Fun Ship Photography: Unleashing Your Inner Artsy-Fartsy

There’s nothing like a hot-orange sunset or palm-lined seashore to transform a photo frame into a sweet cruise memory.
 
As fabulous as outdoor shots can be, there’s plenty indoors too to woo the lens. And with digital photography so cheap, it can unleash the creativity in just about anyone.
 

Zooming in on the Constellation's
Chihuly chandelier

Every ship is photogenic. You just need to know where to look. And you’ve got hours and hours at sea—take advantage and explore the nooks and crannies of the ship. Take photos from inside and out. Up and then down. This way and that. Find your inner artsy-fartsy. You’ll be amazed at the really neat things you’ll end up with:

Be practical. Documenting the room, the food and public areas will jog your memory should you plan another trip on the same ship. Amid the chaos of Disembarkation Day, we’ve snuck into some empty rooms categories above our own and taken photos for future reference. And appreciated it later.

Be experimental. Shoot the artwork from different angles, use it as a backdrop. Do super close-ups, use interesting grid work for framing. Even some of the murals make great shots.
 
Be goofy. Photograph you and your companions looking in a mirror or glass for a different kind of selfie. You’ll find your reflections in all sorts of places, like elevators and shops. And if you’re on an Oasis class ship, be sure to check out the Boardwalk funhouse mirrors to see what you’d look like if you took a world cruise.
 


On the ball in Allure of the Sea's Central Park

For some funky examples from our trips, follow this Dropbox link.
 
And if you need some ideas on what to do with all those photos now captive in your camera, see this posting: What To Do With Those Cruise Ship Photos.
 
Musing’s Top Tip: While your smart phone or tablet can take photos indoors, they’re pretty limited. They don’t do well in low light, you can’t zoom much and it’s hard to keep them steady. A better choice is a subcompact with a large sensor, like the Sony RX100 iii. It’s better in low light, it has a viewfinder and the camera is so small that it fits in a pocket or purse. Which is great for taking those surreptitious photos (but you didn’t hear me say that).