Wildlife Photography from a Kayak

[MattNJ81]

I'm wondering if anyone regularly shoots from a kayak and if so, what is your setup like? It's something I have considered trying for a while, but have been hesitant. It would be nice to get closer to subjects and shoot them from a different perspective, not to mention it seems like it might be a fun change of pace from walking trails and lakefronts.

The thought of tipping over and ruining my gear however, seems less fun. I saved up for quite some time to get my current gear (D500+200-500mm) and I'm still paying off the D500. I am not in the financial position to simply replace if damaged or lost.

So the question is: is anyone shooting from a kayak? If so, any recommendations on the type of kayak and/or mount for the camera? My ideal would be a monopod or tripod with the camera mounted on gimbal right in front of the seat, but I haven't found a kayak online anywhere that seemed designed for that.

Thanks for any feedback or suggestions.

 

[dock]

I have done this for years. The 10 ft models are not as stable. I had a two person kayak for about 30 years. It was so stable I could lean way over. I did a test one time. ( no camera stuff). I used to paddle up wind then drift down on my subject worked well. On rivers you can get very close. In marshes It allows you to slowly move up.

The longer kayak will tract much better thru water.

My father love to paddle me around and as we looked for wildlife. He did this at 86 and refused to let me paddle.

cups on the paddle keep water out of your kayak. My camera is out but I carry a pelican case to place it in ---- rain etc.

 

[Jimusny]

I have done it quite a bit, but here the river is wavy and hard to stay still enough but it does allow you to get to water level and to places you cant get to by land.. if the water is calm enough or perhaps an anchor if your in current..

I use a native watercraft ultimate 12 which is pretty stable you can even stand in it if your brave, and by the way the seat is very comfortable and you can remove it and sit in on land with it if you get out somewhere good to shoot form land you cant walk to.. I would suggest any of the fishing type over regular normal kayaks and dont get a ride on top one. I carry my camera and lens compo in a pelican case which is closed floats and waterproof till I am ready to take pics.. the only time I ever flipped a kayak was getting in and out.. A pelican 1450 case fits the d500 with 200-500 attached fine but to close it you need to remove hood.. but better a hood gets wet or lost than the lens or camera

http://nativewatercraft.com/product/ultimate-12/

If I were to buy another it would be one you can paddle with your feet to stay stable in one direction and free hands to shoot, one of the fishing models could possible be modified to use a monopod in a fishing pole mount or something or on the rails on side attach a to a bar or something

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[MattNJ81]

Thank you both for sharing, good info there.

 

[BSiler]

A DPR poster named Phocal has posted a lot of information about kayak photography:

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Depends on the water. Over here there are many boats. You need to be able to store your gear immediately or the waves will destroy everything. Never used a tripod because of that.

A kayak should have a spraydeck that makes it possible to protect your gear while you get out of trouble.

Why use a kayak? There are fast, you can make serious daytrips and handle some serious waves. However they have a small margin for error. When you have calm water in your neighborhood a canoe is much more relaxed.

 

[TallTree]

Make sure you get a kayak you sit IN versus sitting ON! Lower center of gravity makes a world of difference. I fished and shot from a kayak and if you keep movement to the bare minimum wildlife will ignore most of the time. Built in flotation will help.

 

[MattNJ81]

Depends on the water. Over here there are many boats. You need to be able to store your gear immediately or the waves will destroy everything. Never used a tripod because of that.

A kayak should have a spraydeck that makes it possible to protect your gear while you get out of trouble.

Why use a kayak? There are fast, you can make serious daytrips and handle some serious waves. However they have a small margin for error. When you have calm water in your neighborhood a canoe is much more relaxed.

 

[MattNJ81]

Make sure you get a kayak you sit IN versus sitting ON! Lower center of gravity makes a world of difference. I fished and shot from a kayak and if you keep movement to the bare minimum wildlife will ignore most of the time. Built in flotation will help.

That makes sense, thanks.

 

[MattNJ81]

A DPR poster named Phocal has posted a lot of information about kayak photography:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59659328

Thanks for that, lots of good info in that post.

 

[Eric Nepean]

Depends on the water. Over here there are many boats. You need to be able to store your gear immediately or the waves will destroy everything. Never used a tripod because of that.

A kayak should have a spraydeck that makes it possible to protect your gear while you get out of trouble.

Why use a kayak? There are fast, you can make serious daytrips and handle some serious waves. However they have a small margin for error. When you have calm water in your neighborhood a canoe is much more relaxed.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Depends on the water. Over here there are many boats. You need to be able to store your gear immediately or the waves will destroy everything. Never used a tripod because of that.

A kayak should have a spraydeck that makes it possible to protect your gear while you get out of trouble.

Why use a kayak? There are fast, you can make serious daytrips and handle some serious waves. However they have a small margin for error. When you have calm water in your neighborhood a canoe is much more relaxed.

 

[TallTree]

Carrying a kayak on roof of car is very easy. Outdoor sport stores have foam used to protect surface of car and prevent sliding. Straps from nose and tail will hold and easily removed. Many vehicles have attachment points front and rear to hook straps to. Unless one is staying in the shallows, tidal creeks where water conditions are smooth would not recommend taking the chance of being upset!

 

[Richard B99]

I'm wondering if anyone regularly shoots from a kayak and if so, what is your setup like? It's something I have considered trying for a while, but have been hesitant. It would be nice to get closer to subjects and shoot them from a different perspective, not to mention it seems like it might be a fun change of pace from walking trails and lakefronts.

