How to get great picture of your boat while sailing!

Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
What else am I missing? I'm sure @Bill19233 or @TomY have ideas; anyone else?
We had a member with a trawler, a great camera, and a drone that would be at several places on the course during regattas and post their photos and videos. They just recently were back out for a 2019 Icicle Race.
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I usually know who has a camera on board during races and I’m not shy about telling them to get a shot of me and sending me the photo.
I do get other skippers photo bombing my action cameras to get in the videos. Last race I tried a camera up the mast again, in close crowded starts it might get some interesting clips.


But, me or someone on my boat take most of the photos during our races. And I put them on Flickr with no restrictions and just ask people to return the favor. I get invited to be in more races because of the photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/with/72157694915313482

I’ll probably be posting a lot more to SBO or making more videos for a while, broke my ankle last week, no weight on it for 6 weeks. No grand tale about adventures on the slopes or high seas, just slipped and fell. Already mad about missing the spring Regatta this weekend.
 
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Jan 24, 2009
450
1981 Cherubini Hunter 27 Shipwright Harbor Marina, MD
Hit by a gust maybe, since the sails in the water?
Turn on the multi-shot mode and pick the best one. I'm pretty ruthless in Lightroom at getting rid of all the bad photos and keeping only the really good ones.
It would also help to know your sport and anticipate the action & sequence so that you are in the right place at the right time.
Unlike these dolphins in the Chesapeake, I couldn't tell where they were and didn't think to put it in multi-shot mode (sorry, but I think "motor-wind" sounded cooler and I sometimes still use it):
Dolphins in Chesapeake.jpg
 
Oct 1, 2007
1,857
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
That is a great idea! I might take it. :) Just that small change in height makes a difference. This shot is from the dinghy (obviously).
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I love that mizzen stay'sl. We had one on our yawl Silverheels. Made use of the mizzen mast when the only other real use was holding up the radar antenna. It was very tricky to decide where to tack it down.
How we loved that boat.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Responding to Tom re leeward and the point about video, its key to remember that your videocam is also really taking med-rez shots at 30 frames per second. You can scrub through it to find good shots. Here is a picture that did not exist 5 minutes ago, nice wave action at the bow on this heavy air day.

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Agree with Jackdaw, I use free software to pull stills from video, not the best resolution, but usually good enough for the shot. These are from January races. You can catch just the right moment sometimes.
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
With all this talk of DoF, composition, and ideal lighting, let me offer one more thing.

First a story. in the early 2000 I was working for Nokia, and we were discussing the merits of having a camera on a mobile phone. As the time, the sensors were VGA resolution, (640x480 or 0.3MP), and there was no way to get the images off the device wirelessly.

We had a meeting in a big conference room at HQ in Espoo Finland, trying to decide the matter. Many photographic experts were contracted in to add insight. Most were against the idea, as the quality sucked. It seemed that was the way the deal was going to go, until a philosopher (you read that right) who was brought in for just the occasion chimed in. He said, 'You can't think of it as a CAMERA. You have to think of it as a MEMORY SAVER. The whole room went silent. We voted almost unanimously for cameras.

From that day I try and take a least one picture a day. Well over 20,000 images stored to the device and cloud. Memories. I look back at them, and many are poorly composed etc, but are memories that need to be saved. So snap away. one a day. Forget everything you think you know about 'good' photography. You'll thank me in 20 years.
 
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capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Anyone coming to the Windwards can contact Kenmore in Bequia to come out and get great shots of your boat or bareboat sailing into Bequia. He doesn't use a point and shoot, but real professional gear and he'll come out in the worst weather. All of my boat pics sailing on here and the website are from him.
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Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Memories. I look back at them, and many are poorly composed etc, but are memories that need to be saved. So snap away. one a day. Forget everything you think you know about 'good' photography. You'll thank me in 20 years.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Jackdaw. In 20 years I'll be 90, in "the home", and will need cheering plus a reminder of a happy life lived!
 
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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
What else am I missing? I'm sure @Bill19233 or @TomY have ideas; anyone else?
Couple of other ideas:

We will often set up a pass on another boat to get/give good pic ops.
Also, we motor around the lake in our 16ft center console. When we do, we motor by to take pictures and say hi.
Lastly, we take pics with our Mavic Pro quadcopter. We always maintain a good standoff distance, so sailors feel safe.

We have been at our marina for many years now, and we have exchanged pictures with many fellow tenants.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
How did I miss this thread? (Just saw it today). You guys have some good ideas, and I always look forward to photo days on this board. Some of you have posted some really stand-out images.
I’ve been reading articles and watching YouTube vlogs about how to achieve better composition and technical improvements. I’ve been using my iPhone camera mostly, supplemented by my Olympus TG-3 waterproof point and shoot cam with its 1/2.3 sensor. While those cameras have taken some nice pictures, I’m hoping to step up my game and achieve better results. Friday I took ownership of a Canon G7x II which has a 1" sensor and good lens.
I thought about getting an SLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens camera but realistically, I wouldn’t carry a bulky camera bag. The G7x can go in a jacket pocket or belt pouch.
I also have a drone, and that’s been seriously underused because of flight restrictions and the concern of not being able to successfully recover it to our boat when under sail or when the winds are stronger.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
I'd be happy to exchange photos and videos of boats under sail this summer (if mutually convenient). PM me and we can discuss dates and times in Southern New England, closer to the dates.
 
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RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
I also have a drone, and that’s been seriously underused because of flight restrictions and the concern of not being able to successfully recover it to our boat when under sail or when the winds are stronger.
Same here. my drone is a moderate priced one, but even loosing that would hurt financially, so it mostly gets used when the winds are very light and there's an island or floating dock nearby for a "landing pad". still a lot of fun however, and gives a nice perspective!
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
The pro's get their best $$ shots taken from 'shoot boats', often with strong telephoto lens.

They need good light and $$ telephoto, stabilizing lens at these distances.

This is the 1934 S&S Stormy Weather racing in Argentina.

I love this shot, the narrow field of view has brought the far away (miles) background that is out of focus - up tight. Fuzzy but you can still see the red tile roofs and windows.

The photo tells a story of the woman, unusual among the guys in white, adjusting the mizzen luff tension. Experienced mizzen experts are probably hard to find. :)

 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
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Composition, DoF, lighting, all magic.

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Speaking of lighting, notice the sun is in front of the camera in Jackdaw’s example. I photographed my H23 on the trailer and another guy chastised me for not having the sun behind me “so the picture will look good.” I took the picture just to appease him. Which do y’all prefer?