On the Water

I absolutely love photographing from my kayak. On Wednesday I ventured over to Clearlake and met up with Joe Benoit who was going fishing for bass. We launched out of a marina on the south east side of the lake in Buckingham. Early on it was to windy to be on the main lake and do any effective photography. There were also a lot of bass boats out kicking up wakes which doesn't make for very good photography. I sought out a little slough just outside the marina and hit the jackpot. Here was a calm spot that held some birds, turtles and even a River Otter. At one point the otter grabbed a big fish and came out in the open with it for about five seconds. I wasn't in a position to photograph it but it was a wonderful sight to see. The otter dragged the fish up into some heavy brush where I could catch glimpses of its mouth chomping on the fish with little crunching and slurping sounds coming out from where it was hidden. It must have been delicious! I have never observed so many warblers in one place before. They were all over picking insects out of the trees. I also got to see and photograph a Green Heron playing with a bit of Tule. It would drop it over and over in the water and grab it time and again. Honing its fishing skills. There were plenty of Cormorants close to the harbor entrance and it was a good idea not to paddle under the trees with what was coming down. Smelly stuff! It was simply a gorgeous day to be on the water. May you have a blessed weekend, chris All images created with a Canon 7D and a Tamron 150-600mm lens.AV mode, ISO 400, exposures varied. The camera was supported with a custom camera bracket and a Bogen 3055 heavy duty ballhead. The kayak used was a Native Watercraft Ulimate 14.5, #TeamCanon

Clearlake Part 1

This last Thursday I went over to Clearlake to do some kayak photography and meet some friends for lunch that were camping at Clearlake State Park. Photographing there is always a treat because there is an abundance of bird life. Having a great lunch with friends was an added bonus.(Thanks guys) I got there just a little past sunrise to catch some of the best light. Right after leaving the boat ramp I paddled across Kelsey Creek and photographed a Great Egret. The weather was beautiful with a mix of clouds and sun. Ducks and vultures were flying overhead. The lake was extremely low due to the drought. It is down about ten feet or so. As such many of the birds that are normally hidden way back in the tules are along the edges. I spotted several Virginia Rails and I was able to photograph one of them for some time. It is rare to catch one fully out in the open. My best find was watching a Great Blue Heron catch and eat a Hitch fish. I have it below from start to finish. I'll post some more from Clearlake on Monday. I have a shorter sequence of a great Egret eating a minnow.Such a wonderful place to appreciate God's creation. chris All images created with an EOS Canon 7D and a Canon 100-400 IS lens from a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Kayak using a custom made camera support and a Bogen 3055 ballhead. The scenic images were created with a Canon 10-22 wide angle lens.

Back to Clearlake Part 2 (Back Up the Slough)

After checking out the Western Grebes we paddled about a mile up the slough. We spotted a lot of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. Green Herons leap frogged down the slough ahead of us as we went. It's pretty hard to get close to them. I have found over the years that the best approach is to slowly drift towards them and not hardly move at all. When I do move I try to keep my hands and arms close to my body and move very slowly. Florida photographers are probably laughing at this as they read it. When I photographed egrets down there I had them walk right up to me! Using the drift technique I was able to get pretty close to a Great blue Heron and watch it catch and eat a crayfish and a tadpole. When I tried to shift my kayak to a better vantage point it had enough of that and it took off. I spotted only one turtle on the trip and that was from quite a distance. It dove into the water before I was even two hundred feet from it. We had an absolutely marvelous time watching, listening and photographing the wildlife. It was great just enjoying the peace and quiet in the sunshine. Blessings to all, chris Camera Equipment Used- Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens,Bogen 3055 Ballhead with a custom camera support. Camera Settings- AV mode, ISO 400,F stop and a shutter speed varied. All photography was done from a Ultimate 14.5 Native Watercraft Kayak If you are interested in building a custom camera support for a canoe or a kayak please check out my blog on it at http://diyphotocheapodepot.blogspot.com/2011/04/kayak-camera-support.html My book "Secrets of Backyard Bird Photography is being shipped to bookstores this week for release on Sept.11th. That's pretty exciting. Look for it on Amazon and other fine book seller's. It will make a great gift for yourself or a photographer or a birder wanting to photograph birds in their backyard.