How to take better cruise photos

[pauluk]

Hi,

 

I'm going on an Eastern Carrib cruise in the next few weeks and will be taking my a DSLR. I took it last year on a cruise but with my skill level being a beginner the photos came out ok in most instances but not as great as I hoped.

 

Could any advanced photographers/cruise veterans offer any advice on settings or scenarios for great pictures on the ship or in ports. I'm sure it would be useful to many. I'm thinking of the common shots we all take, dinner in the restaurant, standing on the deck, on the beach, cliff top view over the sea, portrait of loved one with landscape or statue, ship on the horizon, sunset and sunrise. Should we use a Aperture priority, what best f-stop, low or high ISO on the beach, should we take a polarisation filter , times of day for best shot, etc? I come from a colder climate with less sun light compared to the Carribean so not use to the environment.

 

Any help and advice would be fantastic and I know others would also appreciate it.

 

Thanks

 

P

[pierces]

Hi,

 

I'm going on an Eastern Carrib cruise in the next few weeks and will be taking my a DSLR. I took it last year on a cruise but with my skill level being a beginner the photos came out ok in most instances but not as great as I hoped.

 

Could any advanced photographers/cruise veterans offer any advice on settings or scenarios for great pictures on the ship or in ports. I'm sure it would be useful to many. I'm thinking of the common shots we all take, dinner in the restaurant, standing on the deck, on the beach, cliff top view over the sea, portrait of loved one with landscape or statue, ship on the horizon, sunset and sunrise. Should we use a Aperture priority, what best f-stop, low or high ISO on the beach, should we take a polarisation filter , times of day for best shot, etc? I come from a colder climate with less sun light compared to the Carribean so not use to the environment.

 

Any help and advice would be fantastic and I know others would also appreciate it.

 

Thanks

 

P

 

Welcome to the boards. You have asked a question that we have all asked ourselves; "How can I take better pictures?" The simple answer is....not simple!;)

 

Here are my takes on your included questions:

 

If you are relatively new to your DSLR, don't be afraid of the P mode. The cameras of today have remarkable programming that can analyze scenes and nail exposure in a wide range of situations. I personally shoot about 98% in Aperture mode because it gives me a lot of control over depth of field. The best f/ stop? The old adage, "f/8 and be there" still has merit. Most of my shots are between f/5.6 and f/8 while outside. Inside you will likely want to open up and catch as much light as you can. Honestly, there are no firm rules. Some shots look great tack-sharp corner to corner and some are better with the background or foreground blurred. It is really up to you.

 

Polarizer? Yes! Blazing white sand with turquoise blu water screams "Polarize me!" Caveats would include not using one if you have an ultra-wide lens as the polarizing effect on the sky can be uneven. The area of greatest affect is 90° from the sun and if your view includes parts of the sky outside of that range the sky will appear lighter.

 

Best time of day? The "Golden hours" an hour before and after sunrise/sunset! The bad news...almost no excursion happens during those hours! Light is what you make of it. There are great opportunities under all light. Try photographing subjects from different angles relative to the light source and make sure your people don't have to squint when you take the shot.:D

 

A last piece of advice: Look at photos. Lots of photos. There are plenty of talented people right here on this board that share thousands of great travel shots. Browse through them and take note of what you like and what catches your eye. It really helps when you are confronted with a scene and have been exposed to many different styles and points of view. Don't be afraid to mimic a style that you like. You will grow out of mimicry quickly and develop a style of your own.

 

Here is a link to my travel galleries: http://galleries.pptphoto.com/travel

 

Cruise-specific galleries are here:http://galleries.pptphoto.com/cruising

 

Click on the links that appear in other poster's signatures and look there too. Enjoy them and remember what you liked about the shots you like.

 

Also, we have a series of Photo-A-Week threads going. Get out and use your camera then post a photo every week. It will push you to use it and the pressure to photograph something worth posting will inspire you to look around, see more of the world and capture it when you see it!:)

 

Enjoy your camera, enjoy your cruise and again,welcome!

 

Dave

[peety3]

I'm thinking of the common shots we all take, dinner in the restaurant,

Bounce flash up off the ceiling, slap an orange gel on it to match the interior lighting, and set WB to incandescent

 

standing on the deck,

Use flash to light the faces

 

on the beach,

Add +1 exposure compensation to keep the white sand from being grey, and remember to remove the exposure comp when done!

