ZOOM | Fall/Winter 2018

TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Look up a Skookumchuck tide table if you want to catch the rapids
during their peak. The type of rapid and height varies dramatically depending on the time of day and
month. This photograph was taken during a moment that is termed a large flood tide. Not the biggest
of rapids, but large enough to attract eight enthusiastic kayakers to the scene. There is apparently an
hour’s leeway in time before and after the peak time listed before the rapids begin or end. I arrived at
the Narrows just as the kayakers were making preparations and the rapids began to peak.
Setting my Olympus 4/3 at 1,000 ISO, I chose an 800th of a second at F10 at the fast 10 FPS mode
while using a 75–300mm lens. That enabled me to capture bursts of action with lots of frothing
whitewater rapids. One at a time, the kayakers each entered a lane where a stream of rapids ran near
the shoreline. They positioned themselves at just the right spot, then paddled like crazy to keep from
being swept downstream. When they had had enough, they relinquished their position for the next
kayaker who was lined up to take their turn.
After half an hour, the kayakers were still going strong;150 images later, I decided it was time to reenter
the forest and head back to the car. I had a very satisfying day, having seen and photographed
two contrasting worlds, the calm of the forest and the excitement of whitewater rapids, along with lots
of rainforest moss and the smiling faces of happy kayakers. This was my first time seeing the rapids,
and I didn’t really know what to expect. But I was prepared and am happy with the results, leaving me
with another unique experience to remember.
SEE MORE OF ALLAN FOREST’S PHOTOGRAPHY AT EXPRESSIONSOFPHOTOGRAPHY.COM. SHARE YOUR SUNSHINE COAST STORIES AND PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING #SUNSHINECOASTBC. FOR
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