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.
