Harvey Lloyd

November 21, 2009

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Master Photographers Tell You How

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Harvey Lloyd

Travel Photographer
How To Photograph Your Perfect Cruise

by José M. Gonzalez

Article rating: 7.15

TIP: RESEARCH BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Research the country or city or landscape you will be visiting before you leave. I use Fodor’s and other specialized guidebooks. Make a list of places and events you wish to visit or photograph. Decide which shore excursions you would like to take.

TIP: LOOK FOR INTERESTING PEOPLE AND SCENES WHILE ONBOARD THE CRUISE SHIP

Take your camera with a zoom telephoto lens to the stage performances. If you can, set your film speed or ISO high, 1200 to 3200, and you won’t need to use flash, which is often not allowed at performances. Photograph the staff in their uniforms, a poolside scene, or a display of food during special buffets, or with a waiter or sommelier.

TIP: SHOOT AT DAWN AND DUSK

People and scenes on the ship’s open decks will be colorful at dawn, dusk or sunset light. Shoot the ship against the red dawn or orange sunset from a high vantage point. Varying the light in your photographs will yield interesting twists to things that you will see on or off the ship. Photograph the ship coming into ports of call or going up rivers to ports of call.

TIP: LOOK FOR COLORFUL PEOPLE WHEN YOU GO ASHORE

Always ask them if you can take their photograph. A big smile and a lot of affection for others, goes a long way. The people you will meet will make perfect subjects. Sometimes, you may want to tip people for posing in costumes or ethnic dress.

TIP: GO ON THE TOURS OF THE SHIP'S BRIDGE AND PHOTOGRAPH THE CAPTAIN AND BRIDGE OFFICERS AT WORK.

Always bring your camera to the captain’s big welcome party when everyone, including yourselves, is dressed up.

TIP: ATTEND THE ONBOARD BRIEFINGS GIVEN BY THE SHIP'S SHORE EXCURSION STAFF.

Look at picture books or picture postcards sold at your destinations. Often, they are your best guides to offbeat, exotic and extraordinary activities, scenes and vistas. Once on the scene, I always ask around if anything unusual is happening.

TIP: AT VARIOUS LECTURES YOU MAY PHOTOGRAPH THE CELEBRITIES OR AUTHORS WHO APPEAR

Go to the daytime activities to photograph arts and crafts, knitting, art auctions, exercise classes, and many other of the host of daily events onboard. Take your camera to the lifeboat drill for a souvenir of yourselves in the funny looking red life jackets.

TIP: PHOTOGRAPH IN NEW AND FRESH WAYS

When at a port, and you know the sights that you want to photograph change lenses or focal lengths, vary points of view, add people to the scene, use a combination of flash fill and available light, in short, try to catch a falling star.

TIP: YOUR IMAGE SHOULD NEVER BE TOO STILL

Like tumbling rapids in a river, or a great balanced rock, it should make you feel a little apprehensive, give you a tingle of secret pleasure. Avoid totally balanced or totally centered images. Try to get tension in your photographs some of the time.

TIP: SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT!

If you see something interesting or seemingly interesting, photograph it. Don’t censor your inner eye or unconscious mind. Don’t be afraid to waste flash card space, or film, in the pursuit of the new and unexpected. Your voyage is something to be treasured and you don’t want to regret not making enough photographs.