RI7ER JOURNAL POSTS

The Season:

1 May to 31 September is the season to photo-boat on the Sjoa & Otta Rivers, Norway. Ine and i contract our photography services to Heidal Rafting. May normally starts off nice and gently with a couple of trips on the weekends and the odd school group during the week. June has nearly a trip everyday. July and August goes nuts with up to 4 different trips in a day. The day trip, the afternoon trip, Otta family trips, river boarding and canyoning. The final month September, has busy weekends with corporate groups filling up weekdays.

The Scene: 

Camera on … Lense cap off . Check lense. Check Settings ….. Click (practice shot) -  Check Settings - Adjust Settings . OK here comes the first boat . Zoom …. focus,  Clickety .. Clickety…..Clickety… Clickety….  Clickety…Clickety…………. Clickety . next boat . Zoom …. focus, Clickety .. Clickety…..Clickety… Clickety….  Clickety…Clickety…………. Clickety. and the next boat, and the next boat, and the next boat, and the next boat  …. Camera off … Lense cap on. Camera back in Pelican box. Dance over rocks back to kayak, get in, box between legs, deck on, grab paddle, slide into river. Paddle, paddle, race paddle, paddle. Pull into eddy, deck off, pull camera box out between legs, get out boat, drag boat up onto rocks and get it ready for relaunch, find shooting spot, find level area for camera box, open box, dry hands on cloth, Camera on … Lense cap off . Check lens . Check Settings ….. Click (practice shot) -  Check Settings - Adjust Settings . OK here comes the first boat . Zoom …. focus,  Clickety .. Clickety…..Clickety… Clickety….  Clickety…Clickety ….. CLICK and repeat the scene up to 15/16 times a day if working 2 trips.

After last rapid . Race ahead to the bus. Throw kayak in bus. Run into the bus. Dry hands . Pull laptop out overhead locker. Open camera box. Retrieve memory card . Insert card . Click download. Strip off wet gear whilst images download. Quick 1st edit on bus. Keep, keep, delete, keep, keep,keep, keep,keep, keep, delete, keep. Bus pulls into camp, run out the bus to the photo hut trailing wet gear, kayak, computer, camera box. Open hut, plug into power source, separate all images into boats. Back up all images per raft on external hard drive. Coffee. Show slideshow boat per boat in `Lille Kino` - little cinema. `you folks like the shots`- Yes, cash, plastic visa, rupees, dollars, gold or beer and they´re yours. Copy images onto USb sticks, thanks for the day. Ching, Ching " Next boat ".

…. River manager walks in and says 10 people have just walked in for an afternoon trip ….. repeat the above.

The Tools: 

Ine - Blue Bazooka(S), Orange Detox(M) - depends on what colour dry top and helmet, Ine is wearing that day.

Rob - Big Bang-low water, Bazooka (M)-high water.

Canon 7D´s with variety of lenses for close-up, action, group shots and scenery. 

Pelican Box ( Camera / lenses / lense cloth / drying hands cloth / spare battery / extra memory cards)

NB. Old school umbrellas with U-shaped handle help prevent it falling over when jammed between PFD and body on windy rainy days and keep both hands free for shooting and camera dry.

Season 2013 Stats:

47 398 photos, 412.95 GB, 370 rafts 

Rob approx. 65 trips @ 975 km´s

Ine approx. 63 trips @ 945 km´s

Thanks: 

All the guests who purchased images.

Heidal Rafting for the sweet Gig.

Tora Heggem for working a few trips.

" Smile, it looks better "