In the Field: Photo Blog by Richard Wong

Photography field reports by Richard Wong. Richard’s work has been published in magazines, books, advertising, and offers fine art prints of his work. Images may be licensed as rights-managed stock photos by contacting Richard directly at Richard@rwongphoto.com or (626) 422-6151. California stock photography, fine art prints, photo blog: www.rwongphoto.com

“Digital” Water Sports: Kayaking Morro Bay with a Camera

Posted on | August 18, 2005 | 5 Comments

Last weekend, my cousin Stephen and I took a trip up to the Central California Coast. The region has long been one of my favorite places in the world, but my cousin had never seen this portion of the coast despite living only three hours to the south. We hadn’t seen much of each other since I left for art school in 2002 so this was a chance to have some fun and relive old times. By the end of the trip, we both had experienced new things: “Driving” on the Pacific Ocean, a motel in Cambria kissing our asses then paying for us to check into a more expensive place in San Simeon, and kayaking.

Neither of us had been to Pismo Beach aka. Oceano Dunes State Recreational Area so we made a point to stop by there after breakfast in the Danish village, Solving. I’d vaguely heard of people riding ATV’s and Hummers on sand dunes but didn’t know much beyond that. So little did we know that we would be literally driving on the ocean’s low tide line to get to the Oceano Dunes “State Vehicular Recreational Area”. Thousands of people were out there so it was difficult to find a spot to park. Typically I wouldn’t go to a place with such a wild crowd but given the unique location this was an exception. It turned out to be somewhat like being in the middle of a war zone to be a bystander. If anyone knows of a safe place to climb the dunes and view the action please let me know. Sad but true. Off-roading seems like a fun sport if not destructive to the ecosystem. The L.A. Times even had an article recently about possibly limiting the off-road activities. We’d have given it a try nevertheless if we had the cash on hand.

Now let’s get to the exciting stuff. The next morning we went kayaking on Morro Harbor. Nobody was out and about yet so we were able to park anywhere we wanted along the embarcadero which was quite different from the afternoon before. Not knowing where Kayak Horizons was, I parked on the far end of the embarcadero… When we got there the guy had us put on thick life vests. If that wasn’t cumbersome enough, I had a camera bag I needed to sling over my shoulders. We got an impromptu lesson on the dock then proceeded to send us on our merry way. The single kayaks had enough room to carry on drinks and any bags such as a camera bag in the front section beyond where the feet go. Easy enough.

Getting the hang of turning was tricky at first but eventually we got the hang of it after getting stuck in shallow wetlands several times due to the low tide. Being out on the water was a thrill because we had brown pelicans dive bombing over us, snowy egrets fishing for worms, sea lions diving for fish over/around/under our kayaks, sea otters playing, and yachts to avoid. I’ll never forget seeing the sea lions chasing a school of fish out of the water and back into the water within twenty feet of our kayaks.

Kayakers, Morro Bay, California

Photographically I wasn’t able to get any eye-catching shots but the experience is what counts. I’ll never be one of those photographers who passes up an opportunity to shoot because “it would never sell” or complain about it. All I care about is having a good time and that is exactly what I did. If it sells, it sells. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s not like anyone can predict what will and won’t anyway. We spent nearly three hours on the water enjoying every bit of our time.

Of visual interest though besides the wildlife were the decaying wood and crab pot buoys on old fishing boats. Keeping my lens dry turned out to be difficult. Next time I will be better prepared.

Bring:

1. Lens cloth- maybe my lack of kayaking technique contributed to the water drops on my lens or negligence on my part to wipe the water off properly. Same result either way.
2. Keep a UV filter on or lens cap when not shooting- see above.
3. Maybe a polarizer depending on your preference for reflections.
4. A VR or IS zoom lens- I don’t have one but if you’re using long glass for wildlife it would probably help.
5. A wide brim hat and sunblock- we got slightly sunburn even in the overcast weather.
6. Weight-lifting gloves- my left hand was starting to blister near the end and so did my cousin’s hands.
7. Binoculars- maybe photography isn’t your thing or you don’t have a long lens.

Sidenote: If your digital camera was manufactured to be sealed tight then a little bit of water isn’t going to harm it. Maybe my ego, or some might argue incompetence has led me to take my digital cameras out even in pouring rain and next to overflowing waterfalls without any consequences to my equipment. I find myself quitting before the digital cameras usually.

See more of my Morro Bay pictures.

Category: Morro Bay
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Comments

5 Responses to ““Digital” Water Sports: Kayaking Morro Bay with a Camera”

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    August 26th, 2005 @ 10:14 am

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  2. Richard
    August 29th, 2005 @ 2:00 pm

    Spam? Advertising?? I thought I left all that behind when I got my own domain name. Geez

  3. Dennis
    February 18th, 2006 @ 2:48 pm

    I’m glad you enjoyed your paddling experience. Morro Bay has got to be one of best places on the west coast to go kayaking. The migrating birds, the sea life, and the scenery combine to make it different each time you go out. A lot of times we get the clearest, sunniest days in the fall and winter. In fact, we have the Winter Bird Festival up here the second weekend of January each year. They do a great job bringing in experts in different fields to put on presentations and take participants on outdoor trips. One of the outdoor trips they do is a group kayaking excursion led by a local expert. They take off from our location each day and have a great time. That might be a good reason for you to plan another trip up this way! Of course, we offer guided tours. Take care. Dennis, Kayak Horizons

  4. Richard
    February 19th, 2006 @ 1:16 am

    Thanks for posting Dennis. Morro Bay is THE greatest place along the California coast. and Kayak Horizons is the place I’ll return to for kayak rentals in the future. I’ll post your URL on my blog links.

    Richard

  5. Dennis
    February 19th, 2006 @ 12:11 pm

    Thanks Richard!

    Next time you’re headed up this way give me a call or e-mail and I’ll give you a ‘heads up’ about what’s happening with the winds and tides.

    You have a great site!

    Dennis

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