Photos of HAL ships in ads: why no wake?

[pdmlynek]

I know that this is a really trivial issue, but one thing has always bothered me when looking at photos of ships in advertisements by HAL: is there a reason why in many pictures of ships in beautiful surroundings there is no wake visible? In reality, aside from places where a ship stops for a port call or when it is in places like Glacier Bay, the ship is always in motion, thus always generating a wake. Pictures of ships without a wake just look unnatural to me. It is as if a ship is stuck.

I am sure that there is a good reason why the advertising folks at HAL Photoshopped out the wake behind the ships, but I can't figure out what it is. Is it because the wake, or any waves, would convey too much motion on the ship? Is it because the wake conveys that the ship is leaving the beautiful surroundings? Is a wake behind the ship too visually distracting, making the picture too cluttered?

[KirkNC]

Not sure why, to be honest I have never noticed it. Personally I think a little wake would look good.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are right.

I just went and looked at some pictures for HAL ads -- no wake.

Didn't notice that before.

[Kamloops50]

I know that this is a really trivial issue, but one thing has always bothered me when looking at photos of ships in advertisements by HAL: is there a reason why in many pictures of ships in beautiful surroundings there is no wake visible? In reality, aside from places where a ship stops for a port call or when it is in places like Glacier Bay, the ship is always in motion, thus always generating a wake. Pictures of ships without a wake just look unnatural to me. It is as if a ship is stuck.

 

I am sure that there is a good reason why the advertising folks at HAL Photoshopped out the wake behind the ships, but I can't figure out what it is. Is it because the wake, or any waves, would convey too much motion on the ship? Is it because the wake conveys that the ship is leaving the beautiful surroundings? Is a wake behind the ship too visually distracting, making the picture too cluttered?

 

If they moving at steerage speed (min speed for rudder to work) there is just about no visible wake. If seen this when the leave the Port of Vancouver on a glassy sea .

Wake is the function of speed . The faster they go more wake is visible. The white part from the props also depends on the speed of the ship.

[jtl513]

I found several on the HAL site (such as this one) that have a small wake. I think kamloops has

it right - the pics are just taken with the ships at low speed.

[Kamloops50]

The amount of wake is also partially determined by the sea conditions.

If the sea is glassy the wake is less visible. If there are waves the ship wake interacts with the sea and the wake is more pronounced and visible.

Many times ship pictures in Alaska are poised . That means the ship is stopped or just drifting . In Glacier Bay & Hubbard Glacier there won't be much

wake be visible when the ship is near the glaciers. At that point the ship doesn't have any forward movement (no wake) just rotation from the thrusters.