Why I love to kayak.

Western Painted Turtles crowding on a log at Dutch Lake, near Clearwater.
Being on the water is an excellent way to experience nature.  It doesn't work well if you are on a large vessel like a cruise ship though, you have to get close to the action and be small enough to not influence it significantly.  I find kayaking is the best way to achieve this.

As a photographer, I want to be as close to my subjects as possible without affecting behaviour.  I use a camera with a relative focal length lens between 400 and 900 mm.  This usually allows me to get a full framed view of many medium-sized birds from a discrete viewing distance.  The above photo was shot at 460 mm (690 relative); I had to reduce my lens' focal length as I was too close - which is rarely ever a problem.

I have used both canoes and kayaks to approach and photograph wildlife.  Of the two I find that kayaks are better suited because of their ability to control them.  My Delta 15-5 kayak has a rudder that facilitates pointing it in the desired direction.  Canoes are easily swayed by wind and do not involve rudders.  I suppose a small skiff with an electric motor could also do the job.  They tend to be larger, you are sitting up higher and so pose more of a threat, and they are not great around shallows.

When searching for photographic fodder I paddle quietly along the shoreline keeping a few feet of water underneath me.  I spend a lot of time gliding, using my rudder (controlled by foot pedals) to keep me going in the right direction.  When I find something I change my approach direction according to the available shot.  I glide slowly towards it, not disturbing is or giving it cause for concern.  The quiet, waveless motion in conjunction with a low profile and barely discernable movements helps in the subterfuge.

On my venture yesterday I photographed a number of turtles, a pair of common mergansers, a loon, and an osprey.  The loon was particularly memorable; one surfaced only three or four feet from my kayak.  It was so close the resulting photo was solely of its head (I didn't even fit the whole bill in the frame).  I just love it when that happens. 

Yes, kayaking is the way to go for me.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen

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