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Me and My Paddling Partner
Me and My Paddling Partner
yakatme


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: You +1 (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Location: Matheson Hammock, Miami Florida
Date: Sep 27, 2011
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 320
Shutter: 1/40
Galleries: Animals, Self Portrait
Date Uploaded: Sep 27, 2011

 The dog is my 8 year old Brindle Boxer, 'Brittany'. She paddles with me a lot! She and I enjoy standup paddleboarding, kayaking, and even jet skiing. It is difficult to elude her when I want to go out without her. When I lived on a lake she would jump the fence to get on the kayak or paddleboard.

I was fairly concerned that voters would not believe that this is a self portrait. It is, but it wasn't easy to pull off, especially at the last minute. I actually made up my mind to do this only about two hours before sunset and the last shot that I took, the one I ended up using, was taken a lot later than I had intended.

I used two Alienbee 800's and the new Vagabond Mini Lithium battery. I used Pocket Wizards to remotely trigger the flash which was set to rear curtain sync just in case there was any motion blur. Actually, I considered "zooming by" and capturing the motion trail behind us, but that was an added complication that I chose not to mess with.

I set the camera to interval shooting, 9 shots, once every 10 seconds. I figured out how to do this on the fly once I was there and I was lucky that I managed that. I didn't attempt to set a delay, so the sequence started immediately and I got some shots of my back side as I dashed to the board and my dog. I kept pushing the board out into the bay as I reset the sequence, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, light power, and while I kept messing with one of the lights that was intermittent. I tried to do this before the wind blew the board all the way back to shore where Brittany might decide that she had had enough and abandon the shoot. She didn't...she is a fantastic dog...the best that I've ever had!

As it turns out, one of the lights did not fire in this final shot and it probably wouldn't have worked out as well if it did. I'm fairly happy with the lighting that resulted.

I did end up processing for three separate exposures, one for the sky, one for us, and one for the water.

Here are a couple of outtakes from the shoot and some of Brittany in the past:

Brittany waiting patiently for me but wondering why we aren't paddling yet:


Getting on quickly before the next shot in 10 seconds:


Neither of us fell off the board even once:


Dashing out to the board as the first shot in the sequence catches me:


Getting our balance back:


The original challenge entry straight from the camera:


I use the same standup paddleboard to get out in The Everglades for photography:


Again, in The Everglades:


How I carry my camera gear on the board:


Brittany and my son, Chris, kayaking 4 years ago:




Statistics
Place: 4 out of 96
Avg (all users): 6.7736
Avg (commenters): 7.8000
Avg (participants): 6.8723
Avg (non-participants): 6.7455
Views since voting: 2893
Views during voting: 489
Votes: 212
Comments: 26
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Canon EOS-5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
 10/05/2011 07:44:13 PM
great job robert ,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
 10/05/2011 03:14:07 PM
Love the story!!! Amazingly done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
 10/05/2011 11:30:49 AM
Should have made front page imo....Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED
 10/05/2011 03:49:21 AM
What a wonderful story. Congrats on the HM.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a7R III
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
 10/05/2011 02:58:15 AM
Yak, you are on one serious roll! The set up off this, and the difficulty level of a self portrait with dog on paddle board are insane - congrats on pulling it off! And it is good to see what you look like :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D Mark II
Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
10/05/2011 02:43:30 AM
Heartfelt thanks for a job well done. You worked hard for the team. This is a very nice image, and what tnun said.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Ricoh GR III
Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC
 10/05/2011 12:20:53 AM
that is Some Dog.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 10/05/2011 12:02:55 AM
Well done partner.....fantastic shot. I new this would do well. Congrats on the HM. Woooo! Hoooo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Nikon D90
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
 10/04/2011 10:04:11 PM
This looks like it could've been taken on a hollywood stage with your lighting. I love the lighting! I hope you post what you did to create this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
 10/04/2011 06:51:42 PM
Great shot!! Great Lighting also. Not voting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS
 10/03/2011 05:21:18 PM
I like it! Did you use a remote?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Fujifilm X30
Custom Made Pinhole
 10/03/2011 03:30:24 PM
Mans best friend indeed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A580
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED
 10/03/2011 12:11:51 AM
Great fun and well done. You are both way steadier than I would be.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon
 10/02/2011 12:06:32 AM
Great use of fill flash, and vivid colors, technically flawless. I wonder if you had any where both you and the dog were looking in the same direction to give it a more unified sense of purpose. Top ten
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z8
Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8
 10/01/2011 06:23:19 PM
He looks like he's had lots of experience as your paddling partner.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
 09/30/2011 01:28:47 PM
Good shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 09/30/2011 01:46:36 AM
Spectacular! Very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount
09/29/2011 05:35:57 PM
what good is the dog if it won't paddle for you? nice sky but you look like a statue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 09/29/2011 03:15:11 AM
Haha! Amazing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 09/28/2011 11:23:06 AM
I am guessing...but I think this is Robert...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF
 09/28/2011 10:40:49 AM
Great shot with great lighting! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro for Canon
 09/28/2011 09:54:38 AM
Terrific. Wish you were looking at the camera. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/28/2011 07:59:33 AM
Fantastic shot! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II
 09/28/2011 04:32:01 AM
Well done on getting all that set up!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS
 09/28/2011 01:13:51 AM
At least he don't talk back! Pretty spiffy hat for paddleboarding...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 09/28/2011 12:11:05 AM
Could win.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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