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Dear Subscriber,
Cruises have become the #1 vacation choice for many of us. They're a great value and offer photographers the opportunity to visit and photograph multiple locations.
Last month my wife and I cruised the Caribbean on the world's largest sailing ship, the Windsurf (shown above.) In just seven days I was able to take pictures at six beautiful ports.
I thought I'd share my observations about cruises and give some suggestions from a photographer's point of view.
Dale
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 Big Ocean Liner or Small Ship?
Large Cruise Ships - Today's mega-ships definitely offer travelers an excellent value. You get transportation, accommodations, food and entertainment all for one low package price. The ships themselves are awesome!
 | The Oasis of the Seas - A Cruise Experience
Of A Lifetime For Over 6000 Passengers |
A Photographer's Viewpoint - Keep in mind that on these large ships the cruise itself is 90% of the attraction. The destinations on shorter cruises tend to be secondary...and you probably won't be visiting small, scenic ports.
Check the ship's itinerary to see the time you'll have in port. If your ship sails at 5:00 PM you will need to be back on board by 4:00 and you'll lose any possibility of night or sunset shooting.
Consider the ship itself as a work of art. You'll have an array of shapes, designs and backgrounds. Take portraits of your family and tell the story of your on-board cruise adventure. Just be careful about your white balance as ship's lighting can be tricky.
Cruises I can personally recommend:
- Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas -
 | | The Atrium on the Oasis of the Seas |
These are the largest cruise ships in the world. They offer a seaborne experience that is a cross between Disney World, Las Vegas and the halo deck on the starship Enterprise! The two sister ships offer the ultimate large-ship adventure, especially for families.
- Celebrity's Solstice, Eclipse and Equinox offer upscale cruising at very reasonable prices. These new ships are magnificent and are ideal for both adults and families with children.
 | | The Celebrity Equinox |
- Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria provide old world charm and a touch of British class to the cruise experience. Their itineraries are excellent.
 | | The Grand Lobby of the Queen Elizabeth |
Smaller Ships - Ships carrying from 200 - 400 passengers offer travelers and photographers a more intimate, yacht-like experience. The service is more personalized and you'll meet really interesting people.
A Photographer's Viewpoint - Smaller ships allow me to treat my vacations as if they're pro photo assignments.
- Small ships visit picturesque, out-of-the-way ports. They can anchor where large ships can't.
- There's greater flexibility in getting on and off the ship...even if it is by tenders or inflatable boats.
- When visiting scenic ports the ships will generally stay into the night. This lets you enjoy local nightlife and get great sunset and night shots.
- There won't be thousands of tourists inundating a small island. So, you'll be able to mingle with local people, have memorable adventures and get better pictures...particularly portraits.
Cruises I can personally recommend:
- Windstar's Wind Surf, Wind Star & Wind Spirit -
 | | The Wind Spirit |
These beautiful sailing yachts cater primarily to adults. You'll cruise with interesting, well-educated passengers, enjoy superb food and be catered to by a fabulous crew. All Windstar ships have a complete water-sports deck and visit photo destinations that can't be beat.
- Yachts of Seaborne's Legend and their five other ships -
 | | Enjoy Gourmet Dining |
Just over 200 passengers experience millionaire's cruises to exotic ports. Prices run higher than most cruise lines but the Seaborne cruises are worth every penny. I'd suggest looking at various online travel sites to see if you can get a last-minute bargain!
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Camera Equipment: Consider Traveling Light
When I was shooting film I traveled with a 35mm SLR, three lenses, a tripod and a camera bag. They weighed in at about 10 - 15 lbs. but felt like 50 lbs. by the end of a day!
As I got into digital I switched to a dSLR, two lenses and the camera bag. I was still carrying over 5 pounds.
For this cruise I decided to travel light. I took along a single compact camera that did everything I could ask for with just a single zoom lens.
 | | The Leica V-Lux 2 |
The camera? A Leica V-Lux 2. (Cost: $849)
Why use a Leica? Lens quality can make or break your pictures. The V-Lux has an ultra-sharp Leica lens with an effective zoom range from 25mm to 600mm! Image stabilization let me handhold the V-Lux for sharp zoom shots at 1/60th second at 600mm. (Good-bye tripod!)
Best yet, this little camera weighed in at just 19 ounces! So, I could easily take it anywhere I went and get pictures as good as those from a pro dSLR.
Note: The V-Lux 2 is not the camera pros would choose to shoot a wedding. But, it is a fantastic vacation camera for great pictures...with point-and-shoot simplicity that even beginners can appreciate.
For more information on the Leica V-Lux please click here.
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Other Compact Cameras With Viewfinders -
For brightly lit outdoor shooting most point-and-shoot cameras have a fatal flaw. Their rear viewing LCD monitor makes it difficult to compose an image in bright sunlight.
This new class of compact camera, in which the V-Lux is the high-end leader, has viewfinders that allow you to compose your images just like you do in a dSLR (although on a viewing screen.)
Here are two cameras from top camera manufacturers:
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On Open Boats, for Snorkeling or on the Beach -
When I don't want to put my electronic camera at risk I use a Kodak Single-Use Underwater camera. For less than $15 these cameras are nearly indestructible. I make Picture CDs in my lab that fill in my imaging story.
Benefit: My digital camera stays safe...and I still get good photos. (Please phone us if you'd like to order some of these single use cameras.)
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Cruising Photo Tips:
1. The Rule of Thirds Rules
The Rule of Thirds is well known to most pros and advanced photographers. It's a simple approach to composing your pictures "by the numbers" that will give you prize-winning scenic photographs.
- When you compose, break the visual elements of your picture into thirds.
Place each element into one third of the composition. In this shot the top third is the sky, the middle third the land and the bottom third the water.
- Do the same from left to right. Can you
see how the Rule works to make this a successful picture?
- In some cases you'll put one element in two thirds of the picture and another visual element in the remaining third. Nearly all of my scenics use the Rule of Thirds to some degree.
Tip: Most compact digital cameras have a viewing option with the grid shown above. Use this feature for composition and to align horizon lines.
2. Take Advantage of Your Camera's Zoom Lens
Wide Angle Shots give you excellent depth of field and a greater sense of distance.
 | Scenic Overlook on St. Barths - The Leica's wide angle
setting kept everything from the type in the foreground
to the horizon is in sharp focus. |
Telephoto Pictures flatten perspective for strong compositions.
 | Wind Surf Sails & Rigging - The telephoto setting
brought in details 200 feet above the deck. |
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When You Cruise From Fort Lauderdale...
Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has become the cruise capital of the world. No port has as many cruise departures.
Our laboratory is located just 10 minutes from the port. We welcome visits from all of our customers. Please call us and drop by when you're in Florida. I'll personally give you a guided tour of the lab.
I would suggest that you try to arrive a day early for your cruise. Arranging to stay a night in one of the reasonably priced hotels in Hollywood or Fort Lauderdale can save you a lot of grief if your plane is delayed. Travel insurance is also a good idea.
Let us make prints of your best pictures. This is the best insurance you can have to be sure that the pictures you take during your cruise aren't lost to a hard drive failure or a lost CD.
As a skilled photographer you can relive your cruise by making enlargements for your home. You'll be amazed at how a big print of a tropical isle can warm even the coldest winter night!
You snap the pictures ... we'll do the rest!
Best wishes,
Dale
Dale Farkas
President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com
(Online printing services of Dale Laboratories)
Questions? Call (800) 327-1776.
We're here to help!
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P.S. Do you have a friend who is interested in cruises or getting better photographs? Just click Forward Email below to share this information.
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