Short Flight
A very experienced Kayak paddler shoots the waterfall at Pont y Pair, Betws y Coed. North Wales.
A very experienced Kayak paddler shoots the waterfall at Pont y Pair, Betws y Coed. North Wales.
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Sep, 2018Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Anything Kayak Photo Contest
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Genius
Virtuoso
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carolcardillo
February 03, 2019
Phenomenal capture! Congrats on being a Finalist and Good Luck on a Win
estercastillo08
February 03, 2019
Congratulations !! Won Contest Finalist in Anything Kayak Photo Contest
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photograph at Betws y Coed, North Wales where the Afon Llugwy runs under a bridge called Pont y Pair. The river has a variety of moods depending on the weather. In this case it was in high spate as there had been considerable rain. At such times, it becomes navigable to the most daring of expert paddlers.Time
It was 2.32pm on Sunday September 16th 2018.. the weather was changeable but cleared with sunshine breaking through to light the scene.Lighting
The sunlight cut through the dark scene which added drama. I was taking the photo into the light and so the highlighting had to be catered for.Equipment
My camera was an Olympus OMD EM1mk2 paired with an Olympus M.25mm f/1.2 Prime lens .. my settings were f2.2 .. 1/1600sec .. ISO 64. The camera was hand held which is normally my preference.Inspiration
I love Betws y Coed, it is a lovely mountain village known as the Gateway to Snowdonia National Park, The falls at Pont y Pair are a favourite location to visit at all times of the year. My intention on this occasion was to watch for salmon jumping the falls. I saw some salmon and then this group of paddlers descended the river and stopped above the falls and disembarked to inspect the water below. I was immediately excited in the hope that they may shoot the falls. They took some time and walked around the area. I spoke to them, they had travelled a long distance from Ireland to navigate the river. A decision was made that some of the most experienced paddlers would paddle over the falls. It was such an unusual occurrence that I was determined to capture as many photos as possible. It was amazing to watch them and I sent the photos to the leader when I had processed them. They were as pleased as I had been to watch.Editing
I always take my photos in RAW which tends to flatten colours and and so they always need some work in Photoshop which is my preferred editor. I needed in this case to increase the contrast and some sharpness.In my camera bag
I have several bags as many of us do, the bag and level of equipment depends on my intention and expectation for the day. Normally I have at least one Olympus camera and one or two lenses. I often make a decision to use just one lens on a day and adapt my technique to cope with any matters arising. I also carry a brush, blower and micro-fibre cloth to keep the lens clean.Feedback
This opportunity was completely unexpected, I was there to photograph salmon leaping. The light was at times not too good and so I had fitted my f/1.2 lens to allow me a low ISO and high shutter speed. The paddlers arrived and so I was prepared. So I would suggest that people should prepare for the conditions they expect in order to achieve the best results. So think ahead is the key, then when the opportunity presents you are not disappointed. In the case of something similar to this, I would suggest not too high an ISO and a fast shutter speed to freeze the action if that is what you want to do because photography is an individual undertaking.
