| making photos along the Maine Coast, a number of | | | | simply making your photos with low contrast |
| people have spoken to me about photographing their | | | | illumination. It comes as a surprise to many, but early |
| boats. Basically, they wanted to know the real secrets | | | | morning light, besides many times being glorious, is |
| to making their vessels look so good, especially while | | | | usually less contrasty than mid-afternoon overhead |
| at anchor. Truth be told, there are no real | | | | sun. Try it! Late afternoon sun can work as well, but |
| secrets…just proven techniques that are well | | | | the possibility of haze exists. Experiment to see what |
| known to many professionals. These techniques are | | | | works best for you. |
| my pleasure to share with you. | | | | Once you have all the elements together the photo is |
| When doing fine photography of your boat, you are | | | | practically made. If you are working from land, use a |
| faced with four areas of concern. Those areas are | | | | tripod, even if that means getting the legs wet. The |
| the vessel itself, your camera equipment and film | | | | tripod does two good things. First of all, it provides a |
| media selection, the shoreline in which you work and | | | | steady platform for your camera. The second good |
| your lighting conditions. If you approach each | | | | thing a tripod does is force you to s l o w d o w n. |
| component separately, then combine them at the time | | | | This simple act of not rushing through your photos can |
| you make your photos, you should have little or no | | | | make a big improvement in your work. I prefer to set |
| trouble. | | | | my tripod as low as possible. This angle allows your |
| Prepare your boat very carefully. It always surprises | | | | viewer to see a much more graphic view of your |
| me how often this is overlooked. Think of your | | | | boats shear line. If, however, you have just spent a |
| camera as the most beady-eyed, big mouthed, | | | | hundred hours refinishing your teak cabin tops and trim, |
| nit-pickin, purity-of-the-breed marine surveyor you have | | | | raise that tripod up all the way to display that beautiful |
| ever encountered and you’ll do just fine. | | | | detail work! Nobody knows your boat as intimately as |
| Any decent camera that will allow you to work without | | | | you do…let that fact guide your composition. As |
| getting in your way will be more than adequate for this | | | | an additional step, a little fill flash brings out highlights |
| type of photography. I have no personal lens choice | | | | while adding more detail to the shadow areas. Some |
| for boats, except that, whenever possible, my | | | | testing beforehand will help here. Fill flash works best |
| preference is always for the shortest usable focal | | | | when the flash itself is not noticeable. |
| length, not the other way around. Remember, | | | | As a final step, look closely into your viewfinder and |
| it’s your boat...you can get up as close as you | | | | ask yourself “what’s wrong with this |
| like. Film should always be the lowest ISO rating you | | | | picture?” We know what’s right with the |
| can comfortably work with. People using digital medium | | | | photo; it’s your boat. When you ask yourself |
| should use the camera’s setting that yields the | | | | the other question a number of things may come |
| biggest file. The bigger the file, the more detail will be | | | | sharply into focus. “What’s wrong with |
| on the photo, but you don’t have to break the | | | | this picture? Wow, I’m clipping off the front of |
| bank on this. Any good digital camera in the 4 to 5 | | | | the bow rail…there’s a garbage can on |
| magapixel range will do a nice job if you remember to | | | | the beach showing just under the boom…the |
| fill your frame. | | | | curtains in the cabin are crooked…who left that |
| The shoreline in which you work is the next thing to | | | | rag dangling over the transom?” Give this last |
| consider. I like natural surroundings, free of a lot of | | | | suggestion serious consideration because these are |
| clutter. Quiet coves are my favorite. Whatever you do | | | | mistakes we all make. Sometimes, we get so |
| though, don’t allow the background to fight the | | | | wrapped up in what we are doing that we tend to |
| vessel for your viewer’s attention. | | | | miss important details. Spend a little extra time at this |
| The next concern is your lighting conditions. In the end, | | | | point and you will be rewarded with photos that reflect |
| good photography is mostly about the light. All film and | | | | the work, care and effort you put into your vessel in |
| digital media build contrast. You can correct this by | | | | the first place. Good luck. |