[Paddlewise] Kayak camera tip

Camera Holder

Thought Id share my idea for a little gizmo I made to improve my picture
taking on my kayak. I have gotten a lot of good feed back on it from my
local kayaking club members. It is an idea I got after reading a lot of
Marek Uliiaszs tips on his web site.

It is a cradle I made out of minicel foam that attaches to my paddle and
holds my camera, a Pentax OptioW10. It has about a 3/4 of an inch channel on
one side to hold the camera and a V-shaped cut on the other side to attach
to the paddle. They are both held on with bungy cord.

I mentioned this as an option on Paddlewise a while back and got an e-mail
from someone who said it was completely impractical. But I made one anyway
and I think its made a big improvement in my photos. I almost always leave
the foam cradle attached to my paddle, as it weighs less than an ounce. My
camera is usually in a pocket attached to a leash and I slide it in when Im
ready to take some pictures. One of the big advantages is that the
camera-paddle set up seems to work like a steady cam. Although the water
might be a little rough and my kayak moving underneath me, with my paddle
held horizontal in my outstretched arms the camera stays very still. It is a
big advantage over trying to take a picture with one hand while holding the
paddle with the other. By putting the camera on 2-second delay I can press
the release and then with two hands on the paddle recompose the shot. Since
digital cameras have somewhat of a lag time when you press the release, its
not that hard to get used to having the 2-second delay. I have been able to
time some good shots.

Even off the paddle I like to keep the camera attached to the cradle. With
my big hands I am always activating buttons I didnt mean to; the foam gives
me a place to hold on to out of the way.  Also, while attached to the
cradle, the camera will float.

You can see pictures of my set-up at the link under My Camera on my web
site. Most of the photos taken on the water that youll see in My Other
Pages, Big Arch, Surf n Turf etc. were taken with this set up. I always
enjoy getting tips and seeing the pictures other people have been taking on
their kayaks. If you decide to make your own paddle cradle, Id love to know
and see a pic, but just remember you owe me a nickel for using my
intellectual property!!!

http://sandmarks.home.comcast.net

Mark Sanders
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