My latest wildlife photography accessory

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ssheipel

ssheipel

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Real winter (10 cm of snow) arrived within hours of my taking the boat off my car after picking it up from the builder, so it's going to have to wait for spring. Those of you who shoot from a canoe/kayak, I welcome all tips and advice for getting the shot AND keeping the gear in the boat LOL

Swift Canoe. Prospector, solo. 14 feet, Kevlar hull, carbon most everything else. 28 pounds!


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Beautiful canoe - congratulations! I photograph from my canoe fairly often, and although it's larger than yours (Trailhead Prospector, Kevlar, 16 feet) the same rules apply. First, you must remember that a canoe has 2 stable positions. To minimize the possibility of capsizing, I maintain a kneeling position and I have my camera bag secured to my thwart just in case. I've never flipped a canoe whilst photographing and hope that I never do.
Two tips about Kevlar canoes - their lightness makes them much more prone to going where the wind wants to take them, and they have a tendency to form 'star' cracks if dropped onto a rock or 'porpoise' when towed behind a fast boat, since the kevlar is very flexible, but the resin/gel coat is not and the latter forms these 'star' cracks when stressed enough. I always carry a roll of duct tape when canoeing, especially in the wilderness.
Again, lovely canoe :)
cheers,
Alex
 
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that's a nice canoe. I strongly suggest getting one or more appropriate size dry bags. In the unlikely event you do flip the boat, at least the gear in the dry bag stands a chance of both staying dry and not ending up at the bottom of the lake/stream. I shoot from my kayak some it is not my primary platform however I do use it (fishing and photography) and am always paranoid about dumping my stuff in the drink. I started putting camera gear and other necessary things (i.e. dry clothing) in dry bags and leather them to the kayak. If it flips, there is air inside them and they will float for a few seconds and when attached to the boat, they will still be there when you either right the ship or doggie paddle it to shore."

Looking forward to seeing your photos from your new boat.
 
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Jeff's recommendation of dry bags is a good one. I use one that's long enough to fit my longest camera/telephoto and still able to seal it. I lined it with closed cell foam from a camping/sleeping pad. It holds camera body w/500mm PF with hood attached or 500mm f4 with hood "stored". When traveling I keep the bag sealed. When paddling but ready to shoot I keep the bag open with the camera/lens inside ready to shoot. The bag keeps the kit dry from drips off the paddle and slides out easily when ready to shoot.

As far as keeping the boat right side up, avoid twisting around to shoot as much as possible. IOW point the boat at what you plan to shoot or put it on the side of the boat that's lets you shoot without contorting your body. I'm right handed so for me keeping the left side of the boat toward the subject works. If something pops up to my right a quick backstroke on the right side twists the boat around before pulling the camera from the drybag.

Shooting from a canoe/kayak is a great way to get close to the critters and provides a naturally low POV.
 
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ssheipel said:
Real winter (10 cm of snow) arrived within hours of my taking the boat off my car after picking it up from the builder, so it's going to have to wait for spring. Those of you who shoot from a canoe/kayak, I welcome all tips and advice for getting the shot AND keeping the gear in the boat LOL

Swift Canoe. Prospector, solo. 14 feet, Kevlar hull, carbon most everything else. 28 pounds!


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Nice Steven. Good luck in the spring👍👍
 
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Congratulations. I think you’ll have great fun photographing from your new canoe. I find that I can get closer to waterbirds and wildlife along the shore in a canoe or kayak without disturbing them than I can in other water vehicles (say, a pontoon or hydro-bike). I also like the position you are in in a canoe or kayak— lower to the water than in other water vehicles.

I tend to use a kayak when I am alone, as I find it easier to paddle a kayak solo than a canoe. But I know people who use solo canoes too. I tend to use a canoe when my wife comes along, so we have two paddlers.

I keep my camera or cameras in dry bags when not shooting - I tend to leave the bag open with the camera/lens in it ready to shoot if I am in an area where I expect to see subjects (the bag helps with water dripping or splashing from paddling, but if it is open, it’s quick to get the camera out). When paddling to get somewhere and not in an area where I expect to see subjects, I tend to have the camera/lens in the dry bag closed and if in a canoe, I clip the bag to a thwart, in case I were to capsize. I have a couple of dry bags made by Overboard that are made to fit cameras and lenses and work pretty well, depending on the camera/lens combo (they are not big enough for my Z9 and Z800 PF, but work nicely if I am using a 500 mm PF or Z 100-400, especially with a Z7II, but ok, although a little tight, with a Z9).