 

cliff top view over the sea, portrait of loved one with landscape or statue,

f/8 or higher to be sure lots is in focus

 

Should we use a Aperture priority,

You can probably use P but override the aperture when desired, which is probably safest in general. However, if you understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, Aperture priority is probably better when using flash because the camera's logic for choosing the exposure is "better" (less "snapshotty") than P.

 

what best f-stop,

There's no one best f-stop. f/2 for two things in focus, f/22 for 22 things in focus. Low numbers for "singular theme", f/16 and higher for storytelling, f/8 or f/11 for "i don't care". However, this can have a major effect on your shutter speeds possibly making your shots too blurry.

 

low or high ISO on the beach,

Low ISO when you have lots of light. High ISO only when needed (i.e. indoors).

 

should we take a polarisation filter ,

Absolutely, and use it for shots with water or other shiny surfaces, preferably shooting at a right angle to the sun's light, but skip it with ultra-wide lenses.

[dltvermont]

Pauluk,

 

you asked a question Ive been considering posting for some time, but, just like Pierces said, I dont think there is a set answer for every situation that you will come upon while on the cruise. My wife and I are going on our first at the end of April and I am hoping to get some amazing pictures to remember it by and capture the true beauty of what we see in person.

 

One thing Ive been doing, is when I see a picture I love, I look at the exif info for it (unless the person has it blocked), that way I can see what settings they used to get the picture.

 

I am no photographer by any means. Im practicing and keeping my fingers crossed I can get the shots when they present themselves on the cruise!

 

D

[TheRoff]

I recommend spending some quality time (say the first sea day on your cruise) with a good basic book on photography. I am partial to "Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson."

 

A word of warning, his goal is to get you off of "P" and into "M."

 

Have a great cruise, and do take lots of pictures.

 

Larry

[knittinggirl]

I recommend spending some quality time (say the first sea day on your cruise) with a good basic book on photography. I am partial to "Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson."

 

A word of warning, his goal is to get you off of "P" and into "M."

 

Have a great cruise, and do take lots of pictures.

 

Larry

 

I second understanding exposure. Also took the course at ppsop.com. after that, the joy of photography is a good one.

 

Also keep in mind to avoid camera shake, engage your VR or IS. Vibration reduction or image stabilization. Be sure your shutter speed is fast enough, at least 1/100 th of a second or even faster with a longer lenses.

 

Sent from my KFJWA using Tapatalk HD

Edited November 5, 2013 by knittinggirl

[Crew News]

Since the cost of film is no longer a restriction on photography, taking more than 500 photographs per memory card is the normal now. Fill your memory card up with images and the probability of some great ones will be found.

 

Waiting for the perfect lighting and perfect framing will put you in direct competition with lots of other photographers. Step aside from the crowd and take photographs from a different angle. Some travelers want photographers of each family member posing beside every sign. If you can forego images that "prove" you were actually in a location, you can walk to the side and get photographs of what is behind the sign.

 

After each photograph is taken, pause to replay the image, identify any issues, and take another image.

 

With the launch of Adobe Lightroom, you can fix nearly every photograph.

 

If you can take 500 photographs each cruise day, you will surely have a good number of truly memorable ones.

[mskaufman]

Since the cost of film is no longer a restriction on photography, taking more than 500 photographs per memory card is the normal now. Fill your memory card up with images and the probability of some great ones will be found.

 

Waiting for the perfect lighting and perfect framing will put you in direct competition with lots of other photographers. Step aside from the crowd and take photographs from a different angle. Some travelers want photographers of each family member posing beside every sign. If you can forego images that "prove" you were actually in a location, you can walk to the side and get photographs of what is behind the sign.

 

After each photograph is taken, pause to replay the image, identify any issues, and take another image.

 

With the launch of Adobe Lightroom, you can fix nearly every photograph.

 

If you can take 500 photographs each cruise day, you will surely have a good number of truly memorable ones.

 

I agree. Not only take lots of pictures but take the same shot with different settings.

[peety3]

Since the cost of film is no longer a restriction on photography, taking more than 500 photographs per memory card is the normal now. Fill your memory card up with images and the probability of some great ones will be found.

 

I think you had a typo when you said memory card and not memory cards. :)

 

Obviously, if you go to one spot with one setting and hold the button down for an hour, you'll get 500 shots that are equally a mess, but if you mix things up, you'll get something to work with. If you try to learn from your successes and mistakes, all the better.

 

Our first Alaska cruise was 5400 images for 140GB, which boiled down to about 175 keepers. Our second Alaska cruise was 9500 images for 165GB which boiled down to about 300 keepers (one of the cameras was rented, and was too new for our older copy of Lightroom, so I shot it in JPEG not RAW. In the end, that saved us as we would have blown the farm in disk space had that one been shooting RAW). Moral of the story: take lots of cards and/or a means to offload them, and shoot lots.

