case is and much better than the dry bag for obvious reasons. With my canoe, I use a 1500 pelican case, which sits perfectly in front of me whether I am sitting or kneeling. Dry bags are OK for day trips, but they do allow moisture inside.
Second, your paddle is very important too (and bring a spare if you can, a cheap metal retractable will do). I use a 10 0z carbon fiber bent shaft. Although I have it primarily because I do long canoe trips, I find that it is perfect for photographing. It is quiet in the water and I can easily manuever the boat with it when it tight places or needing to move stealthily. It's pricey, but worth every dollar. I learned the hard way the importance of a spare, I absentmindedly let go of my paddle when concentrating on photographing a spider in a creek. By the time I realized it was gone, it had floated several hundred feet away. Fortunately, it floats!
Another point on paddles, my experience in the kayak and with kayak paddles is that it is wetter and more difficult to avoid spray. In the canoe, you will not have that issue. The canoe paddle is a drier way to go.
Third, not sure where you will be photographing, but I use an anchor and in shallow waters, a stake out pole that I made from PVC piping and the pointy part of a hiking pole. I often use both at the same time. I tie the bow and stern ropes together leaving some slack to shift them from left to right over my head and attach my anchor to the ropes.
Photographing from a canoe is a beautiful experience. I have a lot of information on that topic at my website if you are interested.
Good luck!
Connie
I've been a kayaker for 20 years. Almost everything I have taken onboard has gotten soaked at one time or another. All my gear can now survive a dunking. (Watch, binocs etc.) I have not dared to try photography w/large, expensive lens. I DO have a dry bag for the camera when paddling to photo location. You MAY not get wet but the risk is definitely there. You should seriously consider the stability of your boat. POKE boats are VERY wide and stable. also short and light.
Steve, your kayak is sitting very low in the bow. You could move the battery toward the stern, just to the rear of the seat. That would improve the fore-aft balance. Also should improve boat handling. Derek Hutchinson recommended adding 20lb ballast weight to his kayaks when using a camera. Looks like you have improved on his recommendation... He used dead weight, not a battery for power...
This is impressive!
My situation just got more complicated: A friend ordered a kayak with mine. It shipped via freight to Charlotte International Airport. Well, he can't be there to pick his up tomorrow. So I need to get 2 kayaks instead of 1. I was unsure about how to hall two of them in my little S-10, so I thought it would be better to put the seats down in the Nissan Quest (family van) and try to get both of them in there. Well, it measures just a few inches short of 12 feet. Fitting 2 kayaks in there will be a real challenge tomorrow. But here goes nothing...
I bought a kayak, the Native Watercraft Ultimate 12. It has quite good reviews for stability: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b6ryp7nMFc
What do you carry in your dry bag? I'm just curious because I have the Lowepro Lenstrekker. I was just planning on putting stuff in there since my 500mm will be set up on the tripod like the above video. It will keep the contents dry with no problem.
Hmmm....paddle....I looked at the prices of those things and laughed! They go up to several hundred dollars. Basically, I won't pay for something expensive unless I feel it's worth it. (The 500mm for example). So I bought a cheap paddle. It got good reviews....we'll see if I regret it. =)
Very good suggestions here. Thanks a lot and I'll check out your website!
Colin
Thanks for your help here. Are you a kayaker, or a kayaking photographer? =) I assume a little of both. I'm hoping to take it easy and have good luck like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b6ryp7nMFc
But having everything insured helps a bunch.
Colin
Last edited by Colin Knight; 09-13-2009 at 07:45 PM.
You're insured? Well then, don't worry. Just be careful. Also be sure and wear your PFD. Dress for immersion, not for the air temp. Insurance will help replace your equipment but not your life. It COULD help your heirs though...
A good paddle is like a good lens, expensive but worth it. You should consider putting on 2 drip rings on each side of the paddle, just to keep you hands dry and warm.
One alternate way into the water is a float ring. It's a glorified inner tube, sometimes has a neoprene chest-wader built in. Then you are IN the water, not on it. You won't cover much distance but you also won't alarm the birds as much. Kayaking is GREAT for seeing non-game birds. Scares the heck out of ducks though.
John Mc
Colin, the only way you are going to fall into the water is if you do something very stupid absentmindedly, or you are paddling in extreme conditions. In which case, you wouldn't be out there photgraphing with your 500mm. I worry more about my equipment when on a beach photographing than in my canoe. I have used large (can't remember the size number) dry bags, I used 2 at a time for my lens and camera all connected and ready to pull out and use. With a canoe, I have plenty of room for a large pelican case. The canoe is soooooo much easier for photography than a kayak.
The paddle is your best friend.
Connie
Connie,
I took the Native out yesterday. It is quite a watercraft! It would truly take a lot of effort to tip it over. It's the perfect size and meshes well with my tripod. I can't wait to go on a serious shoot with it.
My el cheapo paddle worked well. But I do wish for something longer than 240cm.
Colin
Colin, so glad to hear that you are enjoying your boat and it's working well for you! Good luck with the photography from a boat, it brings some unique challenges but also provides lots of opportunities you wouldn't have otherwise. Depending on where you are shooting, you might want to look into getting an anchor.
Connie
Well, I took it out for the first time today. WOW!! I got more action than in a few hours this morning than I have on foot all year! This adds a whole new dimension to bird photography. The first 13 here are from this morning: http://www.pbase.com/clknight/birding_with_my_500mm_f4 if you're curious. Nothing great, but at worst I spent a peaceful morning on the lake watching the sunrise.
And you're right, Connie. I would have to do something seriously stupid to flip over. The Ultimate 12 is rock solid.
Thanks for the help along the way!
Colin
Hi ;-) I also like to do bird and wildlife from a Canoe. However, I've always shot handheld, as the front paddling position (my wife steers!) is too narrow to use the tripod.
Has anyone had success using a monopod in a canoe ? I was thinking of getting one for those situations, also considering that a 3 legged tripod will likely pick us any side movement happening...
I have used a seat post with a BLUBB on it and I prefer that to using a monopod.
It is easy to install a seat post. Just install a base plate(stainless-$25) on one of the canoes seats.
The seat post($14-$20) just sets right in and is easily removed. Several different lengths are available.
For added stability add a seat mount($15)to the post, then set the BLUBB on top of that.
I'll look for some images I have of the setup.
Looking for seeing a pic if you have one. My canoe, however, is actually a whitewater canoe outfitted with saddles, not seats. So I won't likely be able to set-up a seat-post. I am kneeling on a foam saddle....
A bit like this: (although this is a solo boat) http://www.middletonsboats.com/604-2...olo_adj250.jpg
Steph
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