YOUR CAMERA & ACCESSORIES

Go back to photography & gallery pages here

You are welcome to bring a camera - but insure it. We can also shoot pix for you and will put them on this site (see Recent Trips)

Cellphone reception is poor or non-existent on many of our rivers. Bring one anyway but try to free yourself from mobile obsession!

We have waterproof bags but do not guarantee them, especially if you carry your own with you. We take no responsibility for your cameras or other valuables.

Rivers, like all outdoor venues, can damage cameras and electronic equipment with water, dust, sun or ice. The added risk is that cameras can float away after a capsize.

One alternative is to buy a cheap disposable camera. Although picture quality is not great, at least the risk is minimised and sometimes the results are pretty good.

It's advisable, for action shots, to have a telefoto lens or at least a digital zoom. But if you carry additional equipment, make sure it is well packaged and padded.

We usually take pictures on trips and will definitely do so if specifically requested for a photo album. We can also arrange trip videography.

CARE OF CAMERAS

Here is some advice based on long experience!

• Wrap the camera in a dry cloth like a dish towel and keep it in a plastic bag inside the waterproofing. When you stop to take photos, or shoot from the boat, your hands may be wet and the dishcloth is useful for drying.

• Keep the camera clean! Don't leave it in the hot sun! Remember where you put it! Always return it to the waterproof packing after use!

• Always have the camera strap around your neck or wrist. It is easy to drop the camera in the water.

• Never try to shoot while running a rapid, unless you are an expert or have a waterproof camera. Get out on the bank or park the boat in a quiet eddy.

• The best pictures are those taken with boats and people coming towards you. To take this kind of shot you must be ahead of the party, so ask to accompany the lead guide.

• Shoot a lot of pictures! Action shots are notoriously difficult to get right, so the more pix you shoot the better the chances of getting the right moments and excited expressions on faces.

• Don't just shoot pictures of paddling. Take pictures around camp, of scenery, and of nature.

• Make sure you get shots of the whole group, before and after the trip. Also get their names and email addresses.

• Bring spare batteries! There is nowhere to charge batteries on the river.

• Bring spare film and/or digital cards. There is nothing worse than running out of pictures.

• Put your pictures on flickr or picasa or some other web picture slide show for others to see. We use a different format on this website so that all pix can be seen at a glance.