THE LANDSCAPE STEALS THE LIMELIGHT FROM GARRETT BROWN ON UPPER CHERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA. NOTE HOW THE CONVERGING LINES OF THE RIVER AND CANYON SUCK YOU INTO THE SCENE. 10 MM, F/8, 1/750, ISO 200
SEE IT THEIR WAY
SHOOT THE RIVER LIKE THE PROS TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DARIN McQUOID
If you’ve never wished you could capture the pulse- quickening feeling of a rapid or the expression on a friend’s face just above a drop to share and enjoy lat- er, then might we suggest skipping the next few pages (actually, the rest of the magazine). But if, like most paddlers, you recognize the power of an evocative pho- tograph, there are no better teachers than the talent we’ve tapped for the very first Rapid Photo Issue.
iCOMPOSITION s Key
Spend time achieving a deliberate composition. To do this, I frame the scene and let the paddler move
through. With experience you’ll know where the paddler is trying to go and anticipate the crux moment. The only time you may want to follow a paddler through a rapid is in big water or for a generic, up-close paddling shot.
FOR STRIKING IMAGES, REMEMBER THESE RULES: • The best shot is never from your boat and rarely from river level. Getting a good angle requires hiking.
• Put the paddler at the edge of the frame, not the center. •
Leave space for the paddler to move into—this builds suspense. Shoot for the moment of anticipation and create drama with the unknown.
• Don’t tilt the lens to make a drop look steeper than it is—this is always obvious and looks tacky.
• Shoot more than just the rapid—river canyons are beautiful!
If you have the time, shoot a lot. Try a different angle or zoom setting for every person that runs the rapid. You’ll learn a lot about what works, and what doesn’t.
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