Watching a slide show with your boat and crew members, along with other competitors’ boats in close competition, is usually an experience racers look forward to enjoying after a full day on the ocean. Sailboat race photography can enhance any after-race gathering, with racers “ooo”-ing and “awwww”-ing over drinks and food. This end result is the outcome of lots of planning and physical hard work before the images ever grace a race club’s TV screens. Below is an explanation of what happens behind the scenes to capture the kind of photos that many racers have come to expect.
A Week Before A Race
When a Race Committee member places a call to ask me if I am available on a certain date or dates to shoot a race, the wheels are put into motion. First, for me, anyway, is to make sure that the chase boat and skipper I prefer is also available. Once that is secured, the foot work begins.
The week before a race, the chase boat has to be prepared. The skipper has to make sure there is a full tank of gas. (If it is half full, then a trip to the gas dock is in order.) As soon as that can be done, I pick up a race course, and the marks are inputted into the GPS (if they are not already in the system). A course map is studied by the skipper, to visualize where she will follow racers, and which side of the Race Committee Boat to hang out at in order to capture the start-line photos. Also, the course map helps guide the skipper as to where she can predict the racers may tack, and which side of the boats they will turn at the marks. This is important for a couple of reasons: 1) we do NOT want to interfere with the race in any way; getting in the way of racers can impede their times, could cause accidents, and could lead to protests by the racers, something we do NOT want to be responsible for and 2) I am trying to get that perfect shot at the right angle. Knowing where to drive, the skipper can get me where I need to be at the right moment for that money shot! Actually, it is very important that the chase boat skipper also have experience with sailing, so they have first-hand knowledge of wind and speed, and can use that knowledge to predict where, when and how racers will tack and gybe.
The Day Before A Race
A run to the food market is made the day before a race to stock the boat with water, iced teas and healthy snacks to keep both the skipper and photographer hydrated, alert, and nourished each day. Last-minute packing is done the day before, too: extra jackets, hats, sunscreen, SPF lip balm, and anything else either of one us can think of that we might need. The day before is also spent getting all camera gear ready. Memory cards need to be formatted and stored in the camera bag. Preferred lenses specific to the kind of race and sailboat designs are chosen, cleaned, and pre-tested to make sure they are all up to par. Camera bodies need to be wiped down, and proper settings need to be preliminarily set for shooting photos. All camera batteries have to be charged and stored, as well. (Sometimes I end up taking photos of the awards ceremonies, so preparing flashes with fresh batteries is necessary, and all flash-related equipment needs to be stored in a separate bag for easy reach when called upon to use indoors.)
The laptop used for batch editing needs to be prepped the day before, also. First, the laptop needs to be fully charged. Then, new folders need to be set up inside the external hard drive to be ready to receive all RAW files after capturing the requisite shots on the water. In the laptop bag I pack the prepared external hard drive, the laptop electrical cords, plus one 6’-10’ extension cord, the laptop VGA cord adaptor, and camera-to-laptop USB connectors. I always like to make sure I have some photo business cards, too, that will be available to racers in the location of the slideshows. Lastly, the fully charged laptop is packed.
The Morning of the Race (repeated for races on multiple days)
On the morning of the races, the chase boat skipper and I meet at the club hosting the race event, and sit in on the Skippers’ Meeting. This has a couple of purposes: 1) racers get to see us and know who we are, so they are not concerned when they see a random powerboat racing around in the middle of their course, and 2) we get to sit in on what the Race Committee Chair has to say about the day’s (or weekend’s) Rules and Regulations for the racers. That helps us prepare alongside the racers. We will know more about where the Race Committee Boat will be anchored, and where the turn marks and start lines will be set up. We get to see how many starts there will be, how many sailboat designs (race classes) there will be, and the diverse courses and marks for each design. This information is so invaluable for both skipper and photographer!