I often take two camera/lens combinations. One long (say the 500 mm PF + 1.4x TC) and one short (say the Z 100-400 or F 70-300 AF-P FX), as sometimes siubjects are farther away and sometime close. In good light, I sometimes use the Z 100-400 with a Z 1.4x TC as a one lens solution.
 
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Great advice above. I don't have any photo advice to offer. After thinking about it, I would say, lock it up when not in use. My canoe got borrowed one weekend evening (probably from neighbor kids having a little too much fun), and never returned.

What a beautiful canoe. Enjoy your newfound adventure.
 
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Nice looking canoe, glad to see it has toe pegs which will make paddling much easier and increase stability, I use a 10' 6" Hornbeck (similar to Nessmuk's legendary Wee Lassie) that weighs about 14 pounds (Kevlar/carbon fiber hull, cherry trim). In mine, the seat rests on the floor with a backrest against the thwart and so it's very stable. Is it possible to lower your seat? I'd suggest you paddle with a kayak paddle for ease of paddling -- it also increases stability -- and carry a short canoe paddle for when you want to be more stealthy and in case you lose your main paddle.

A Pelican case or a waterproof ammo-type can for your camera is easier and quicker to open and close than a dry bag and you may want to keep the camera in a closed/latched case unless you're actually taking a photo. Make sure you tether the case to the thwart so if you do go over it doesn't sink or float away; also make sure one of your paddles is tethered to the boat, it's awfully easy to lose a paddle in the excitement of photographing something special. Never turn your body more than 90 degrees when taking a photo -- and watch where you're going, especially for submerged rocks and stumps. It's really easy to hit an underwater obstacle and roll over so quickly and gently that you can't stop (do not ask!!!!).

I'll second keeping your new canoe locked up, out of sight if possible. If you store it outside make sure it's up off the ground, upside down and use a protective coating (Armor All Protectant or a similar product) to reduce deterioration from sunlight.

Enjoy your new canoe, she looks like a beauty.
 
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That is a fabulous canoe! Only 28 lbs! Wow! That will be a breeze to haul around! I'm a little envious!

When I was still in Florida, I shot from my kayak (Wilderness Systems Pungo 120). It was similar to your canoe in that it's a wide flat bottom, which is the perfect stable platform for photography. I miss using mine, but it's hard to find flatwater in SoCal and I've yet to find a place to take it out since returning here.

I feel like it's honestly the best way to get close to birds (and gators and otters and turtles) in a lot of areas. I loved it. Paddle very quietly, taking care not to splash, and then let it drift silently the last little bit and birds would let you get within a few feet of them without even the slightest concern. Takes some practice to get good at it, but with it's remarkable how much less threatening we appear in a quiet boat.

I typically carried a large dry bag, which is where the camera lived whenever it wasn't in my hands. Accessory items (and my keys) went into a small Pelican case. But with a larger open area like yours, you could probably do even better with everything in a large Pelican case or similar. I also carried a bunch of towels, because inevitably there's water sloshing around in the hull or dripping down the paddle or whatnot. Kept them in the dry bag too, which also made for nice padding for the camera.

Then after that, of course, the key thing is: don't tip the boat over. ;)

Enjoy! You're going to have a great time with this!
 
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That's awesome! I just ordered a Swift Pack Boat 13.6 in Carbon Fusion two weeks ago. It's supposed to be delivered to me here in Southern California sometime this winter or spring. It costs a chunk of change to ship it but I don't have time to drive to Ontario to pick it up next summer. I'm planning to take the boat with me on a trip to the Northern Yukon Territory in spring.
 
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Tim Karels said:
That's awesome! I just ordered a Swift Pack Boat 13.6 in Carbon Fusion two weeks ago. It's supposed to be delivered to me here in Southern California sometime this winter or spring. It costs a chunk of change to ship it but I don't have time to drive to Ontario to pick it up next summer. I'm planning to take the boat with me on a trip to the Northern Yukon Territory in spring.
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Can I ask where you're going to paddle locally? I'm dying to take my kayak out again, but it's not suited at all to whitewater and I haven't really been able to find good places to take it in SoCal yet.
 
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I'm not so certain about SoCal myself as I'm mostly planning on trips where there are usually good canoeing locations. Once I get it here, I do plan on taking it up to Castaic Lake which is fairly close to where I live. I also would like to take it to the Elkhorn Sough which is up by Monterey. There are also some lagoons down towards San Diego that I may end up exploring. If you or anyone else has some ideas, I'd be happy to hear about them.
 
