Ships and Boats

As a maritime photographer it can sometimes be a challenge to make images of ‘boring ships' appealing. This is exactly the kind of shot I aspire to. This lovely industrial seascape has several of the key elements for producing interesting photographic images. It has ‘golden hour’ lighting, a well-balanced composition, and that extra level of interest with the use a slow shutter speed to create a pleasing reflection that complements the sky.

A lovely atmospheric composition that evokes a sense of calm and tranquility. The mood is helped by the still water and the way the light falls on the trees in such a way to create subtle layers that draw the eye through the image. I also appreciate the way the slow shutter speed paints the smoke from the canal boat chimney.

I was immediately captivated by this lovely image. Bow shots are tricky to do well as one side of the vessel is invariably strongly lit and the other side not. This example has absolutely nailed it with great lighting, a nice composition that creates a natural vignette, and a good choice of shutter speed to blur the water enough to create a muted reflection. I really like the way the detail of the hull in shadow has been subtly revealed. Superbly done!