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From: Melissa Reese <melissa_at_bonnyweeboaty.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 01:39:06 -0700
Hi Tord,

On Wednesday, October 31, 2007, at 2:43:47 AM PST, you wrote:

> Just a tip: A tiny tripod does wonders to sceneries like that - and
> if your camera can take panoramas, so much the better! And if you
> can set the aperature to manual, choose a small one (most compacts
> has a minimum of f8, or thereabouts).

Thanks for the tips.  However...

I'm not much of a photographer, for several reasons:

1) I rarely remember to bring my camera (just an old 35mm Pentax
"point and shoot" with a little electric zoom thingy).  It's also not
waterproof.

2) When I do remember to bring it, I rarely remember to take it out of
my pocket just at the right moment.  I'm usually just mesmerized by
what I'm looking at, so a camera is the last thing on my mind.

3) Even if I do remember to bring it *and* take it out of my pocket, I
realize that I'd rather just be looking at something without the
camera in front of my face.

4) If I do remember to bring it, take it out of my pocket, and
actually shoot a picture, it may be years before I get around to
having the film developed (I still have a large bowl of undeveloped
film...somewhere around here).

5) There are more reasons, but at this point, why bother?

And then there's this:

This past Summer, I was paddling with the whales in a nearby bay, and
as I was just sitting in one spot on the water, a HUGE flock of
sandpipers *flew right through me!* Both the visual and audio was
absolutely beautiful and astounding. Ironically, I did have in my
pocket a little digital video camera that I'd borrowed from a friend
that day. Naturally, I didn't even think about it until this amazing
experience was over. :-)

If I were to properly capture video of that sublime event, the camera
would have had to be head mounted, idiotproof, fully
automatic-everything, and it would have to respond to brain waves to
know just when, what, and where to shoot; because I, at the time, was
in a state of involuntary motionless awe. :-)

-- 
Melissa
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From: Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:34:06 -0700
Melissa Reese wrote:

> This past Summer, I was paddling with the whales in a nearby bay, and
> as I was just sitting in one spot on the water, a HUGE flock of
> sandpipers *flew right through me!* Both the visual and audio was
> absolutely beautiful and astounding. Ironically, I did have in my
> pocket a little digital video camera that I'd borrowed from a friend
> that day. Naturally, I didn't even think about it until this amazing
> experience was over. :-)
> 
> If I were to properly capture video of that sublime event, the camera
> would have had to be head mounted, idiotproof, fully
> automatic-everything, and it would have to respond to brain waves to
> know just when, what, and where to shoot; because I, at the time, was
> in a state of involuntary motionless awe. :-)

What a terrific moment!  I certainly have missed wonderful moments because 
I was obsessing about photographing them.

BTW, some of the folks on West Coast Paddler (out of Victoria) have full-on 
video setups on-deck (inside waterproof housings), which provide some 
interesting footage at times. Running the video constantly allows them to 
capture stuff I would miss.  Too much technology for the likes of me, but 
fun to look at.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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From: Darryl <Darryl.Johnson_at_sympatico.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:25:41 -0400
<snip>> 

> And then there's this:
> 
> This past Summer, I was paddling with the whales in a nearby bay, and
> as I was just sitting in one spot on the water, a HUGE flock of
> sandpipers *flew right through me!* Both the visual and audio was
> absolutely beautiful and astounding. Ironically, I did have in my
> pocket a little digital video camera that I'd borrowed from a friend
> that day. Naturally, I didn't even think about it until this amazing
> experience was over. :-)
> 
> If I were to properly capture video of that sublime event, the camera
> would have had to be head mounted, idiotproof, fully
> automatic-everything, and it would have to respond to brain waves to
> know just when, what, and where to shoot; because I, at the time, was
> in a state of involuntary motionless awe. :-)
> 
> -- 
> Melissa

Sounds like an application to the patent office isn't far off, 
Melissa. I know I'd buy one of you cameras if it made it to market! 
Of course, it would have to be *really* sensitive to the brain waves, 
as I've had any number of people point out to me that my own are 
almost non-existent.

-- 
  Darryl (another photographer who rarely gets shots on the water)
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 19:31:57 -0400
On 11/1/07, Melissa Reese <melissa_at_bonnyweeboaty.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> 5) There are more reasons, but at this point, why bother?
>
> You capture my feelings on this exactly. I spent 20 years with a Nikon
taking pictures. Most of them transparencies. A few won awards. All of them
now rest in a couple of shoeboxes. My grandkids will sort them out after I'm
gone and wonder what they are.

Almost all the photos of our kids were taken while we were cruising and we
used a cheap (but waterproof) 110 camera. Those are in scrapbooks and
everyone enjoying looking at them now and then.

We have CDs of digital pics of the grandkids and our pets, the farm, and the
lake house.

I admire guys like Mark Sanders for their ability to capture the subtle
moods of the sea in their photos but my own subtle moments are just burned
into my memory; what little is left of it nowadays. Like classic wooden
boats, I appreciate those who love them and restore them and I love to look
at them. But I'd rather be out there doing it than inside fixing it up.

Thanks for summing it up so succinctly. :)


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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From: Mark Sanders <sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 11:54:56 -0700
My friend, Duane decided he wanted to try to get some video while surfing.
He made a nice set up to hold his camera, but after a couple tries decided
to give up the endeavor. Taking videos and photos from a kayak isn't easy
and can sometimes take away from the enjoyment of what your doing at the
time; however, I feel it does increase your enjoyment as you get to relive
some of the moments later. I have a few long videos that I've set to music
and I watch them at home sometimes on the days I can't get out on the water.
They only get me excited for my next trip out.

I certainly understand why some people just want to live in the moment and
not have to be concerned with cameras, but having photography in your mind
also encourages you to look at things in a different light. Sometimes
instead of getting in the way of beauty, it make you look for it in another
way and maybe you see something you wouldn't have been looking for normally.

It's true though, even if a picture is worth a thousand words, it still
doesn't beat the personal experience. But until you can all come kayaking
with me, I'll try to share an occasional photo!

Mark
www.sandmarks.net

-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Craig Jungers

I admire guys like Mark Sanders for their ability to capture the subtle
moods of the sea in their photos but my own subtle moments are just burned
into my memory; what little is left of it nowadays. Like classic wooden
boats, I appreciate those who love them and restore them and I love to look
at them. But I'd rather be out there doing it than inside fixing it up.
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 07:48:00 -0800
On 11/2/07, Mark Sanders <sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com> wrote:
>
> ...I have a few long videos that I've set to music...
>
>
Ya... it's amazing the things that go well with porn music. <grin>


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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From: Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] White skies, a friendly sea, and me
Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2007 09:39:19 -0800
Quoting Mark Sanders <sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com>:

> It's true though, even if a picture is worth a thousand words, it still
> doesn't beat the personal experience. But until you can all come kayaking
> with me, I'll try to share an occasional photo!

   Good news, Mark. We're all coming kayaking with you, all 400 of us. Hope you
have a McDonald's in your neighborhood.

Brad Crain
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