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In twenty years of canal boating we think this was
the most comfortable / well appointed boat we have
had and also the easiest to drive by far! Staff were
super at both arrival and departure.

Mrs W.N. Watson - Bedford

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Photography on your Canal Boat Holiday

Taking a canal boating holiday with us provides photographers a great opportunity to take some really great photographs.

Firstly, because you are in a naturally beautiful environment, there is no additional car travel needed to reach a good spot to take a photo. We all know that early morning is one of the great times for photographs. On a canal boat you can get out of bed open the door and be taking stunning early morning wildlife shots while still in your slippers. Similarly, on a summer evening you can wait for the magical late sunshine in a beautiful location without having to think about a long drive home. Having a canal boat at your disposal really is a photographers paradise.

Here are some suggestions about photography and equipment on a narrowboat holiday. Take all your lenses with you. There is plenty of room on the boat for storage, so bring standard, wide angle, telephoto and macro lenses if you have them.

try thinking about sizes. Canalsides are great locations for large expanses of sky, but you can get great shots by thinking about the other end of the scale. A jam jar of canal water and a macro lens might just reveal some fascinating insect life.

Involve your fellow passengers. Photography is often a solo pursuit, so don't neglect the family. Get them involved in taking shots as well. Kids love competition, so let them all take photos and award prises for the best. A good idea is to invent the competition categories after the photos have been entered, so that everyone can win a prize. Bring a tripod. Sunset from the bank means long exposures so you will need a tripod. Use the boat to get close to wildlife. You will find many animals less concerned by a canal boat than they are by a human being walking on the towpath.

Most of us have switched to digital cameras, but for the film enthusiasts, bring enough rolls of film for the entire trip. Rolls of film are getting harder to find and small canal side shops may not stock them anymore.

Don't forget the boat itself as a subject. Classic old fashioned narrowboats and deluxe modern canal boats can look equally wonderful in the right photographs.

Know when to put your camera down. Carrying a camera is a bad idea when you are operating a lock. Think about safety first and photography second. Otherwise you might loose your camera altogether.

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