Porthole....

PICTURE PERFECT

As a longtime professional writer and photographer, I've fallen in love with cruising because it offers so many perfect opportunities to instantly capture lifelong memories. From onboard living to exotic ports, a cruise allows the photographer to chronicle every moment of a truly unique travel experience in a personal way, limited only by his creativity and imagination.

If a picture says a thousand words, then snapshots from a cruise vacation can tell a story as long as a James Michener novel. However, unless you want friends and family back home to fall asleep looking at your treasured pictures--just as some have been known to do while reading Michener’s Caribbean, Alaska, or Hawaii--you'll find that keeping some photography basics in mind will go a long way.

I'm often asked whether I prefer digital or film photography. My typical answer is that I prefer great photography opportunities, just as long as I have some sort of camera in hand. Currently, I shoot both film and digital, depending on how the pictures will be used, but I highly recommend digital cameras for everyday use.

Digital photography has revolutionized picture-taking for amateurs and pros alike. The convenience of instantly knowing whether or not you got the shot is priceless. But, whichever method you use, the first lesson to be learned is that taking more pictures is almost always better--just look at how many shots cruise ship photographers take!

So what types of shots make for the most vivid memoirs of your cruise? On board, look everywhere for unique picture possibilities. This might include a sunrise with someone in the foreground, colorful cocktails poolside, plenty of pictures of passengers and crewmembers, close-ups of your creative dinner presentation, or the extravagant midnight dessert buffet. But don't forget to obey requests concerning flash photography during shows and other forms of entertainment.

Once ashore, get some shots of your ship, whether it’s a full-frame picture of the ship floating in the blue Caribbean or with a lush Alaskan mountain in the background. And look for unique ways to “frame” the vessel, such as including a swaying palm tree or tropical drink in the foreground.

On shore excursions or while exploring on your own, look for shots that you can’t possibly get back home. Markets and other shopping venues often make for unique pictures, as do pictures of local people. Of course, it’s always polite to ask permission first, which often leads to more cooperative “models” and smiling faces.

You don't have to be Ansel Adams to take great pictures during your cruise vacation. However, you can save lots of time (and money for film or batteries) if you heed the advice from pros like me as well as cruise ship photographers who take hundreds of thousands of colorful pictures around the world every day.

I spoke with Caine Smith, Image’s photo manager aboard Royal Caribbean International's Navigator of the Seas, who shared his top 10 tips for getting the best photos on your cruise vacation. Smith, Adams, and I have learned that it's the photographer and the setting--not the camera--that make great pictures possible.

1. Flash Power and Range
The biggest mistake people make when using the flash is shooting subjects that are out of the camera's flash range. For most consumer cameras the average flash range is less than 14 feet, but many people will try to take photographs with subjects farther away. To be sure, look up your camera's flash settings and range in your manual or make sure your subject is closer than 14 feet away.

2. Use a Flash Outdoors
Sunlight can create shadows on your subject’s face, but you can eliminate them by turning on your flash. Your camera may have several options such as fill-in flash, red eye or just regular full flash mode. The distance between you and your subject will determine which setting to use. If your subject is within five feet, the fill-in flash mode is recommended. Anything beyond that distance, use the full-flash mode. If you are using a digital camera, review the images on the screen to see if the flash setting has eliminated the shadows.

3. The Rule of Thirds
It is commonly thought that your subject should be in the center of the frame. But, this is not necessarily the case and your images will take on a new life if you adopt the "Rule of Thirds". Imagine your frame split into three sections like a tick-tack-toe grid. Place your subject on any one of these intersecting lines instead of in the center of the frame. If you are photographing a person, consider placing the eye line on the top line rather than in the center.

4. Take Control
Don't be afraid to take control of your subject. If you think the family group shot would look better standing outside then ask everyone to come outside for the photograph. If people are too spread out for your camer's lens, then it is up to you to get everyone to squeeze together. Don't be a passive photographer and just snap away at anything. Take control and you will be surprised at how much better your images will look.

5. Bring Yourself to Their Level
When taking someone's photo, make sure you are at their eye level. When photographing children this means you may have to get down on your knees. There is nothing worse than looking down on your subject with them arching their neck to look up at the camera. Bring yourself to their eye level and your photographs will instantly become more personal and draw the viewer into the photograph.

6. Protect your Gear
At the beach, your camera has three enemies: sun, sand and water. Keep your film, memory cards and camera accessories in a zip-lock bag. This will help prevent sand from getting into your film or inside your camera. Keep the zip-lock bag covered with a towel or inside a bag to shield your camer from the heat.

7. Make a Storyboard
Tell a story with your photos by shooting a range of images throughout your day. Some of the simplest pictures may seem pointless by themselves, but putting them in an album with the rest of the day’s photos brings them to life and helps bring back memories.

8. Make a Shot List Like the Pros
Do a little research before you embark and think ahead about what you may want to photograph. If there are specific images you want to capture at certain landmarks, make a shot list. This will ensure you come home having captured all the memories you wanted to.

9. Fill the Viewfinder
Don't be afraid to fill the viewfinder. Move closer or use the camera's zoom function to focus on your subject and cut out unnecessary background. This will eliminate those photographs where all you see are little dots of people lost in a huge landscape.

10. Ask the Experts
When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask your on-board photo department for help or useful pointers. Most onboard photo shops carry cameras, film, media and accessories, and some even host seminars on photography. Advice is free, and may make all the difference in capturing that perfect shot.