Get on the subjects level/eye level

• This makes the photos feel more personal. If you are looking down on an animal, they may feel more insignificant.

 

Use light to your advantage

• Harsh sun from directly above is tough for loons, try to go out when the sun is low (Dawn or Dusk) or shoot on a cloudy day for more even light. Loons have lots of contrast. With harsh light the highlights may be overblown, and the darks may have no detail, so making sure you are shooting in the right light and using it to your advantage is extremely important. If you’re not shooting in dawn or dusk, have the sun to you back to the loons are evenly lit to avoid losing detail in the shadows or overblown highlights.

  • Front light: Sun to your back, subject and background are evenly lit. Easy light to work with, shows accurate colors, but can sometimes lead to your photos looking flat if you do not have good subject/background separation

  • Side light: Light hitting the subject from one side (sun low in the sky, angled). Place the sun to the left or right of your subject for shadows that define shape. Best at golden hour, when shadows are long and soft. Creates texture and dimensionality, adds contrast and depth, making the subject pop.

  • Back/Rim light: Strong light behind the subject, often making it appear darker or silhouetted, or creating a glowing outline. Adds depths and drama. Best at sunrise or sunset. Expose for the highlights.

 

Composition is key

• Rule of Thirds

• Leading Lines

• Leverage negative space

• Focus on the eyes

• Shoot wider, you can crop later – you do not want to cut off parts of the animal

• Watch for tangents/distracting shapes that draw attention away from your subject

• Be aware of heat distortion

  • Avoid heat blur by shooting closer, avoiding hot surfaces, and shooting at cooler times like sunrise or sunset.

 

Be mindful of the wind/breeze

• The wind can affect both your photographs and how you take photographs.

  • A slight breeze will begin to rotate your boat if you are not paddling. You may be taking a photograph, and you boat will begin to rotate. Be ready to rotate with your boat, or quickly, but not too suddenly, make a corrective maneuver to straighten back out so you are comfortable. You do not want to put your safety at risk while taking photos, so always make sure you feel comfortable when photographing from a kayak. Do not force the shot, enjoy the water and the moment.

  • The wind will make the water choppy. This reduces the amount of color you get from the surrounding landscape on the water, often making the water brighter and whiter as the ripples are reflecting more of the sky rather than the trees on shore. A calm day with little to no wind is best, as you are in more control of you boat, and the water is often times a nicer brown/green because the ripples are not reflecting the sky.

 

Be mindful of where you are on the lake.

• If you are close to shore, the water will appear brown/green in your photos because it is reflecting the trees and is shallower. This can make your photos darker and give you a more even exposure on the loons, but sometimes leading to overexposed/blown out highlights.

• If you are in the middle of the lake, the water is likely to appear more blue or white, as there are less reflections from the shore and trees, and more reflections from the sky. The water is also deeper, to the bottom of the lake does not affect the color as much. There also may be more of a breeze in the middle of the lake., so be conscious of that too.

 

Stay calm! Don’t rush “the shot”

• If you are frantic and stressed about missing a moment or getting “the shot”, chances are that stress will transfer to the loons, making it harder to get “the shot” It is good to have an idea of a photo you want to get, but do not limit yourself to it. Be ready to shoot on the fly. Wildlife is wild and often unpredictable. Use this unpredictability to your advantage to capture compelling photos.

 

Respect wildlife and understand the behavior.

• Wildlife is wild. You want to capture natural, comfortable behaviors. Avoid photographing the animal when it is stressed, your photos will look less natural and more forced.

• Patience Over Pursuit

  • Let them come to you whenever possible. Chasing animals rarely works - they’ll flee, and you risk stressing them.

  • Spend time sitting quietly in a good location (like near food sources)

  • Blend into the environment. Remain still long enough that animals get used to your presence.

• Move Slowly and Intentionally

  • Take small, smooth paddles; avoid sudden movements.     

  • Keep your body low to seem less threatening.

  • When you need to reposition, move only when the animal isn’t looking at you, when the loon is under water.

  • Pause frequently. Stop as soon as the animal shows signs of alertness.

• Watch Body Language & Stress Signals

  • Comfortable Loon:

    • Relaxed posture, round head

    • Calmly diving, actively hunting

    • Generally quiet

    • Preening, foot waggle, bathing

  • Stressed: If you see these signs, stop, back away.

    • Wing row

    • Penguin dance

    • Sitting low and flat in the water

    • Extended neck, upright, tense posture

    • Squared-off head/ raised, furrowed brow

    • Moving away

    • Vocalizations:

      • Tremolo = Alarm Call

      • Yodel = Male territorial call

      • Wail = used to locate other loons or low intensity alarm call

      • Hoot = Soft, short call for short range communications. There is a version like a “toot” that is a little louder that is a short range, low intensity alarm call.

    • To avoid these stress signals, try to let the loons come to you, or very slowly drift into their space, making no sudden movements. Loons that are more used to people often don’t stress as easy as loons that are not used to people or boats

    • Never push animals past their comfort zone—it can harm them and ruin your chance at natural behavior shots.