[Glaciers]

I search for images of where I’ll be going and see what’s out there that I like. Many times I’ll see a neat perspective of something. It’s certainly nice to be able to get your own unique shot but this helps me to get an idea of what others have done, both good and bad. It also helps get a jump on what type of settings might be best for a shot before I get there so I’m a little more prepared.

[TruckerDave]

The old saying...you want better pictures, stand in front of better subjects. ;)

 

But seriously, read your manual and understand what everything does. Then before you go....practice practice practice. Shoot at f2.8(or what ever your widest app is) and then shoot the same scene at f22 and see that the diff is. Learn about the exposure triangle and how the ISO, shutter speed and apature all work together. (The previously mentioned book is very good, he breaks is down into easy to understand terms and concepts).

 

Learn what a polarizing (cpl) filter does. Don't just get one because somebody on a message board said you need one.

 

These are no hard and fast rules of what settings to use. The correct settings are the ones that you use to get the shot exposed to way you want it to be. Once you understand the concept of the "exposure triangle" and how to meter the scene for proper exposure I think you will see a majors improvement in your shots.

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

[TruckerDave]

Yikes, some of you just "spray on pray". 5000+ images for a week long cruise....500+ images per day...and only end up with less than 200 "keepers". You guys must be just taking shots of everything that moved or doesn't move. I think I ended up with about 800 total for my AK cruise (and that included a bunch of bracketing shots for HDR). I still pretend I am using film (to a degree) and slow dine and plan my shots. Of course I use the ship as just a mode of transportation for getting me from one photo location to the next. ;)

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

[pierces]

Yikes, some of you just "spray on pray". 5000+ images for a week long cruise....500+ images per day...and only end up with less than 200 "keepers". You guys must be just taking shots of everything that moved or doesn't move. I think I ended up with about 800 total for my AK cruise (and that included a bunch of bracketing shots for HDR). I still pretend I am using film (to a degree) and slow dine and plan my shots. Of course I use the ship as just a mode of transportation for getting me from one photo location to the next. ;)

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

 

I am also a fan of the "film" approach, though the fleeting whale tails make me thankful for 12 fps being available. In contrast, weeding through a 12 fps series for the "keeper" is tedious and always serves as a reminder that less is truly more!

 

A funny video parodying DSLR users:

 

How many of us have actually seen these people out there and make mental notes never to be them! :)

 

Dave

[TruckerDave]

I am also a fan of the "film" approach, though the fleeting whale tails make me thankful for 12 fps being available. In contrast, weeding through a 12 fps series for the "keeper" is tedious and always serves as a reminder that less is truly more!

 

A funny video parodying DSLR users:

 

How many of us have actually seen these people out there and make mental notes never to be them! :)

 

Dave

 

I agree 100% on the whale tail thing. Also I'll add at Glacier Bay when the glacier starts to break off and fall. I maxed out my buffer as it was dropping and had to wait for it to clear. :( Still got a few good shots but a nice D4 and it buffer would have been nice. :)

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

[Crew News]

I think you had a typo when you said memory card and not memory cards. :)

 

Our first Alaska cruise was 5400 images for 140GB, which boiled down to about 175 keepers. Our second Alaska cruise was 9500 images for 165GB which boiled down to about 300 keepers.

 

Moral of the story: take lots of cards and/or a means to offload them, and shoot lots.

 

I shoot RAW but with very fast 64 GB cards and daily PC download. Like you, I took thousands of pics on my first Alaska cruise since I didn't know when I would ever be back. Subsequent trips to Alaska allowed me to bypass what I had already captured and allowed me to capture what I had missed. Later trips to Alaska meant even less photographs and more selectivity.

 

My hearing has become attuned to the glacier cracking sounds that preclude calving so my camera is usually ready. Nothing captures calving like a video.

 

I have been using Adobe Lightroom since Version #1 and highly recommend it even to novices.

 

As previously stated, don't hold down the shutter release but move around and take lots of images of the same scene/thing.