The thought of tipping over and ruining my gear however, seems less fun. I saved up for quite some time to get my current gear (D500+200-500mm) and I'm still paying off the D500. I am not in the financial position to simply replace if damaged or lost.

So the question is: is anyone shooting from a kayak? If so, any recommendations on the type of kayak and/or mount for the camera? My ideal would be a monopod or tripod with the camera mounted on gimbal right in front of the seat, but I haven't found a kayak online anywhere that seemed designed for that.

Thanks for any feedback or suggestions.

I posted some info about what I do a few months ago here https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59978584

Good stable kayak turns out to be ideal!

Personally, I prefer not to mount but to handhold. I tend to find shooting across the left fore-quarter of the boat gives the best control.

HTH

 

[New_Steve]

That a nearby lake drains to a wetland with a large heron rookery, and another nearby area has at least 4 eagles that like to be a couple of hundred yards out in the mudflats at low tide have been making me think a lot about a kayak as transportation even if I don't actually shoot from it. Of course being able to shoot right from the seat is even better than getting somewhere and having to get out.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with a sit on top, but you do need something that's stable. Kayaks that are intended for fishing will almost always fit the bill. They're probably not super stable when you're standing up, but fishermen do it often enough. And FWIW, even kayaks that aren't super stable don't tip that easily as long as you're relaxed and you keep your weight over the boat. It takes practice, but this is actually a balanced and stable position:

http://paddleeducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Screen-Shot-2014-07-19-at-18.29.49-e1405809718951.png

If you can find a reputable shop that's a step up from chain sporting goods stores you'll hopefully find sale staff that actually knows what they're talking about. Of course I'd certainly read reviews before buying, too.

Here's one article I looked at recently: https://dancarrphotography.com/gear/photography-from-a-kayak/ That particular boat isn't available any more, but there are plenty of other choices.

Pelican cases are great at protecting gear from impact, but I no longer trust them to be watertight. A lot of whitewater kayakers swear by Watershed bags.

Be aware that paddling on any kind of moving water has more potential risk than lakes and ponds. Wind and waves on even a small pond could make you flip, but current introduces hazards that are more serious than getting wet. Especially when you might be preoccupied with protecting thousands of dollars worth of camera gear it would be a good idea to learn a bit about river paddling if you're interested in getting on anything that isn't very slow.

 

[TallTree]

Make sure you get a kayak you sit IN versus sitting ON! Lower center of gravity makes a world of difference. I fished and shot from a kayak and if you keep movement to the bare minimum wildlife will ignore most of the time. Built in flotation will help.

That makes sense, thanks.

Should have mentioned a wide beam creates a more stable platform and 12 - 14 feet will make traveling in a straight line easier. Was at "Dicks" sports store yesterday and they have an assortment of kayaks if they are near you. If you get the chance visit a local kayak center that provides kayaks to test.

 

[Eric Nepean]

Carrying a kayak on roof of car is very easy. Outdoor sport stores have foam used to protect surface of car and prevent sliding. Straps from nose and tail will hold and easily removed. Many vehicles have attachment points front and rear to hook straps to. Unless one is staying in the shallows, tidal creeks where water conditions are smooth would not recommend taking the chance of being upset!

Carrying the boat is relatively simple.

Depending on your vehicle, your boat and your health, getting the boat to the top of the vehicle alone may be dead simple or really tricky, and this is what the OP ihas asked about.

I have a lightweight canoe, with it balanced on my shoulders I can slide the boat over the roof rack from the rear with no problems.

I've seen some inexpensive kayaks that are quite heavy, and getting these tto the top of a car without scratching the vehicle, can be an issue, especially if the vehicle is tall.

A few key things: the boat should be relatively light, say 60lb or less, and the vehicle should have a roof rack, and the roof rack should not be higher than your head (ideally should er height).

And the vehicle should have tie down opportunities at the front, and at the rear.

If the vehicle has towing hoooks or eyes, these are great. A heavy metal bumber can also be made to work.

Failing these, I have seen people attach nylon straps to the top of the shock abosorbers inside the engine compartment, and then run these out from under the engine hood on the side as tie downs.

 

[Bobthearch]

One thing that hasn't been suggested, a kayak model with a larger cockpit opening will allow you to move around more and access gear easier.

I have the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140. It's long and slender but with a cockpit opening that's wider than some other brands or other models. Wife has a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 125, which isn't quite as long but has a wider stance and taller hull than the 140.

Honest, despite how much I like my Tsunami, the Wilderness Systems Pungo would have suited my needs and lifestyle better. Huge cockpit, coffee cup holder, reachable storage bin...

Our lakes here are rather small, very small in fact. But with the New Mexico wind blowing, it's not unusual to have waves white-capping across the top of the hull. Just something to consider if you're expecting to paddle only on glassy-smooth water.

Also consider if you might do some river paddling, even occasionally. A kayak that's perfect for tracking straight across open water isn't going to do well in flowing currents and river bends. Maybe something in-between with a bit of rocker?

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[Bobthearch]

I would not mount my camera on the kayak, unless it was a waterproof camera!

My camera stays in a Watershed bag unless I'm taking a photo.

 

[Jimusny]

You could always buy one of these.. looks pretty stable







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