Over the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of paddling during some stunning sunsets. Last night was no exception. I had headed down to Calshot to run through my training programme and decided to two review boats, the Valley Etain 17-5 and Valley Etain RM in order to switch boats half way through the session and provide some comparative feedback for the forthcoming review.

I’d got out earlier than expected so as I was finishing up the session, the sun was starting to set and provided a beautiful golden display over Southampton Water. I couldn’t resist staying on for an hour or so taking photos. Seem’s I wasn’t the only person with that idea and a number of other folk had stopped by to enjoy the view, including paddling friend Jackie Ward from New Forest Kayak and Canoe Club.

Despite the industrial back drop of Fawley Refinery and Oil Terminal the view was just magical.

Watching Sunset

A recent post on the UKRGB website entitled ‘Dawn Patrol‘, which discusses paddling at what are normally thought to be anti-social hours resonated with me and led to me putting together a short slideshow from the 2010-2011 Winter seasons paddles.

Many of the photos are taken from similar places, with a couple looking, unapologetically, like blatant product shots as I am often trying to get nice pictures for reviews I write. I never worry about rephotographing the same spot, something Derrick Quix over at Kayak Quixotica seems to agree with in one of his past articles on photography.

You can click to a the ‘X’ icon on the bottom right of the slideshow to view full screen or visit the Vimeo site to see a 1080p HD version. Enjoy!

Light Trails

Whilst there are a huge number of Sea Kayaking related blogs/websites that feature some excellent photographs, I find those photographers who combine ‘on the water’ sea kayaking shots with images of the location, wildlife and environment giving a real sense of both the location and journey the most inspirational. I also enjoy sites where, at times, Sea Kayaking is mixed in with other outdoor activities and environments.

I have a ‘top five’ set of websites that I gain the most inspiration from and I thought I would share them with you.

Sea Kayaking With Sea Kayak Photo by Douglas Wilcox: Douglas is well known amongst the paddling community for his awesome catalogue of amazing photographs from the West Coast of Scotland. The quality of his photographs is simply stunning and never ceases to prove inspirational. His ability to tell the story of a paddling route through images is superb.

South West Sea Kayaking by Mark Rainsley: Mark has the ability to capture not only stunning images of Sea Kayaking (and White Water Paddling) but also wonderful shots of the Coastal landscape and wildlife. His blog also includes images from his life and passion for the outdoors in his Dorset location as well as his travels around the UK. He has also shared the equipment he uses in a very interesting article on his site.

Bryan Hansel Photography & Paddling Light by Bryan Hansel: Kayak Guide, Photographer and all round Outdoor Enthusiast Bryan Hansel delivers some fantastic images from his Minnesota base. Often providing posts on the technique or equipment used to capture these images (see this example) his work cover not only Sea Kayaking but other Outdoor Sports and his local landscape. His current (Jan 2011) Ice photos are awesome.

Kayak.nu by Erik Sjöstedt: I featured this website in a recent article but continue to enjoy exploring the very high quality photographs featuring some striking locations. Once again, the images not only capture Sea Kayaking action but the local flora, fauna and landscapes. Look for the ‘Bilder‘ link in the top navigation bar.

Mountain Sea Scotland by Ian Johnston: the most recent addition to my ‘top five’ is this blog which covers mountain and sea based activities and features some stunning coastline, nature and landscape photography. I’m still delving into the archived posts to find more beautiful shots.

Have I missed a Sea Kayaking based website featuring photography you find similarly inspirational, whether it inspires you to get out and paddle or pick up your camera?

Sea Kayak Photo

I came across Sea Kayaking With Sea Kayak Photo after hearing one of the excellent Sea Kayak Podcasts where host Simon Willis interviewed Douglas about his love of photography and how he has so successfully combined it with a real passion for sea kayaking.

Alongside descriptions and stories from of a huge range of sea kayak trips around the coast of Scotland, Sea Kayak Photo also contains a number of reviews including some great write ups on Sea Kayaks.

It is no wonder that Douglas’s talent for writing and photography has led to a forthcoming book release with Pesda Press.

I would heartily recommend subscribing to the Sea Kayak Photo feed or look out for Douglas’s posts on Paddling Planet.

Sea Kayaking wise, for me the winter season of 2009-2010 was all about 2 things. Night paddling and low light/night photography. As we head towards the end of the Easter break and school starts up again the sunny weather and light evenings have begun. Tonight’s paddle will start in daylight for the first time in months!

Over the last few days I have been spring cleaning my Aperture library and thought I’d put together a short slideshow of my favourite images from this winters paddling exploits. I hope you enjoy it!

Camera Kit

A recent post by a superb Sea Kayaking photographer Mark Rainsley on the excellent South West Sea Kayaking website about the kit he uses, along with a couple of email enquiries about my own prompted me to jot down a few details about the camera kit I use to capture the shots used on this blog.

Hopefully this will be of interest!

Camera’s

Pentax K200d

Whilst it is harder to purchase accessories for ‘off the shelf’ and lacks the range of other brands it has proved to be incredibly sturdy (surviving a 5 foot drop of a ledge whilst connected to a tripod) and shrugs off the mist, drizzle and freezing temperatures it has been used in.

I also carry a Pentax Optio W60 (now replaced by the W80) point and shoot which I carry in my Buoyancy Aid. This is a waterproof camera with video capabilities and gets used for shots on the water until I take delivery of a waterproof deck back for the DSLR (more of that later).

