My breathing technique for using a telephoto lens from moving watercraft
This image entitled Loon With Baby: Iconic Nature was captured from a moving canoe in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. The craft was loaded with two other people and two heavy gear bags. I was in the stern.
Many locals in northern Minnesota along the Boundary Waters live their entire lives and never get to see this iconic moment in Nature.
I was lucky enough to witness a loon swimming with a baby on its back from a moving canoe while equipped with a DSLR camera and a 150-500mm telephoto zoom lens for birding in my handy Pelican brand dry box. Oh, and to add some extra drama, I was in the stern of the boat that was loaded with two other people along with two heavy gear bags for a week-long trip into the wilderness; One of the passengers was a squirming 8-year-old.
And, I still nailed a series of sharp images — this is just one. Success is all in the “dance” of how I move and breath.
First, let’s talk about how I make myself into a human gimbal when I’m taking photographs from a moving watercraft:
1. HANDS — I grasp my camera body with my right hand leaving my index finger to operate the shutter button whether I’m choosing the horizontal or vertical orientation; Know that I use a battery grip that includes a vertical shutter button so I do not have to contort my right arm when doing vertical compositions. The palm of my left hand supports the telephoto lens so my thumb, index and middle fingers can move the focus or zoom rings, if needed;
2. ELBOWS — Both of my elbows hug my torso for the steadiest support as opposed to having one or both extended out from my sides like flapping and unsteady chicken wings;
3. FOREHEAD — Rather than using the LCD screen, I use my camera’s viewfinder and I have it jammed up against my forehead so this point of contact gives me extra stability; Now, I wear bifocals so both of my Nikon DSLRs (D500 and D850) are equipped with round diopters that match my prescription (an add-on diopter allows me to go beyond what the on-camera viewfinder adjustment wheel will do);
4. FEET* — To give me the most stable balance and the option of making fine adjustments left-to-right or front-to-back to match the rhythm of the waves, both of my feet are firmly planted on the bottom of the boat and are about shoulder width apart; This means my knees are bent;
5. FANNY* — I keep my behind perched on the front edge of my seat.
By doing steps 1-4 as detailed above, I can quickly match the rhythm of the boat in relation to the wave and wind action even when rogue larger waves come calling — and, they will. This is what I was doing when I captured the Loon With Baby: Iconic Nature image.
Note 1: I included asterisks for steps 4 and 5 because in some watercraft, I’ll be kneeling on a seat with just one foot planted on the deck; In these cases, I’m crouching as opposed to sitting down. This is exactly what I was doing on the large commercial boat I was riding on when I captured the Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse image with my 210-300mm zoom; It’s also the gimbal technique I use when I ride inside a speedboat to capture water skiers.
Note 2: When composing through the viewfinder, I do so with both of my eyes open so while one is looking through the camera into the lens at the composition (and action, if any), the other is keeping track of what’s going on around me; On a moving boat, this is critical for me to keep my balance (on a sporting field, it keeps me from being hit by a ball or a player).
Second, my breathing technique. My goal is to keep my breathing slow, deep, and steady in spite of the drama Nature may be unfolding for me. This type of breathing keeps my heart rate as slow and steady as possible.
What I do next is critical.
When I have framed my composition through the camera and lens using the viewfinder — NOT the LCD screen (see step 3, above) and I have achieved sharp focus, I time my SOFT pressing of the shutter button after I have exhaled and before I inhale my next breath. This natural breathing PAUSE is exactly what pro snipers do to hit their mark!
Third, for the best results in terms of image sharpness, I use back-button focus especially when I know I’ll be going after compositions from a moving watercraft. Search Google regarding why “back-button focus” may be a viable option for your camera’s make and model. Since I invest in Nikon-brand battery grips as opposed to third-party brands, I can program back-button focus for both my horizontal and vertical composition camera buttons (the battery grip has a programmable button just like the camera).
TIPS: Practice my seated and kneeling techniques on flat land using a solid patio chair in your own yard by first composing for a stationary subject like the top of a utility pole. Do your best to have your main subject fill the frame so no cropping is needed. Next, graduate to making a moving tree branch your subject. Now, go for flying birds as your subjects. This step in your practice process is going to take a while so be patient. And, you may need to relocate to a park where birds like to frequent. When you are able to get at least 50 percent of the flying birds you compose for in sharp focus while also filling your frame, then you are ready for your final exam! To make all of this come together, arrange to be in a moving boat where you capture a composition that is focused so sharp you can print it to at least 16x24 inches, if desired!
This image was captured using a telephoto lens while riding on the top deck of a large commercial moving boat near Munising, Michigan.
This image was captured using a long telephoto lens from a moving kayak in a salt water marsh off the coast of western Florida near the Gulf of Mexico.
The Egret was relaxed the entire time and know that I practice the ethical guidelines as published by the National Audubon Society. My kayak acted as a blind.