Nautical Photography

Photography Tips

Photographer Onne van der Wal has done it all when it comes to nautical photography. Yachts, sailboats, racing boats, lighthouses, ocean life, beaches, harbors, icebergs, you name it. Onne has a background as a professional sailer and an extensive knowledge of ships and sailing, which works to benefit his photography. In this hour-long workshop/lecture, Onne shows off some of his best work and explains how he captures his commercially successful images:

Besides shooting every kind of nautical themed subject, Onne has also shot in great deal of locations and conditions. His photos vary from being on the ship, to under the water, to in the air (either by plane or ship mast). He has also done a lot of work during and after sunset where he is able to capture a perfect balance of ambient and artificial lighting.

Capturing photos without a harness

“It’s always one hand for the boat and one hand for the camera.”

Snorkeling with sea turtles

“You take a good breath, go down, take some still pictures…you come up and you think you’re going to burst because you need air.”

Capsized ship

“As soon as they capsized, I’d go like a bee-line with the powerboat to get there before they get it all sorted out and I’d jump in the water.”

Massive sails

Onne shoots with a wide range of Canon gear, from a 500mm telephoto lens to a 15mm wide angle. He keeps his gear in a box on the ship to keep it from getting wet and uses three DSLR bodies to quickly switch between lenses.