A kayak taught me something about photography

I’ve been into kayaking for a long time, but recently discovered something interesting about kayaks and photography. Sitting in a kayak makes you change your perspective.

As someone who judges at camera clubs, one common suggestion I, and other judges, make is to change the camera angle to a lower position. It is important when photographing children or wildlife to get at eye level with them. Surprisingly, it is important with landscape photography as well. The subtle change from photographing while standing at about 5 feet above the ground to photographing at about 2 feet while sitting in a kayak can be astounding.

A kayak not only gets you into places that are unreachable on land, but that lower angle can change how you see photographic compositions. I realized this while spending a couple of early mornings on a local Pine Barrens lake. My original intent was to photograph a wild orchid bloom, but it turned out to offer an abundance of other landscape opportunities as well.

 

The Orchid Garden

This spot has a large bloom of orchids every year. Other things grow here too, like Golden Club, Water Lilies, Sundews, and more. Being in a kayak puts the camera at a lower level. It is at eye level with the flowers and other foliage, but it also gives the perspective of looking up at the trees and the sky instead of looking across at them.

Early Morning in the Orchid Garden by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Wildflowers and Sundews by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Lighting The Orchids by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Sunrise in the Wildflower Garden 2 by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Sunrise in the Wildflower Garden 1 by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Scenes around the Lake

This lake is a beautiful Pine Barrens environment. However, early in the morning, with a play of light and mist, it becomes a compositional playground for landscape photography. The lower camera angle that comes from sitting in a kayak makes the foreground more intimate. This is especially true of the first two images, where the sky drama is balanced by the closeness the viewer feels to the foreground.

Pre Summer Dawn by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Sunrise! by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Cedar on the Edge by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Morning at the edge of the Lake by Richard Lewis 2026

 

This is the same spot photographed before sunrise and later in the morning as I was returning to the boat launch.

Misty Atsion Sunrise by Richard Lewis 2026

 

Morning Light Through The Cedars by Richard Lewis 2026

 

The landscape opportunities seemed to overwhelm any desire to find the perfect orchid to photograph. The orchid that blooms in the natural garden at the edge of this lake is called a Rose Pogonia. The image of a Rose Pogonia is from my library of wildflower images. I figured you may want to see what this beautiful little orchid looks like.

 

Here is a couple of tips for photographing from a kayak.

  • Your boat should be stable, and you should be able to control it.
  • Boats usually move, even when you aren’t paddling them, so look to use faster shutter speeds.
  • Since a boat will move on its own, let it show you if there is a better composition from a different position.
  • If you are in shallow water, try setting a tripod up in the water. That will solve the kayak drifting problem and let you manage the composition more closely.
  • Always, always be safe. Wear a life vest while paddling, know how to swim, and know the boat you are in and how to paddle and control it.

Enjoy!

Photograph the Pine Barrens on one of my workshops. Fall dates are listed here