Moving day

 This blog has now moved "in-house." We figured, why not put it on our own website? You can check out future posts at: http://photo-boat.com/photo-boat-blog

Thanks for reading!

Composition Tip: The horizon job

In sailboat racing, a horizon job is when you leave everybody in the dust. You're so far ahead, you're on a different leg of the course from everybody else. Or for distance races, you're over the horizon.

In sailboat racing photography, a horizon job is what you do to thousands of photos with your photo editing software after a day on the water. It's not nearly as glamorous; it's just plain tedious. But it's absolutely necessary, unless you get the horizons right when you take the shots, of course. After nine years on the job, we've gotten pretty good at keeping them straight, which helps to minimize the time we need to spend editing.

A surprisingly large portion of the general public does not notice when horizons are unnaturally crooked in sailing photos. I've seen large, expensively framed photos on display as decor at yacht clubs with crooked horizons, for instance. I've seen major boating brands' marketing departments publish photos with crooked horizons. And if you look at iStock and search "sailing," about one-third of the photos that come up on the first page have crooked horizons. Some people think its artsy. We don't agree.

But it's hard to take photos with straight horizons. You really have to think about it while you take the photo, as it's surprisingly easy to concentrate only on the boat and end up with a 45-degree horizon in the background. Like everything, it takes practice. And until you get better at it, you'll be spending hours on the computer doing the horizon job!

Here's the image above, the way it should be:

Much better!

Creating the Right Product - A Boat Photography Basic Composition Tip

Boat Photography Composition Tip - Be on a Collision Course! Well, just for a moment. Having the boat coming directly at you often provides the best photo. This is where On-Water Strategy meets Creating the Right Product. You can't have one without the other!

Composition is the foundation of photography; every photographer or photography enthusiast has studied and has a handful of rules to follow. But just knowing the rule of thirds isn't enough when it comes to boat photography composition.
This photo was taken on our first day of photography as Photo Boat, May 3rd, 2005, just off of Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT.

We were completely self-taught at that point, and it's pleasing to look back at this photo and see that it's well-composed.

The rule of thirds is well-followed (it is important of course), and the boat is heading straight towards the camera. While there are times that a side-on or stern shot is okay, most commonly we aim to take photos with boats coming straight at us. It provides an extra element of drama, even in lighter wind conditions, and like most composition principles, it just makes the photo feel right to the viewer. Getting this right, along with a number of other elements of course, can turn a snapshot into a professional photo.

Tacking...

On the job off of Key West. Photo by Mike Noone.

It's time for a change of direction with this blog. Regatta reports are nice, but it's the photographer's perspective that's interesting. I've said it again and again in response to "ooh, what an exciting job" or "what a fun way to do what you love for work". My response is always "it certainly is interesting." It is. We have all sorts of variables to contend with: wind, lack of wind, too much wind, wind from the wrong direction, sun, too much sun, lack of sun, sun from the wrong direction, rain, current, tide, inexperienced race committee, boat maintenance, trailer maintenance, inexperienced sailors, uncooperative regatta organizers, hurricanes, tornados (no joke), etc.

I call them "variables," but they sound more like problems. The thing is- they're conditions we can't control. The more things you can't control in a business, the harder it is to make it succeed. But we've learned how to deal with them, to minimize the negative impact. As we celebrate our 10th year in business this year (in fact, next week marks the ninth anniversary of our first photos taken as PhotoBoat), perhaps it's a good time to take a look back at the lessons we've learned and the techniques we've refined over the years. And maybe it's time to share them.

These lessons and techniques fall into three categories for our ultra-niche business: being in the right place with gear properly protected (on-water strategy), taking and subsequently editing the photo (creating the right product), and figuring out how to make every opportunity you can to get that photo from hard drive to a customer's wall (facilitating sales). Of course, there are a lot more steps to get right in between, but when it comes to success in our business, these are the three we consider a matter of expertise over general photography knowledge.

We hope that mainstream photographers and sailors alike will enjoy it.

2013 Key West Race Week

Quantum Key West 2013: What a week!  Five days of good wind, sunshine and warm weather. Oh, and dolphins too, who also enjoyed scoping out this year's hot new class: the J70 fleet.  With 39 entries, many of them unwrapping their new boats just for this event, the class made a very impressive showing.  And the boat turned out to be just as strong.  We loved shooting them planing downwind almost as much as we would have loved being aboard these boats as they nimbly sped around the race course.  See our photos here.

