5. Photographing Watersports

image

Sea kayaking in paradise—Virgin Islands.

Don’t worry, mon, you gonna be just fine,” says a weather-beaten fisherman with a strong Jamaican accent. “Those sharks never gonna bother you.”

I’m getting into my snorkel gear, watching sharks cruise around in transparent turquoise waters, and I’m not sure I believe him. At first, this sounded like a dream assignment: Go photograph a sea-kayaking trip in the Virgin Islands. Now I’m not so sure. But photographing watersports is a big part of adventure sports photography, and whatever the attendant risks—I love it.

Water is a fluid element, and a dynamic aspect in adventure ...

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