Kayaking Trip Prep
(click on images to view them full size)
Another trip booked pre-house buying.
Kayaking with a long lens.
Over a year ago we planned and booked a kayaking trip based out of Prince Rupert, British Columbia (OceanLight Adventures) and it’s coming up quickly.
It feels a bit chaotic to be going away again with all of the house renos going on, but sometimes you have to go with the flow and just know that it will all work out fine - at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
The trip is based from a boat where we sleep and eat, but there are kayaks and a zodiac for daytime excursions and amazing photography opportunities with wildlife, birds and marine life abounds.
I have some experience photographing from a kayak and it’s a bit tricky, but rewarding when you get it right - and yes I’m wearing socks and no shoes - it’s chilly in the early morning on the lake and I find wearing shoes restrictive in a kayak - I’m not worried about winning any style prizes!
Juvenile bald eagle with a fish in its talons.
I have been fortunate to see and capture some amazing images from a kayak by being in the right place at the right time - that means very early mornings and confidence to take the right gear that enables me to zoom in enough and a fast enough lens (that means one with a very large aperture - usually f 2.8 or f4) to let in more light so that I have a fast enough shutter speed when the action kicks off in the low light conditions of early morning. For this particular image I was using a 600 mm lens at F6.3 (the largest aperture it has) and a shutter speed of 1/1250s and ISO 3200 - for the non photographers reading this - that means that I was pushing my camera and lens settings to be able to record this juvenile bald eagle in the early morning light. It was definitely worth it!
Trip overview
Camera plus 600mm lens is a bulky combination for travel. Won’t be needing the puffer jacket on this trip - hopefully!
This upcoming trip is based out of Prince Rupert and travels along the inside passage through parts of the Great Bear Rainforest with amazing photography opportunities in the pristine forests that abound with wildlife and birds. The trip is a 7 day excursion and the itinerary is quite flexible to accommodate weather conditions, photography opportunities and what the group wants to cover if there are any special requests.
There are a total of 8 guests on the trip, however we’re going to be going with six as one couple has had to bow out. They were actually the connection between each of the other three couples, so now we’re all going to be meeting for the first time - it’s sure to be an interesting and entertaining trip.
One of the key requirements for the trip is to follow a very specific packing list which has weight restrictions of 65 lbs.
Now that doesn’t seem like a tough thing to do except that includes things like a sleeping bag, rubber boots and camera equipment - yikes!
Camera equipment is included? I will be needing to be quite judicious in choosing camera gear as I would like to take my big lens, however it is heavy and bulky.
Decisions decisions!
What about Roxy our cat?
Roxy in the car on an ice cream run - she likes to sniff the food, but isn’t interested in tasting.
I know that Roxy fans will be wondering what happens to her and I can assure you that she will be having a wonderful break staying with her favourite kitty sitters Shelley and Alan - in fact sometimes I think she prefers time with them over us.
We often get notes and photos of her hanging out with them, curled up at the bottom of their bed, getting belly rubs - you get the picture.
I think that being an adventure cat (i.e., a cat that walks in a harness and leash, camps and goes for bike rides) helps a lot when we’re going away as she is very comfortable with riding in the car.
We sometimes take her through the car wash in the wintertime when it is too cold to go out for a walk - or for an ice cream run when it’s very hot outside - the things we do to mentally stimulate our cat - as a result she settles into new locations fairly readily.
Photography Planning
Image from recent photography retreat in New Brunswick where I was a participant.
I’m planning on bringing some photography equipment, however I don’t want that to be the focus of the trip, so I may make a decision to bring my travel friendly gear (i.e., my Olympus camera system as it is more compact, lighter and easier to travel with). The downside is that it is not as well suited to low light situations as my Nikon gear, but I think this is a good compromise and will allow me to be more present for the entire trip and not just focused on photography.
I have had enough solo trips for photography this past year and I am very mindful that when on vacation, if I try to split my time between enjoying the company of others on the trip and photography - both suffer.
Sometimes we need to just slow down and stop overthinking things - hmmmmm …. I might need to do some of that with respect to this trip!
Most of the time we think too much, and mindful breathing helps us to be calm, relaxed and peaceful. It helps us to stop thinking so much and stop being possessed by sorrows of the past and worries about the future. It enables us to be in touch with life, which is wonderful in the present moment. - Peace is Every Step (Thich Nhat Hanh)
What I hope to get from this trip
I’m hoping that this trip will be a great opportunity for both Kory and me to slow down and relax. We’ve been going flat out (Kory even more so than me) for the last 3+ months and it will be nice to have a break before we do the final push with these renovations (did I mention we were planning to not have a big project house this time? - oh well it’s going to be amazing - in fact it already is!)
I enjoy travelling with Kory and just spending time relaxing. One of the things that I enjoy most about our time together is that we don’t have to be doing anything - we can have a great time just hanging out and having conversations or quiet times together. I think that this trip has the makings of one of those relaxing chilled vacations - at least that’s what I’m hoping for.
What sort of downtime do you prefer - something busy and entertaining or more casual and relaxed? I’d love to hear about any vacation time you’ve had or plan to have this year - please share in the comments or drop me a note by clicking on the Connect with Me button.
Chilled time relaxing is what vacations should be about.
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