In addition to the J70s, the Melges 24s and Melges 32s had strong fleets, as did the TP52s, Farr 40s, and Swan 42s.  Even IRC 1, with just two entries, was a pleasure to watch as Bella Mente and Shockwave battled out a very close regatta.  See the results here.

This past week marked our seventh year in a row at Key West Race Week.  And just like in years past, as the regatta comes to a close, it's time to sign up again for next year. Coming off of five days of good racing, sunshine, turquoise waters, and bike riding around Key West, how could we not?  See you in 2014, Key West.

The latest from the writer-photographer team

What a great gig this was this summer...spending 24 hours with a bunch of boat owners, talking with them about how much they love being on the water, and what boating means to their family.  Oh, and there was no shortage of Lobster.  Check out our article Lobster Tales in the current issue of Sea Ray Living.

Shooting the classics

Capturing classics sailing dead downwind can be underwhelming.

Capturing them an hour later was the right call.

Just like any company, we like to have repeat business.  But in many cases, it can be difficult to sell the same product to the same person more than once.  When it gets to be the third year in a row that we photograph a certain regatta, in the same place, with the same boats, we can't take sales for granted.  That's when our creativity and experience really help.  And another asset we do have to help mix things up, which can ironically at other times be the biggest thorn in our heels, is the weather.  This year at the IHYC Classic Yacht Regatta, we started the day with a frustrating scenario.  It was an extremely photogenic day - North winds, 15-20, clear skies and puffy white clouds.  Throw a polarizing filter on, and we photographers are on cloud 9, right? Shoot a few dozen beautiful classic boats coming out of Captain's Harbor and we're in business, right?  Not this time--it just wasn't working for us. The classics were heading dead downwind to get out of the harbor, and they couldn't have looked worse for such beautiful yachts. Most could not fill their jibs, or were having problems with other sails that I admittedly don't know the names of.  They just didn't have their groove on yet.  Because things can change quickly on the water, it takes a lot of patience and self-discipline to decide to wait and photograph them an hour later and about 10 miles away.  And it's risky: the wind could die, or the clouds could fill in, ruining the drama or the light. But experience told us that waiting would be the right move--to catch them heading upwind on the Long Island side of the Sound.  And it was worth the wait.  So this year, with better breeze, a different background, and beautiful blue skies, we were able to create a completely new, unique set of photos of the same boats in the same regatta.  See the photos here - they're worth a look!

Words by Daniela, Photos by Allen

This spread ran in last month's issue of Sailing World. The Contenders are a great bunch, so researching, writing, and photographing for the piece was a real pleasure!

Power and Motoryacht Cover Shoot

We don't always get around to posting samples of our published work, but hey, a little self-promotion is important.  So here's one we did recently.

We were hired for a cover shoot for Power and Motoryacht Magazine last month, right here on Long Island Sound.  Barely more than 12 hours after we had hauled out in Newport following our marathon 6-hour, 40-mile round-trip session shooting the Bermuda Race Start, we found ourselves launching at a different boat ramp, in a different state, onto a different body of water, with coffee and freshly cleared media cards in hand.  This is normal in June and July, when we pack a disproportionate percentage of our work, and income for the year, into two intense months. But at least this was at home, so we didn't find ourselves having to remember where we were when we woke up!

A high pressure system with blue skies and puffy clouds could wake us from any amount of exhaustion, so we were enthused and ready to go as we met the 72' Princess off of Greens Ledge Light.  We worked with the art director to capture a family lifestyle shot for the cover, had some fun shooting the kids jumping in the water, and then chased the 72-footer across Long Island Sound to get this slow-shutter-speed shot.  It was exactly what Allen was going for, and it turned out really well in the article-opening spread. Pick up a copy of the magazine - this scan doesn't do it justice!

Pixels of Pixels

I'm not sure where the name Pixel came from for this modern double- or triple- handed intermediate junior boat that has become popular on Long Island Sound.  Presumably designer Bruce Kirby gave the boat its name.  But it is a word we photographers use a lot these days, so during the Pequot Pixel Invitational this week, there a few corny jokes spoken aboard our Photo boat that referred to a high resolution fleet.

