Photographing Gray Whales can be puzzling

Frame by Frame

By Suzette Cook-Mankins

There is a 47 foot-long exact size jigsaw puzzle of a California Gray Whale at Point Cabrillo Lighthouse on the coast. If you’ve seen it, or better yet, if your kids have played a part in piecing it together, you understand the fascination with it and also the great educational value that this artwork thought up by Site Manager Lisa Weg has become. Coastal Artist J.D. Mayhew created the masterpiece with the help of fellow artist Katherine Smith as a way to give perspective on whale sizes which range from 35 to 50 feet in length. It was 9 years ago that the puzzle made it’s debut during a whale migration and festival season.

This photographer is also a puzzle-doer working on a whale puzzle of her own. After three years and five trips out to sea in winter and spring, draped in gear and layered in waterproof coverings, three pieces to the elusive Eschrictius Robustus (Gray Whale) puzzle exist. A spout, a back hump and a tail fin. Four if you count a splash left over from a missed breach .
If you dare to try to capture this amazing migrating beast, which will continue to pace up the Mendocino and Fort Bragg coastline through the end of April, here’s some "learned it the hard way" advice.

Morning or Afternoon

Pick an early morning or a 3 p.m. ride out to sea to avoid the five foot swells and white caps that seem to form in the middle of the day. White caps make it hard to distinguish where a spout is spraying and swells prevent a steady eye for the photographer, not to mention probable sea sickness. Take Dramamine if you have ever had a hint of sea sickness in the past.

Point and shoot vs. manual

Set your manual lens for the smallest aperture possible which means the most depth of field for focus. F-11 or f-22 will help more distance be in focus, whereas a f-2.8 allows only a few feet in your focal range. Whales appear with little notice and you’ll need that focal cushion. On a cloudy day, 400 ISO, f-11 at one 500th of a second ought to do it, but check your light meter. Automatic folks be ready as well. With digital cameras turn the screen off, if you can, to save battery power. That way you can leave your camera on longer without running out of energy. Always set your image quality on high or maximum so you can crop images later and still print them at a large size with sharpness and clarity. You will be depending on spotting the whale first with the naked eye then putting the camera to your eye. If you own two camera bodies try a 55mm (normal) on one and your largest zoom or telephoto on the other. A 300mm is a great lens for distance photographs.

Group project

The best way to approach this assignment: team work. You and your traveling companions should divide the boat into port (left) starboard (right) and bow (front) and stearn (back). If you have all of the bases covered, your chances will skyrocket. If you’re the only photog, position yourself where you can easily switch from side to side or if you want the best view go to the bow but beware of errant waves reaching you and your gear. Watch the deck hand very closely and remember, if the captain and crew don’t get you a sighting, they might have a mutiny on their hands, so they are very motivated to be spotters.

Anchor yourself

You will need to hold steady while you click your shutter release. When the boat swells or rocks the odds are against you. Try a side of the boat and brace your back against the cabin and your leg against the boat rim for support. This will lock you in and keep your arms free for camera gear use. If you have a non photographer travel partner or a spouse, you can lean on them and ask for support as well.

Shoot first, edit later

Don’t try to evaluate your success while you’re on the boat. Don’t show off your photos to other photogs and spectators either. Chances are you’ll miss a better shot in the process and tie up your digital screen which drains batteries. Wait until you’re back on land or heading to the docks for a sneak peek.

Check for Salt Water

Your camera gear will be misted with sea water throughout your trip so you’ll need to wipe down lenses and any metal that is affected. Lenses should always have a protective UV glass filter on them. You can clean that glass filter with lens tissue and Windex if necessary. Check your owner’s manual for cleaning digital point and shoot lenses.

Chin up

If you should miss capturing the great Gray Whale, try try again. It’s fun to get out to sea and experience the power of nature, feel the wind in your hair, and get great photos of the coastline that you can’t see from land. Catch the sea lions on buoys, photograph the boats you pass, and know that you helped support a fishing vessel and its crew during the off season.

Don’t miss the man-made whale

On your way home, even if you’ve had a successful whale sighting, check out another "gray whale" that is always still and ready to be photographed. Pull over by Van Peer's Boatyard on Highway 20 and take a look at his 29th seafaring commercial fishing boat built from scratch and started almost a year ago. You get the same feeling of seeing this massive gray vessel knowing her prowess at sea. She will be launched in a few months to head to Oregon, and along her journey will most likely swim side by side with the California Gray Whale.

Suzette Cook-Mankins is a 20 year veteran of photojournalism. Send comments, questions, requests to www.mizdigital.com