Seattle-based photographer Dougal Brownlie was looking to expand his client list when his father introduced him to Paddle California, a paddle sport coaching company. Paddle California was going to the Columbia River Gorge at the end of June to test their new surfskis, long kayaks designed for speed in open water. For Dougal, it was a good opportunity to produce some images for their new product line and diversify his portfolio.
The first time I met Paddle California was in Bellingham, Washington. They had come up from Orange County to demo some of their boats as well as to drop off my dad’s boat. I took some photos, and they expressed interest in me coming to the Gorge to take more photos.
Dougal was introduced to the paddling community through his father, Simon Brownlie. Simon has been an active part of the paddling community in Bellingham for years and uses Nelo, Paddle California’s European counterpart, for his daily paddling routines. With Simon’s connections and insight, Dougal felt prepared to take on shooting this unique sport.
It was an absolute pleasure to learn from my father, who is so kind and patient and willing to help me succeed in my own field.
On the day of the shoot, Dougal set out early in the morning on the three-hour drive from Seattle to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. When the photographer arrived, he met with former Olympians and Paddle California coaches Michele Eray and Maggie Hogan. The two had come up from Orange County, California to test the surfskis on the gorge.
I think working with two very high-profile athletes that have competed in some of the highest echelons of their sport and their calm, respectful, and humble attitudes was the best part of this experience.
The Columbia River Gorge reaches up to 4,000 feet deep and extends across 80 miles westward through the Cascade Range between Oregon and Washington. Dougal set up on the Oregon side, looking out over the river.
I showed up early and scouted the location where I would be taking the photos. By my estimation, the winds must have been around 40 to 45 miles per hour, and the waves were four to six feet tall.
Then Dougal realized that the sun was already overhead in the sky, which created harsh, flat lighting in Dougal’s images. The photographer knew he would have some edits to go in post-production to bring out the waves and make the images look as dynamic as they did in person.
The image of Maggie with the Coast Guard boat sets the scene for how crazy the weather was that day. The way the Coast Guard is going into the wave shows the sheer size of the turbulent waters and how Maggie was seemingly calm despite the conditions.
Dougal enjoyed learning the nuances of surfskiing and paddling throughout the day, as well as watching the former Olympians in action. His photos from this shoot were delivered to Paddle California to debut their new product line of surfskis.
Credits:
Surfski athletes: Michele Eray, Maggie Hogan
Surfski participant: Simon Brownlie
Check out more of Dougal’s work at dougalbrownlie.com.