The kids had two days of great sailing off of Southport. I remember sailing in this event as a Blue Jay sailor out of Pequot circa 1992, and it's great to see such a strong program continuing a great tradition.  The boat has been upgraded, and today's sailors are proud to make the Clean Regatta environment pledge.  Other than that, not a lot has changed!  See the photos here.

See Ya...2012 Bermuda Race

One of the crew aboard Rambler waves as if he knows they're on they way to breaking a record.  Photo by Allen Clark.

There was no waiting out doldrums in this year's Newport to Bermuda race.  Right from the start, it was a high intensity trip.  Rambler blew away the previous 635-mile course record by nine hours!  You couldn't ask for better conditions for the start of the race from a spectator's or photographer's perspective!  We got some great shots.  Check out the 2012 Newport to Bermuda photo highlights.

2012 Soundsurfer Waterman's Challenge

Our tagline is "on-the-water action photography," and though we primarily photograph sailboats, we're glad we left some room in there for other craft.  We photograph powerboats, kayaks, and SUPs, among other things.  And this past weekend, we had a great time shooting a local--yet nationally recognized--SUP race.  100 paddlers raced in and around the Saugatuck River and Westport-Southport coastline as part of the 2012 Soundsurfer Waterman's Challenge, hosted by Downunder Surf Shop.  What a great bunch!  And they were raising money for charitable causes, too.  Check out Soundsurfer.org for more info.  See the photo highlights here!

2012 NYYC Annual Regatta

When the weather's right, NYYC Annual Regatta's Around the Island Race might just be my favorite event to photograph of all time.  Which helps, since with Friday's perfect conditions, we spent four hours photographing the 100 boats circumnavigating Conanicut Island without even affording the spare time to take a drink of water.  The race is so great because of the intermixing of modern and classic yachts, the dozens of interesting backgrounds for photos, and the fact that all the crews are just having a good time.  Perfect weather helps with that as well.  Check out the photo highlights here.

Tornado at a Regatta Party

Southern Bay Race Week's day one regatta party had been subject to bad thunderstorms all night.  After two or three times setting up and packing up again due to too much rain splashing under our tent and putting our computers at risk, team PhotoBoat finally "gave up" and began packing up our photo viewer terminals into our waterproof dock box.  We were glad we did.  As we packed away the last computer and locked the box, the band stopped playing suddenly and announced a tornado warning.  Before we had time to check radar, we were all being herded into the yacht club by the staff.  Resist as some of us did in the typical sailor mindset, thinking we could make our own decision with a quick check of our smartphones, security wouldn't have it.  Within seconds, all 200 or so people were inside the club and huddled in the hallway and stairwell.

The nature of properly bracing for a tornado means you never get to see it.  So no, we didn't get any storm chaser photos.  But we knew exactly when it arrived; the power went out, we heard a high pitched wind, and there was a sharp pressure change in the building.  I felt it in my ears.  A few seconds later, it was clear that the tornado was gone as quickly as it had come.  In that short time, it ripped away the regatta tent and several other tents belonging to us and other vendors like CRSA.  It threw Optis, 420s, and Lasers around like frisbees, landing them in odd places and positions.  It tore down trees and power lines. It ripped part of the roof off of the club and broke the large bay windows in the club's dining room.  It toppled boats in the drysail area and broke the masts of several boats in the basin. Bare poles, snapped.  And it broke windows in about 3/4 of the cars in the parking lot.   

Everybody suffered some damage, and some people had to spend the night at the club.  But it's amazing that nobody got hurt.  We have the Hampton Yacht Club staff to thank for that.  And after the storm, the scene was very civilized and comfortable considering what we had all just been through.  If I ever have to go through a tornado or similar disaster again, I can only hope to be in the company of a bunch of sailors.  And early the next morning, thanks largely to the two teams from the Naval Academy who organized a very effective debris pickup, cleanup was so fast, snapping photos for insurance purposes had to be done quickly.  By the time we left the club at 9 AM, all of the branches and other pieces of debris were in a large pile.  The navy kids were on to, and almost finished with, sweeping up glass now.

The regatta was abandoned due to the extensive damage and downed trees in the streets, so we headed home to CT to start taking care of repairs on our truck and replacing equipment.  But our boat survived unscathed, and we enjoyed an unexpected opportunity to photograph the Cedar Point One Design regatta in some pretty, and far-from-threatening, conditions on Sunday.  It's good to be home.  See Friday's Southern Bay Race Week photos here and Sunday's CPYC One Design photos here. 

