5 Pro Tips For Improving Your Cruise Photography

Cruise photography offers a unique way for you to shoot and share images you may not otherwise get at home. When going on our Carnival Cruise, it was only natural for us to bring our camera gear, tripod [we use the Benro Travel Angel], and well-charged smartphones so we could capture the experience. Of course, cruise lines have their own professional photographers, but, in addition to the pros, you are going to want to document every waking second of your vacation in a way only you can do.

5 Tips For Better Cruise Photography:

#1 You can never go wrong with golden hour

There are two golden hours during the day and they fall around sunrise and sunset. Whether you are taking photos of your family, the cruise ship itself, or the landscape, golden hour is the perfect time to capture your images. The lighting is more flattering on people and adds a dramatic flair to the water. Our balcony stateroom offered the perfect golden hour view, especially during the early mornings.

#2 Stay away from flash

Instead of using generic on-camera flash, look for opportunities to use available light to help make your photo stand out. Lights and lamps can provide moody lighting to make your photos dramatic and memorable. Flash is very harsh and, when not done properly or with enough care, your photos may not come out as expected.

#3 Clouds make for interesting subjects

When you are out on the open water, all you see is the vast blue ocean. While this is completely epic for a few shots, you may quickly become bored. The fix for your cruise photography? Clouds! Clouds are ever changing and are the perfect subjects when shooting out over the water. They add an interesting element to photos and can even change colors depending on the light and time of day.

#4 Focus on the food

One of the best parts about cruising is the delicious and unlimited food! Take this opportunity to improve your food photography by shooting all of the yummy selections on board. It isn’t very often that we get spectacularly plated dishes suited for fine dining, so be sure to take photos so you remember the plating. When shooting food, a straight down or side angle generally works best. For drinks shoot up-and-down [portrait] and for plates of food, shoot landscape.

#5 Make sure the sun is always on your face

When shooting at “high noon” [when the sun is highest in the sky], you have to deal with some pretty harsh shadows. When on a cruise, this is generally the time of day when all the fun stuff happens, so you have no choice but to take photos with this lighting. For the best images, make sure that the sun is always on you or your subject’s face. If you are back-lit or the sun is behind you, you are going to be one giant shadow and we would love to see your pretty face instead!

We hope your cruise photography rocks during your next sailing and can’t wait to see your images! What is your favorite tip for better photos on your cruise? Share it with us in the comments!

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