Sliding between poles

[LesPalenik]

Taken recently at a Canoe Slalom Race.
In a drastic departure from the latest trends, I didn't blur the water nor the athlete, only the poles.

[Richard Pearlman]

I like the idea, but I feel that the foreground complicates the image too much. The framing of the photographer and kayaker is an excellent idea, but the poles in the foreground add a visual complexity that I feel clutters the composition.

[LesPalenik]

Thank you, Richard. This is a good comment, and I might try to slightly de-saturate and deemphasize the poles and see what comes out of it.

However, far from an award-winning composition, this picture would be more suitable as an editorial insert.  I would slot it more into an "Unseen" category rather than an art print. I captured it with a DX camera and 300mm lens at a distance of several hundred yards. The paddlers were coming down quite fast, and I had to deal with some erratic maneuvers, changing light conditions, and their respective positions. And I was also changing cameras as they were getting closer. Most of the keepers were actually captured from a much closer distance, with the boat filling the frame. Lots of fun!

Here is another shot from the same river, this time without any slalom poles.

[Richard Pearlman]

As an editorial shot, I think it works well to establish the scene while the second shot tells more of the story.

[NancyP]

Agree about two shots being more useful than one. I had never heard about canoe slalom races. Kayaks and rapids with rocks serve the purpose locally.

[LesPalenik]

For whitewater, they use special type of canoes, made of ABS material (strong yet flexible plastic), and equipped with air bags to fill all empty space in the boat. The solo canoes are shorter, but they all are relatively high, with a shallow V or round bottom and a heavy rocker (amount of curve in the hull). The paddlers kneel in the boat and use thigh straps anchored to the bottom and the inner side just below the gunwales to steady the boat. Many moons ago, I used to run that river myself. The hardest part was always carrying the canoe uphill from the bottom to the top of the rapids (a fully equipped 16-17 ft ABS boat can weigh over 80 lbs).

I like photographing the paddle action (as in the second picture) which is more dramatic than the strokes with a double-sided kayak blade. It is quite a sight to see an expert paddler to lean out to the side and put in a strong brace.

And sometimes, the paddler ends up in a less enviable position, ...