Photographing Boats

[EVADPHOTOGRAPHY]

I had someone ask me to take pictures of his boats for his company webpage. Does any one photograph boats? Any tips and advice would be appreciated.

 

[tirediron]

That's a pretty vague question... What kind of boats? Sail? Power? Fast? Slow? How many? How large? At sea or alongside? Generally speaking, photographing boats of almost any type is best done from another boat, and away from the dock. Ensure you plan for best light; either a bit after morning golden hour or a bit before evening. Calm water is best and shoot down-wind if there's even a hit of wind. A polarizing filter will definitely be your friend.

 

[EVADPHOTOGRAPHY]

The boats are duffy boats that you can rent out per hour in a harbour. One is a party pontoon boat, that would be really cool to be photographed at night. I was thinking an hour before sunset. I will invest in a polarized filter. Thank you.

 

[RVT1K]

I will 2nd the motion to use a polarizing filter. It will make a big difference with the glare.

Maybe keep an eye on your shutter speed. If you shoot from a boat, you'll be moving and your subject will be moving so you will need a quick shutter to help prevent blur.

 

[Designer]

I had someone ask me to take pictures of his boats for his company webpage. Does any one photograph boats? Any tips and advice would be appreciated.

Did the owner indicate to you what type of photograph he wants? IMO, there might be a difference between what a rental customer wants to see that would be different from someone who wants to buy a boat.

Sales photos seem to be taken from a low, level position showing the boat in the water at cruising speed. A rental customer might want to see the seating arrangement. Check with the owner for more direction, then search for examples.

Just guessing here:

Show as many of his boats as you can in one shot. Rental customers like to know that they have a good chance of getting a boat by seeing lots of them.

Show some boats moving through the water with families in them. Show people having fun. Show the boats being used in as many ways as you can.

Show the seating of at least one boat with one or two people in place, along with a cooler, fishing gear, PFDs, and the like. Show them smiling.

 

[Original katomi]

The party boat, you may have to set up and get several shots balanced to the different light colours/WB and merge them red, and greens burn out to white at different exposure times maybe a few shots 1 or 2 stops underexposed and Tewk post processing . Some lenses you can get a nice star effect with a f 16 or higher, worth a try maybe.
A sail boat is best shot from the water, from the windward side as the boat is healed over under full fail on a broad reach. See if you can get on board and get some shots showing the view that the person using the boat would see.
Looking forward, a nice over the stern sunset shot, party views from the point of the party person

 

[nate liv]

The boats themselves are likely private property. But so are automobiles. As long as you are not standing on private property at the time the shot is taken, it is not illegal. Some marinas and docks are private property, some are not.