Lenses

50-200mm Len

As a second lens, I recently picked up a Pentax 50-200mm zoom lens. This has become my go to lens unless I know I am shooting close ups. Neither are particularly ‘fast’ lenses as my budget wouldn’t stretch that far but have proved more than capable.

Both lenses came with sun hoods to prevent glare or lens flare.

Tripod

Hama Star 75 Tripod

As it gets used on wet sand/pebbles and generally abused I’ve opted for ultra cheap with a view to replacing as and when it gets trashed.

However, the Hama Star 75 I purchased is still going strong and at £7 (reduced from £22) is a bargain.

Camera bags

Lowepro Apex 140

The internal compartment has moveable dividers allowing me to create a space for the extra lens on one side of the DSLR and my accessories & batteries on the other. It’s small enough to pack away in a dry bag but large enough for the kit I carry.

All this kit is generally carried in the rear hatch of my Sea Kayak in a heavy duty dry bag.

The Optio lives in a small Lowepro Rezo 20 pouch which has a front pocket large enough for a set of AA batteries.

Accessories

I carry 3 main accessories. A Hahnet cable release trigger for remote focusing and taking shots. The button the small unit locks for ‘bulb’ mode shots allowing me to take exposures above the 30 second limit of the DSLR. It comes with a 2 metre extension cable and has been superb for super long exposures.

I always have my iPhone and use the stopwatch for timing long exposures as well as the GPS for getting data for tagging photos at a later date.

Finally I use a cheap headtorch which switches from LED to a red bulb. The red bulb provides enough light to see the LCD display on the camera whilst the LED lights have been used to help focus the camera in pitch black conditions and ‘paint’ subjects during long exposure shots. I also carry this small head torch so I don’t zap the batteries in my main hadtorch which is used whilst on the water.

Future Purchases

I have my heart set on one future purchase. Some form of water proof deck bag or camera bag to give me the confidence to shoot from the Pentax K200d whilst on the water. I’m considering an Ortleib Aqua Zoom bag which can be used as a deck bag. Another of my photography heroes Douglas Wilcox swears by his. The alternative is the Aquapac DSLR bag. I’ll update you on the decision I make regarding these.

As ever, I’m very keen to hear your thoughts and ideas – if you have particular camera kit you use out on the water why not add a comment to this post.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had a couple of great night paddles and one aborted paddle. I recently outlined my self enforced criteria for deciding when to paddle solo at night and the routes I’m prepared to paddle.

Last week I set out in wonderfully calm conditions and enjoyed a great paddle along the shore to Stansmore Point. However literally seconds after a photo session the Isle Of Wight which often features as the back drop for my photos vanished. Dense fog rolled in and up Solent Water. Within minutes the visibility had dropped to around 25-30ft maximum.

Luckily I had stuck to my guns and despite such calm, clear conditions when I set out I was in a position where I was able to follow the shoreline home listening to the booming horns of the shipping out in the deep water channel.

Tonight I arrived at Calshot to find the wind considerably higher than shown on the weather forecast. Whilst it was at a level I would happily paddle in during daylight hours, or at night with other paddlers I decided to abort the paddle and spent a great evening exploring some new launch points for future paddles and taking some night photographs. I was struck by how beautiful the industrial landscape of Southampton Docks is at night and discovered a great public slipway which provides access into the heart of the docks. I’m planning a paddle up Solent Water past the docks on the next suitable night!

Here are the results from the last two paddles (Click on any photo to view a larger version):

Stunning View

Landing Near Lepe

Calshot Castle

RNLI Jetty

Calshot RNLI Station

Southampton Docks

Docks

Keeping Warm

Solent At Night

Quickly checking the Southampton VTS live weather stream showed less than F2 wind on Bramble Bank and Easytide sealed the deal by showing relatively high tides.

Solent By Star Light

I put in at Calshot Castle on glassy waters and as i headed out around Calshot Spit was astounded at the lack of wind and quietness of the usually busy Solent. Heading along the coast towards Lepe I could smell woodsmoke presumably from generated by the fireplaces of the large, shore side properties just past Calshot.

Calshot Lifeboat Station

Having reached the entrance to the Beaulieu River, I headed back to Stansmore Point an spent half an hour or so playing with the camera before picking up the pace for a swift paddle back to Calshot. It felt great to drop back into a quick paddling rhythm I pushed faster and faster enjoying the sensation of the kayak cutting through the still water.

Calshot Castle

A welcome paddle thanks to some sublime conditions. Hopefully the first of many over the Christmas period.

Hythe Marina is my closest put in for paddles using the Public Slipway. It is situated opposite Southampton Docks where the large cruise liners and various cargo ships berth. For me it’s become a playground not only for paddling but also practising my photography skills. I thought I’d share a few of my recent efforts.

Seaguls At Dawn

First Ferry Of The Morning

Ship Docked

Yachts At Night

Marina At Night

Another night paddle. Very calm conditions tonight but the forecast clear skies didn’t materialise. However, I took the opportunity to play with a 50-200mm lens on the Pentax and ran through several takes of each photo making small adjustments to ISO, then exposure time to compare and contrast the results.

A reasonable moon made occasional appearance allowing me to use much quicker exposure times – around the 8-10 seconds mark which help reduce the blurring when I posed in the photo. I’ve included the four best shots. As ever, click any image to see a larger version.

P&H Cetus

Sat By P&H Cetus

Favourite Shot Of The Night

Facing Newtown Creek