Not that I get tired of New York City, editorial photography, advertising photography, or corporate photography, but it’s good to get away once in a while. I recently spent 5 days with some friends sailing around Mt. Dessert Island, Blue Hill and Penobscot Bays in Maine. It was quite blissful, until the chartered boat’s fresh water pump gave out, and the rain set it. The good news was both occurred simultaneously, so we returned the boat early, packed the car before the heaviest rain hit, and headed home.
I’ve been photographing since I was a teenager, and sailing since not long after, and if you’re planning on doing the two together, I offer some suggestions:
Digital? Bring batteries and a 12v charger. Unless the boat has no power, in which case more batteries.
Bring a rain jacket for your camera. I use a Shutter Hat, which works for me up to the point where I need a marine housing.
If it’s wet enough for a camera rain jacket, use a UV filter on the front of the lens. (I otherwise don’t, but that’s another discussion.)
Bring a large zipper-locking bag with silica gel in it—I use a small handful of the silica gel containers you can find in vitamins—to dry your camera when it gets wet.
Have fresh—ideally, distilled—water on board to wash off salt water. (Salt eats all things electrical.)
Use fast shutter speeds—boat pitch, yaw and roll, sometimes a lot.
Take notes as you shoot. Amazing how you can forget all that stuff you swore you’d remember—places, boat names, …
Photos while sailing in Maine on my archive site. Safe harbors, and keep her off the bottom.