I have been doing wildlife photography with the kayak as long as I have been seriously doing wildlife photography. From the beginning I saw the advantages of this method of approaching wildlife. I would say that about half of the images on this site were shot from a kayak. When most people think of kayak, they think of whitewater kayaks. I am definitely not talking about that type of kayak but the flat water type with the large "cockpit." If you are going to photograph from the water, the kayak has many advantages over other forms of watercraft. For starters, they are small, light, quiet, maneuverable and very transportable. They are more stable than a canoe when seated. You face forward when paddling unlike a row boat. A kayak shows a very low profile in the water, especially if it is a muted color. Another very important factor is comfort. Most kayaks have a comfortable seat with excellent back support--this means you can stay on the water as long as you like without getting fatigued.
I use the kayak to reach out of the way areas that are not easily accessible by other boats. You would be surprised where you can go with one. You can move about almost silently and get much closer to wildlife than any other way, short of using a blind. I believe wildlife are not as wary of humans in a kayak--it seems to act as half a blind. There have been many times that an animal has come literally within reach, right next to me. In that case, I am unable to photograph them because of the long lenses I use. The commotion of changing lenses would frighten them--so I am happy to watch them go about their business until they get far enough away to photograph.
Many people ask how I can carry expensive photo equipment in the kayak. What they really mean is: doesn't the camera and lens get wet? Not so far, at least not to any amount that matters. I have thousands of hours with photo gear in a kayak. I do carry a hand towel to wipe off water drops that occasionally gets on the equipment. I also a have water resistant camera bag along in case of rain. The bottom line is, if you take reasonable precautions, you should be ok. However, as with anything else, there are no guarantees.
Another frequently asked question is: how do I support long telephoto lenses in the kayak? Over the years I have developed methods that work for me. Using a tripod is not practical. There are four methods that I use:
Hand holding. This method is obvious and sometimes it is the only way, such a photographing birds in flight. You have to make sure the shutter speed is fast enough to stop the action.
Bracing the elbow on the cockpit rim. I use a 8" furniture leg (the kind with 1/4x20 stud) screwed into the tripod foot to achieve the proper grip and height on the lens and then brace my elbow on the kayak. (See photo above)
Monopod. My kayak has a cup holder molded in the seat between the legs as you sit. This is the ideal spot to rest the foot of a monopod. Adjust the height as needed for a semi-steady support. (See photo above)
Knee bracing. By slouching down in the kayak seat I can rest the front rim of the lens on my knees while looking through the viewfinder. This method (and the monopod method) provide the steadiest support when they can be used. (See below)
One thing to keep in mind is that even though you do your best to keep steady when shooting there will inevitably be unusable shots do to camera shake. The best way I have found to ensure useable images is to shoot a lot of extra frames. On the plus side, this is painless and there is no extra cost with a digital camera. I hope Nikon will figure out a way to incorporate the VR (vibration reduction) technology into the AFS telephoto lenses. I do own the Nikon 80-400mm VR lens and it works well but is falls short in many wildlife applications. I plan to write a short review of this lens in the future.
If you have questions or comments email me at: mike@ewildlifephotography.com