APS Catalog 2012

It's that time of year; the much anticipated APS Catalog has hit the mailboxes of racing sailors across the US. We were happy to help decorate their catalog with our sailing images again this year.  This is the general catalog cover, but APS also personalizes the catalogs for each of the One Design classes that they serve with a custom cover photo.  So we're always locating our favorite shots of Thistles, Flying Scots, Melges 24s, Snipes, J22s, and more!

The APS Catalog is now available online as well, at this link: http://www.livedigitaleditions.com/publication/?i=111894.  Happy shopping!

Gone Fishing

How cool is this guy?  We watched him sail a few miles to this spot, trolling the whole time, then drop an anchor, deploy a diver down flag, and disappear under water at the base of the Sunshine Skyway bridge on Tampa Bay.  I wonder what he was diving for...

2012 Contender Worlds

43 boats from around the world came to St. Pete Beach, Florida to race in the 2012 Contender World Championship regatta.  The SPYC crew put together a great event, both on and off the water, as the singlehanders sailed on beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters, and enjoyed the onshore amenities at their event headquarters at the Tradewinds Resort.

With the lead changing several times throughout the four days of racing, and several different competitors taking at least one bullet, competition was tight, but Italian Antonio Lambertini finished on top.  Check out this video summary of the event, including when they threw Lambertini in the pool at the end!

See the 2012 Contender Worlds photos here and results here.

Charleston Race Week 2012

Sperry Topsider Charleston Race Week delivered another great weekend of racing and fun this year.  The event, which has quickly become the largest keelboat regatta in the United States, hosted more than 250 boats on 6 race courses this year!  New this year was a cruising class with a daily pursuit race, and there were some great photo finishes.

The one design classes enjoyed three days of tight racing in Charleston Harbor, and the offshore circles saw all sorts of conditions, including an unusual combination of big swells and very light wind as a front approached. 

Participants enjoyed a rare chance to view the America's Cup as well, as it was brought in on Saturday under tight security for a presentation about the event.

With such a great organizer, top sponsors, and a perfect venue, Charleston Race Week will continue to thrive.

See the 2012 Charleston Race Week results here and the photos here.

Suncoast Race Week

Between the Suncoast Race Week fleet, the Festival of Speed cigarette boats, a few tankers, and dozens of fishermen and other recreational boaters, the space under the center three spans of the Sunshine Skyway bridge was like a revolving door this weekend. J/105 Orangutan, pictured here, was unfazed by the challenge of tacking through the narrow span with a tanker approaching during Friday's long upwind slog from Davis Island Yacht Club to Bradenton Yacht Club. The group enjoyed an easier day on Saturday. Good breeze and a nice spinnaker run brought them quickly to their second destination: St. Pete Yacht Club. On Sunday, race committee sent them around the buoys in Tampa Bay.

See the Suncoast Race Week photos here and the results here.

Thistle Midwinters East

We had a great time (and perfect weather) photographing Thistle Midwinters East here in St. Pete earlier this month. Here are some excerpts from my WaterViews post about the event, and the fleet.

The Thistle fleet is very competitive yet extremely family-centric. Not just parent and child, we’re talking entire extended families. Last week a competitor explained to me proudly that he’s on his second Thistle. He had sold his first boat to his brother-in-law. Oh, and he had bought that boat from his father. That’s how it goes.

The Thistle fleet is also incredibly dedicated to the Thistle “brand.” On the last day of Midwinters East, somebody from the class (@Thistlesailing) tweeted “Someone got a Thistle tattoo last night”. I figured some of the competitors had hit the St. Petersburg bars too hard the night before, and somebody had gotten carried away and gotten a Thistle tattoo. As if they were the first, or the only. But at the awards ceremony, one of the class officers called out: “Stand up if you got a Thistle tattoo last night.” Two people stood up and were applauded by their peers. I wanted to ask: “How many of you have Thistle tattoos?” Now I was starting to think it could be the majority. By comparison, I doubt there’s a single sailor out there with a Melges tattoo. The Thistle sailors have a lot of spirit.

See the 2012 Thistle Midwinters East photos here.