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Tim Karels said:
I'm not so certain about SoCal myself as I'm mostly planning on trips where there are usually good canoeing locations. Once I get it here, I do plan on taking it up to Castaic Lake which is fairly close to where I live. I also would like to take it to the Elkhorn Sough which is up by Monterey. There are also some lagoons down towards San Diego that I may end up exploring. If you or anyone else has some ideas, I'd be happy to hear about them.
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Yeah, I'm pretty close to Castaic too, but it always seemed... a little less than scenic. (Then again, maybe I'm just frustrated because the rivers I grew up with in Florida were so lovely).

I have considered taking it up to some of the lakes in the Eastern Sierra, like June Lake or others nearby. I'll have to look into Elkhorn Slough, though! Could be promising.
 
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One other item on photography fro a canoe or kayak. I tend to keep my shutter speeds up. Waterbirds are often swimming. And even if they are not, wind is another source of motion for the camera and subject -- potentially causing both your canoe and the subject to drift with the wind or to rock with waves.
 
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I kayak and canoe a fair amount and have taken full bags of gear throughout Voyager NP (lots of open water), the Apostle Islands, the Elkhorn Slough (multiple times), and locally on the St. Croix River. I do not do much other than put my F-stop Bag in the hull between my legs and keep a towel to dry things off. I've used dry bags on occasion, but they get in the way.
My key tips... work slowly, paddle slowly, pack the gear when you need to paddle hard, put yourself in places you can drift or rest the craft against a fallen log.
I've photographed the same heron rookery from a canoe & kayak since 2010 (I think)... it's about 2 to 4 outings per year (weather permitting), and I've learned to work slowly and know that nothing happens only once. I miss a lot of shots because I don't want to swamp the craft, but I also get a lot shots that I could never get if I was not in the water craft.

Have fun w/ your new boat!
bruce
 
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ssheipel said:
Real winter (10 cm of snow) arrived within hours of my taking the boat off my car after picking it up from the builder, so it's going to have to wait for spring. Those of you who shoot from a canoe/kayak, I welcome all tips and advice for getting the shot AND keeping the gear in the boat LOL
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She's a beauty Steven. I am a little confused as to where the portable barbeque attaches and water tunes.? Had one when younger for 2 people but never felt comfortable myself but never rolled it even in chop on lakes. I am sure you'll have fun and others are right about water tight bags.
 
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Steven,

That is a beautiful canoe and you are going to have a great time with it. At 28 lbs it's going to be a dream to paddle, let alone get on and off your vehicle. For fun I have compared your craft with my 17' (65 lbs) plastic "family" canoe and 10' (26 lbs) inflatable kayak. I can just about get the canoe on/off my truck by myself, whereas the inflatable kayak is much more versatile and compacts down to a small suitcase size.

I use two dry bags, one for camera/lens and a smaller one for keys, phone etc. If I am paddling out to a site, I definitely have the dry bags attached. Padding the camera/lens bag is important because you can't protect the camera/lens out on the water the same way you can when on a sling or cradled in your arms.

I have a fair bit of whitewater experience, which comes in handy when offshore in a choppy waters and if I have to hold the lens out over the water. When photographing from the canoe I definitely try to sit on the floor for stability and POV.

Having access to water craft can make all the difference when shooting shorebirds where the sun would otherwise be silhouetting the subjects and/or where the shore is steep and you can't get a decent background. It also helps to photograph offshore marine species like murres, auklets, sealions, dolphins, whales etc.

Shooting from a small water craft has its risks but, if you are prepared (know your limits, learn about local winds, tides, currents, weather forecast, bird behaviour etc.) , it can be extremely rewarding. I'm attaching a few recent shots that would only have been possible from a small water craft.

Have fun in the Spring and I look forward to images taken from it with your Z9 / Z600mm TC combo!



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I am guessing that you will find your canoe is the best camera accessory you have purchased when it comes to wildlife photography of animals in and around water. That's how I feel about my kayak. 14 feet and only 28 pounds - fantastic, my 14 foot Pungo 140 weighs 58.
 
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ssheipel said:
Real winter (10 cm of snow) arrived within hours of my taking the boat off my car after picking it up from the builder, so it's going to have to wait for spring. Those of you who shoot from a canoe/kayak, I welcome all tips and advice for getting the shot AND keeping the gear in the boat LOL

Swift Canoe. Prospector, solo. 14 feet, Kevlar hull, carbon most everything else. 28 pounds!


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Great buy Steven & congrats . All the best for Kayak Birding 😊
 
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