We will often have breakfast at the designated race club, getting the “pulse” of the racers present. Then we set out for the chase boat. After we unload all of the photography gear, we put the burgee flag on the bow pulpit’s flag pole to identify ourselves out on the water, warm up the boat’s engine, get ourselves onto the correct VHF race channel, and pull out to meet the racers on the water as they sail out to the racing area. While we are driving out of the harbor, I double-check my camera settings to adjust for the current lighting outside. (Lighting varies by day, and by times of the day, too; this adjustment has to be revisited often.) As we drive past the breakers into the open ocean, it’s a perfect opportunity to capture each sailboat in the race as they find their way to the race course. This pre-race photo-op is one of my favorites, and the racers have come to know that this is what to expect from me before each race; they even make a point of coming by the chase boat, cheering and waving. (And they’re fun shots to see in the slideshows, too!)
It is at this time that chase boat skipper spends a lot of time seriously “driving” the boat: forwards, backwards, circling, yelling out to me, “ON PORT!” or “ON STARBOARD!”. I run back and forth on the aft deck, capturing shots of each boat registered for the race. These shots capture the whole vessel from one full side, capturing the complete hull and its name, the full mast and sails, and crew. Racers have told me that these shots make great gifts to crew members. As the boats swing by, II capture each boat in full, and on another time around, I capture inside the cockpit, getting fun action shots with a telephoto lens as the crew members try to vie for a spot at the start line.
As mentioned earlier, having a skipper familiar with ocean wind and speeds is imperative at this point. Knowing how to handle a powerboat in unpredictable weather conditions has saved us a few times. We’ve had some white knuckle experiences, but I’ve always been able to have complete trust in how my skipper will handle these conditions.
There are specific shots that I outline to capture for each race. My goal is to get EACH boat at EACH of these locations in a race:
-each design class vying for the start line just before their race begins;
-the start line push-off for each design;
-racers rounding the marks;
-inside the cockpits at the marks;
-spinnaker shots when they come back around (or wing-on-wing shots for those designs)
-some random group shots of sailboats in competition with each other
These are challenging to get, but VERY exciting! Racing is NOT quiet! There is a lot of chatter, yelling orders, and communication between race boats. Being that close to them allows for that first-hand knowledge that people on shore would never know about, and it’s thrilling!
rounding a mark
Back at the Club
Once I have captured the photos I want, we head back to the club. The chase boat skipper drops me and my gear off at the race club, then heads back to the boat slip to clean her boat, inside and out, from the day’s sailboat chasing. Salt water covers the outside of the vessel, from bow to stern. The left-over water and tea bottles are collected, as are any pieces of food trash and wrappers.
When I get dropped off with all of my gear, I run into the building, find electrical outlets, and get to work. I set up the laptop, hook up to wifi, connect the cameras, and start uploading raw files. Since I already created folders and files in my computer and external hard drive, it’s a smooth transition. Uploading RAW files takes time, so I take a breather, get something to eat form the galley, and grab a cold beer! After the RAW files are all in my editing program, I cull out the blurry photos or those with poor composition. Then I “batch edit” for white balance, exposure, and saturation. I then go through each photo I have chosen (anywhere from 300-700) and resize it for potential printing, and straighten the horizon on every photo that needs it. Then I export the RAW files into jpg files (also takes time—the frustrating part for me as I watch racers pulling in one boot at a time!)
Then, FINALLY! I grab a thumb drive and upload the jpgs onto it. From there, I run upstairs to find an available media device and big screen to upload the photos for the—TA DA!—slide show of the day’s race!! WHEW! This is where I need my second drink!! And at this time, usually my chase boat skipper has made it back to the club to celebrate with everyone, and to enjoy the fruits of her skilled labor! I get complete satisfaction sitting back and watching the racers stare at the big screen monitors mounted around the awards ceremony room, smiling, pointing at themselves, and telling stories while reliving the day’s race experience.
Sailboat racing photography is definitely one of my favorite things to do—EVER! The excitement, the thrill, the chase, the danger! It’s a rush. Every boat is gorgeous. The sails competing for a lead, the spinnakers, the crew hiking out or pulling down sails…it’s all so exciting. Having someone at the helm as a fully involved team member makes it all worthwhile, too. And the fresh air, sportsmanship, and racing stories are the icing on the cake. It’s the best way to spend a weekend, by far.
