Over to You
Three photo stories packed with brilliant shots, plus all your rants and raves
I first started taking pictures at freestyle kayaking events. I wanted to capture the action of the sport in a dynamic way, and I soon became obsessed with capturing a moment in time.
My introduction to kayaking was thanks to my Dad. He took me to a lake to try windsurfing. Instead I had a go at kayaking and really enjoyed it. The lure was that it was very different from most sports I had come across. Eventually I got onto white water kayaking and my new hobby suddenly got fast, exciting and, at times, scary.
I have been lucky enough to explore some interesting countries during my time kayaking, having travelled all over Europe running rivers, waterfalls and surfing waves. The destinations for kayaking usually offer stunning views and fantastic landscapes.
Some friends and I spent the summer of 2009 in Norway living out of the back of a van and wild camping where we could. The scenery and adventures we had during that trip were one of a kind and I had no way of capturing it. Luckily we met other kayakers on that trip who introduced me to their D-SLRs. I couldn’t believe how awesome these cameras looked and the quality of the images
that they could capture. As soon as I got home that Christmas I had to get one. I had no idea at the time how addictive and how much of a learning curve this would be.
I speak to many photographers who visit the white water course in Nottingham and they can’t believe how difficult it can be to get great shots. I have always said if you want to know how to improve, you need to understand what you’re shooting. It helps knowing the sport inside out, and my extensive knowledge of the set-up to each of the moves means I can be one step ahead. I always keep my shutter speed above 1/500 sec unless I’m using flash, and I actively look for new angles to capture the moves. I have also learnt a lot about exposure, and how to adjust it quickly using exposure compensation, as white water can be a tricky subject to meter.
I recommend anyone, whether amateur or professional, to visit and have a go at capturing this dynamic sport. It’s fast, extremely rewarding and can give you some stunning images. Oh, and I’ve only fallen in once with my camera!