Cruising to Alaska | Can you take a vacation AND come away with good photos?
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- čas přidán 28. 09. 2022
- Cruise ships and photography usually don't work well together - all the food you can eat, drinks, late night shows, and tourist filled ports of call just don't gel.
I take a week long cruise to Alaska and try to balance my vacation with a little serious photography where I can. Do I manage to capture some decent shots or should I have left the camera bag at home? Watch and find out!
Don't forget to visit my website at www.jamesparkerphoto.com to sign up for my newsletter and check out my upcoming workshops and 1 on 1 tutoring. I teach classes on using your camera, landscape photography, lighting, post processing, and more.
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#Alaska, #hollandamerica, #cruiseship, #juneau, #ketchikan, #sitka, #LandscapePhotography, #PacificNorthwest, #educational, #howto, #composition,
This was a great video. As a hobbyist photographer it was great seeing the challenges and your solutions to the environments and time we face while on a cruise and making the most of it. heading to alaska in less than two weeks.
It is amazing that you got a shot of Nugget Falls without a crowd of people in it. Well done.
Love the glacier shots. And I think I could spend hours sipping coffee on the observation deck.
Absolutely. It was alway lbs quiet there before sunrise.
I very much enjoyed this video. I’ll be visiting Alaska for the first on a cruise in May. This video provided realistic expectations of mixing photography with a family vacation, and also the challenges with the weather. Thank you.
I'm going this September as well. Hope to come away with nice shots like yours. Cheers
I'm taking a cruise to Alaska in September as well
@@scottwinton-py9nd for me it’s Ovation of the Seas, departing on 9/22.
In late August / early September, we flew to Anchorage and took the train to Seward. After a couple days we cruised to Vancouver, stopping in Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Ketchikan. The weather was very hit and miss, but I did get some fantastic shots.
Lovely. Thank you for the BTS
Thank you James, looked like a fun trip. I know all too well about mixing photography with family trips. I live in Seattle and visit family in Portland and we are able to do both. Several years ago I visited Sitka for several days to meet clients who live there. Beautiful place. I often wonder what photographers do when they go on vacation, and where do they go? You did very well getting good images considering the limited compositions and timeframes and weather. Your photos and videos are always interesting and insightful. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Don!
Enjoyed the video Mr. Parker. Going to land and cruise to Alaska in August can't Wait. Just retired I am former sports photographer getting my cameras ready. Thank you again. Best Jeff Brooklyn NY
Thank you! We have a trip coming up and your insights and scouting are great!
Nice job! We depart from Vancouver Sep1 '23 heading to Seward. Appreciate your stories and humor. This was a great prep. Thanks.
Your images are amazing ❤
Thank you for this video! It was very informative. I’m taking my dad, nephew, and son to Alaska in August (princess cruise tour sea and land) and I decided I need a “real” camera. I bought a canon rebel to play with without breaking the bank. I’m just now learning about the manual settings. I love seeing the final picture with the settings you used listed.
Excellent video. Thanks James.
Very welcome Scott. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Great video. I will be on a cruise next month. PANO question: As ship is rotating at a glacier, should you shoot (portrait) with the direction of the ship or opposite direction? (i.e., if ship is rotating right, do you start at the right edge and move with it, or the left side and go opposite.
As long as you provide enough overlap between images it won’t matter. Just shoot a little wider than you need and go further on each end than you need.
Headed for an Alaskan cruise in 3 weeks (on HAL). This was good information for my planning. How did you keep your equipment dry when on the excursions? In a backpack, or separate camera case? Thanks!
I keep my gear in a Mindshift 26L backpack. It's not water proof but I've never had an issue with it keeping my gear dry. You can watch my video on how I travel with my gear - czcams.com/video/J_y1gkwYK2Q/video.htmlsi=F7GjpqRY_d4HAn6x
Recently retired this is on our bucket list. Not a photography. But my wife knows I’m not going to Alaska without a camera or two. What focal lengths would you recommend? Keeping in mind we would fly cross country to the ship.
Bob - I found I used my 100-400mm more than any other lens. Leave the wide angle at home. If you do any photos in the towns then you will need something like a 24-105 or 24-70. If you had to go with a single lens I'd try to cover as much as possible from 50-400mm
Enjoyed your video. I just booked an Alaskan cruise for May. I am not a professional photographer..however, I really enjoy taking pictures. That is normally the highlight of my vacation. I have a Nikon D5600 and an 18-200mm lens. I am researching and trying to learn as much as I can in the next few months so that I can take the best pictures possible on my dream vacation. I have also heard it mentioned that a 360 camera is a must..I know I will probably need a lens with more zoom. I'm researching those too. Any advance or resources anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you! A 360 camera is for video only, right? I would not consider that a must have. The 18-200 will cover most of what you need but for the glacier and any wildlife you encounter you might want a longer one to take with you. Something up to 400mm would be ideal - you can rent these for not a lot of $$. Check out lensrentals.com - they are excellent.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. If you went again, what lenses (range) would you take? I think you mentioned 24-105 and 100-400.
Thanks! Yes - 24-105mm and a 100-400 if you are going to the glacier.
Hello, enjoyed the video. I will be going on a riverboat cruise and I was wondering what would be good to use, shutter or aperture priority from a slower moving boat?
I shoot in manual mode so I can control all the aspects of my camera. But, I'd choose shutter priority along with auto ISO in order to get a non-blurry shot.
seeking your advice... I am relatively new to photography and especially for an Alaskan cruise, I want to get your advice if what I have is going to do me well for landscape shots and maybe wildlife. I have a Nikon D3500, which is an aps-c 24mp dslr. It came with two kit lenses, the 18-55mm and the 70-300mm. I have added over time the Nikon 18-200mm and a 35mm 1.8 prime, to act as a 52mm prime. I'm thinking that the one that covers the wider range of photo opportunities is going to be the 18-200mm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I don't want to screw this up. Alaska isn't right around the corner for me. Thanks in advance...
If you only wanted to take one lens, take the 18-200mm. Primes are useless as you can't move the ship closer and most things you photograph will be further away. Primes are great for photographing people and objects that are close to you that you have control over (product photography, cars, etc). Otherwise, use zoom lenses.
@@JamesParkerPhotography Thank You for the tip.
Did you change your shutter speed or was it the same thing the whole time of so what did you set it at
Elizabeth - the shutter speed changes based on a lot of factors. Tripod or handheld, being on a moving ship or stationary on the ground, slowing down the water of a waterfall or freezing the action of a sheet of ice falling in the ocean. There is no one answer.
Was a monopod helpful on the deck?
Not really, unless you are having trouble holding the camera up. The ship is moving (unless it's at the dock). You will need to always shoot with a faster shutter speed to compensate for the movement. That faster shutter speed will allow you to hand hold your shots.
Thanks, James. Excellent video! What gear were you using, particularly the lenses?
Bob - I used my Sony A7RIV and all Sony lenses - 24-105mm f/4 and a 100-400mm. I had a 16-35mm f/2.8 but I don't think I used it on the trip.
@@JamesParkerPhotography , thanks, James. I’m going again this summer and am debating on my Sony fullframe vs Aps-c Sony system.
I also have the A7RIV. It is a beast.
@@bobyarger5549 Take whatever is easiest to manage, especially if it's a vacation and not a dedicated trip for photography. You'll get great images with either camera.
@@JamesParkerPhotography thanks, James. That helps with the decision.