Shooting from a boat curiosity

[danielmoore]

Can someone tell me about the logistics of shooting from a large boat as in the Antarctic workshop tours?
I see lots of low light images and wonder how it's possible, what sorts of shutter speeds one could hope for at best? No plans, but doesn't hurt to be prepared.

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Also always been interested in this one.

 

[clay stewart]

Alas Maties, it's just like shootin any place else on Planet Earth. If it's cloudy, you'll have a slower shutter speed. I doubt you'll be using yer tripods, on board unless the Capt. drops the hook in a protected bay though. When yur running at sea you have to time the waves to keep from getting jarred, unless it's really calm. if the seas are twenty foot or more, you're liable to do more pukin than picture taking, but if you can keep an eye on the bow of the ship, you can even get shots then if you time it before or just after you hit the big waves, assuming your running into the wind, if not, then Gawd help ya.:angel:

 

[clay stewart]

All kidding aside, all my experience is with ships 200 ft and smaller and the problem I found with a tripod was not only the vibrations from the engines, generators and props, but also, as the ship rolls with the seas, you have to try and keep the horizon straight in the viewfinder, which means you pretty much have to hand hold and adjust accordingly, otherwise you'll get crooked horizons.

 

[danielmoore]

Sounds like a recipe for pure frustration. If anyone can point to a blog or writeup of someone's experience on one of these voyages that'd be helpful too.

 

[stephengilbert]

Luminous Landscape has a bunch of articles about Antarctica. For example: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml

You can search the site, and you'll find them.