[zackiedawg]

I definitely don't take as many photos as some on here mention - I might see 1,000 shots on a 10-day cruise, and about 1,500 on a 14-day cruise. But as Dave mentioned, some of the reason the counts get higher, and some reason why I may end up with 300-400 shots thrown out, have not to do with spraying-and-praying, and more to do with action and wildlife photography, where it is typically necessary to shoot some bursts of a bird in flight in order to get all the 'variables' correct - while you may have 10 shots in focus, only one will have the wings in just the right position, the head pointed just the right way, the eye open with the perfect glint in it, the background the nicest and least distracting. So though you took 10 perfectly composed and focused shots, only one will be your 'keeper'. Also consider that many people take multiple frames for the sake of doing post processing work, such as blending multiple frames for HDR - you might take 4-5 shots, but end up with only 1 once they're all merged. So that counts against your total frames taken and your 'keeper' rate percentage, but again not to do with spraying-and-praying or poor technique.

 

When shooting landscape and architecture, scenics, etc, I tend to be a one or two shot person - take the time to get it right, and compose it right, and shoot.

 

So out of 1,000 shots on a 10-day cruise, I'll end up with 400 'keepers', and might distill that further down to 150 or so to post online, the rest being for myself or sharing with family. Of the 600 that were discarded, there might be 400 that were duplicates where I was shooting something in action and just needed to keep the best pose and position, another 150 will be duplicates of a scenic or landscape where I took two for 'insurance' or because someone was walking in the frame somewhere, or the sun wasn't quite right...another 20 might be duplicate frames taken with the intention of stacking for cloning out purposes, HDR purposes, or some other post-processing idea...and maybe 30 were for a flubbed shot - missed focus, poor exposure, motion blur, or some other mistake.

 

I'm leaving this Saturday on a short 7-day cruise, and I'd expect my photo total will probably be more in the range of 800 or so - I'm not hitting any wildlife hotspots, but will likely do a fair number of HDR frames in Puerto Rico due to the extreme dynamic range in the dark forts and castles in bright sun.

[reedl]

Hi,

 

I'm going on an Eastern Carrib cruise in the next few weeks and will be taking my a DSLR. I took it last year on a cruise but with my skill level being a beginner the photos came out ok in most instances but not as great as I hoped.

I think the first question to ask would be what did you not like about your photos? When you looked at them what in your mind was wrong?

 

You have to figure out what you are doing wrong before you can fix it!

[kmarie10531]

This really has nothing to do with your questions but the best advice I was given by a professional photographer was to take your camera body and lenses as well and put in a ziplock bag with silica pack (unopened) and when you go from the air conditioned areas to outside on deck that will help with the "fog" that is created on pictures you take since condensation is beginning to form from the temperature change . Don't pull your camera out right away from the bag give it a minute and then begin to shoot . I took a class last year and I always had that problem used the advice I got on my last cruise and no foggy pics :-)

[pengu1n]

How to take better cruise photos?

 

Take more cruises!!!:)

 

(Also, be more deliberate in your shots: watch the backgrounds (no trees growing from grandma's head); steady yourself (plant your feet, arms close to your body, hold your breath); check your settings - did you change the ISO, WB or exposure compensation last time you shot, don't forget to change it back)

[Bellfree Bat]

I recommend spending some quality time (say the first sea day on your cruise) with a good basic book on photography. I am partial to "Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson."

 

A word of warning, his goal is to get you off of "P" and into "M."

 

Have a great cruise, and do take lots of pictures.

 

Larry

 

Last Friday, I was in a seminar presented by Bryan Peterson. Entertaining and enlightening!

[seashinesunshine]

Lots of great advice here!! But I recommend doing what I did. I married a profesional photographer who comes with me on my vacations and takes thousands of photos a day for me. Well, maybe some are for him too. :)

Seriously though, practice, practice practice. Take a ton of photos, several of each scene etc. Practice at home in situations you might be able to replicate. Know your camera. I am quite serious when I say he takes thousands of photos a day. Even with all the talent he has not EVERY photo is perfect. He brings a portable hardrive and downloads his cards at night. Usually 1 terabite.

Now that he finally bought me my own camera, I ask him how to set it, and he tells me to read my manual. If I really flutter the eyelashes, he might help me.

Have fun!

[reedl]

....snip...Usually 1 terabite.

uhhh. Thats terabyte.. Spelling it the way you did makes me hungry.. :)

[seashinesunshine]

uhhh. Thats terabyte.. Spelling it the way you did makes me hungry.. :)

 

None of us in this family claim to know how to spell. :D

[dispachcops]

The best shot I took of my son was with the sunset in backdrop right after it was all the way down, on P setting, with flash.

 

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[dispachcops]

Check my flickr link below for Dec 09 Cruise and it will be in the first 30 or so pix... one taken without flash and next one with... dramatic difference.

 

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