National Watersports Centre Nottingham

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Paul
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I've just relocated to an area which makes the NWC in Nottingham a viable day away to try a bit of photography.
I note it has a man-made white water slalom/canoe area.
Can anyone offer any experienced advice on this as a photography option, in terms of access and imagery?
It's still a long way to go if it is extremely limited.
I would like to try some action shots and can cover 24mm up to 300mm only on FF
Many thanks.
 
You'll be fine with those focal lengths...The canoe slalom is easily accessible with good view points from both banks (which you can walk the entire length of at waters level). The only time you may have access issues is on competition days where the best view points may be taken by judges
 
Many thanks Hugh
Waterside level sounds good for images; a mate in Nottingham thinks there are some elevated bridges on the course to look down from - are you able to confirm if this is the case and open to photographers?
 
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Many thanks Hugh
Waterside level sounds good for images; a mate in Nottingham thinks there are some elevated bridges on the course to look down from - are you able to confirm if this is the case and open to photographers?
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That is the case, as I remember there are 3 with the middle providing the best views. They are open to all.

My folks live just down the road from the course so I visit fairly often
 
Thank you again Sir.
I will try and organise a day to go and try my luck.
 
I have never been to one of these venues. If you are just an observer who wants to take photos, are there any fees to pay?
 
I went once, when I first had a DSLR and only had my kit lens, keep meaning to go back now I've got better lenses and more knowledge about how to use them and the camera.

IIRC the only charges are for car parking.
 
Great venue to hone your reflexes and skills. The water and kayaks are so unpredictable. You'll only take a few keepers away from each visit but they're worth it. I shot this a few years ago now.

(ISO 100, 2000 sec @ F4 on a Canon 1D MkIII with Canon 300mm f/2.8)

Wild water 1024.jpg
 
I am in nottingham at end of month on a friday with nowt to do all day (football in evening). would there be anything on there or is it a weekend thing?
 
I think it's open most days to the public! I've been there for walks plenty of times and there is always something going on.....
I live local too! I've shot there with 80-200 with no problem
 
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I am covering nots county v accrington stanley friday 25th 7.45 pm .. so me and the missus gonna have a day out and go for a walk round it.. probably just take the 70-200 then. (will have 400mm in case for footy so can always pop back to car).. hopefully decent and somehting happening.. still august and start of bank holiday weekend :) so nobody pulls there face at cameras.... goody :)​
 
false alarm.. still going :)
 
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Hope I'm okay chiming in, I photograph kayakers a lot and shoot at HPP every year for a big kayaking event - look up National Student Rodeo on Facebook if you're on there - and it's a cracker if you've got people training or playing.

If there are slalom boaters training, watch for where the upstream gates are and shoot across them, you can get some great turning shots when they're relatively static but working the boat through the gate.

If there are freestyle paddlers playing on the waves you can get some great shots, sometimes the angles are awkward and the overhead lines for the slalom poles can spoil shots if you're up high on the middle bridge. The inlet gate (first wave) is the easiest to get onto as a kayaker but one of the hardest to shoot, as the bridge is your main position. Certain pop-out moves look great from above though. The next one, Twin Wave, is great from the right hand side (looking downstream) as the wave's very close to bank level.

The Looping Pool (sometimes called The Office) is the one just below the middle bridge, not as good from above because of the slalom lines but good positions both sides.

That's not a massive amount of interest below that, one wave on the right called the Muncher that is sometimes great and sometimes terrible, depending on how the course blocks are set up.

Hope that helps, have a good time if you're there. The course can be a massive wind tunnel if the weather's not good, so hope you get a good day!
 
THANK YOU

Living nowhere near the sea and having no water sports around here.. coupled with the fact that I like the sea and water sports haha :) I am looking forward to friday.. I was going to nottigham to shoot the football anyway.. so I remembered this thread and convinced my missus to come for a day out haha... I was there a couple of weeks ago to photo forest v burnley on a saturday and forgot about this :(

I will print this out.. having never photogrpahed the sport before i dont have a clue..but this and seeing it i will :) hopefully someone will be doing somehting on the day.. again thanks for the tips :)
 
Todays the day (friday) hopefully its a decent day and theres somehtign on this afternoon :)
 
I think it was shut..just work people setting up for tomorrow triathlon.. everywhere else like a ghost town.....lovely sunny day as well ..
 
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