Bird photography from a kayak

In photography, we strive to get new perspectives – see our subject in a new and different way.  To do so, photographers use all kinds of gear and methods – and buy new lenses. It was a revolution when drones became a standard photography tool for landscape photography. Suddenly, we could look down from the sky and fly into the world like birds. The floating hides were also a revolution for bird photography. In both cases, we got a new perspective.

The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans.

In this video, we use a kayak for bird photography on the longest day of the year, ending with landscape photography. Using a kayak for photography is another way to get closer to the subjects and on the water with a low-angle view.

Birds like puffins, razorbills, and guillemots are commonly called seabirds. They live on the sea during winter, but we mostly photograph them on land. I don´t see many photos of these birds on sea – at least not from a low angle. In this context, a kayak is just a tool to get closer to the subjects and get a new perspective.

We use our kayaks not only to photograph seabirds from a hard-to-get perspective but also to relax and enjoy being close to hundreds of thousands of birds in Grímsey. Sailing on a kayak close to birds is a great experience.

An old story from Grímsey tells of a priest who disappeared with four others when they sailed into a cave. The cave was believed to go all the way through the island. I have heard this story many times from the elders in Grímsey, and to say the least, this cave has a mysterious status in the minds of the people in Grímsey. This cave is called Prestkvompa in Icelandic, translating to Priestcave or cavern.

In this video, I go into the mysterious cave to find out if the story is true, and does it goes through the island.


Our Books About Iceland

Bird Photography in Iceland - Our 40 Favorite Locations

Bird Photography In Iceland—Our 40 Favorite Locations

NEW IN 2024. THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS MUST HAVE BOOK WHEN GOING TO ICELAND

Bird Photography In Iceland—Our 40 Favorite Locations, is written for those planning to photograph birds in Iceland. We share our secrets and aim to maintain a straightforward, honest, no-nonsense approach, free from tourism companies’ hidden marketing. We recommend these locations to our friends who are into bird photography.

The e-book can be found here…

PHOTOGRAPHING ICELAND – A Photo Guide to 100 locations

It is a must-have if you plan to visit Iceland. It is an excellent guide to Iceland and the book we wish we had read years ago when we started traveling in our country for landscape photography. The book is the result of a vast undertaking that took more than a year. It is available in all major bookstores in Iceland and our online store. It is now also available as an e-book.

The e-book version can be found here…

The print version is here…

The printed version is 21×14,5 cm and 352 pages.

ICELAND: Wild At Heart

Our beautiful bestseller. Available in all bookstores in Iceland and our online store.

Hardcover large format: 26,5 x 22,5 x 2cm and 160 pages.

GRIMSEY – The Arctic Wildlife Wonder

This is a must-have if you plan to visit Grimsey. It is only available in our online store and the Gallery in Grimsey.

Hardcover: 24,5 x 17,5 cm and 120 pages / 7000 words

It is possible to order our books from our online store, which ships worldwide: www.ggart.is.

Notice that the shipping cost is the same if you order two books.