At Skyline Cruises, we’re known for creating memorable occasions, whether a wedding , corporate event, school trip, or church group event. While we offer great food, outstanding service, and more, the stunning views of New York City are a showstopper, so let’s look at some ways to ensure you can take the best photos possible to commemorate your cruise with us.
How Do You Get Good Skyline Pictures?
People frequently ask Buck Tanzi, our Senior Event Planning Manager, how to get the best photos during their Skyline Cruise, whether it’s of New York Harbor, Long Island Sound, or our other itineraries. Here are a few of his tips for taking great photos while on a Skyline Cruise.
- When taking photos of buildings and the New York skyline, it’s better to do it from the first deck because there is slightly less movement than on a higher deck. This is even more important if you’re using a slower shutter speed because even slight movements can make it blurry at lower shutter speeds.
- Keep an eye out for an opportunity to take a classic photo. While the ship is on the north side of the Manhattan bridge, if the photographer looks south, they’ll see an iconic view of Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, downtown NYC on the right, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance with Brooklyn and the DUMBO area to the left.
- It’s best to keep both eyes open when looking through the viewfinder instead of closing one, and it will help you be more aware of what’s happening around you. That’s good advice in general and especially so on a boat.
- Wide angles are generally a good choice for skyline and cityscape photos. Consider focal lengths between 12mm and 35mm.
- Many people default to auto mode on a camera because it’s easy. However, the manual method is easier to edit while working with the raw files, so consider using manual mode instead.
How Do You Photograph the Night Skyline?
The first piece of advice for photographing a night skyline may seem odd – start taking photographs before dark. Photographers call the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour before sunset “the golden hour” or “magic hour” because the sunlight is softer and warmer when the sun is near the horizon. Both still photographers and movie cinematographers love the natural lighting effects of this time of day. Many have tried to recreate this lighting artificially but don’t quite pull it off. So even if you want nighttime photos, take advantage of “magic hour” and take a few pictures then.
Then golden hour transitions into “blue hour,” which is also an excellent time for photographers. Blue hour occurs around dusk, just after sunset, and a bit before sunrise. This is when the sky becomes indigo or deep sapphire blue, providing a more magical backdrop for stars and city lights than the pitch black that will follow.
The Digital Photography School has some good tips if you can control your camera settings, like the length of exposure, ISO, and aperture. Even if you don’t or aren’t sure what that means, you want to minimize movement while taking photos.
Great Views and a Great Time on a Skyline Cruise
Book your spot on the Skyline Princess for a memorable lunch or dinner with beautiful views of New York Harbor. We offer some of the best food in New York, all prepared fresh right in our ship’s galley. Dance the night (or day) away on our rooftop Skylight Deck and strut your stuff. Also, remember Skyline for your upcoming events. We can accommodate everything from birthday parties and weddings to corporate events. No occasion is too big or too small to celebrate with Skyline Cruises. Get your cameras ready and reserve your spot! Contact Skyline Cruises today .
