History fascinates me and so it probably comes at no surprise that Britain's iconic ships do too. I am guilty of bringing my partner to see ships as an activity, even the HMS Victory for Valentine's Day - woops!
But how do you photograph one?
Previously talking about Autumn colours, I'd mentioned the importance of a good wide angle lens and this rings true for shooting here. However, it is a completely different location and one to treat with different preparation.
If you're not local to Bristol, you may not know it but the city has an obsession with Brunel. You know, he's that fellow who created the Clifton Suspension bridge, Thames tunnel and countless other industrial beauties. He also designed the SS Great Britain which now sides in harbour in Bristol. Now I am a history nerd but I'll leave that until last.
Sitting in drydock with guests able to see above and below the waterline it's a fantastic opportunity to practice photography, so without further ado here are my tips for you:
Ships are huge but also tiny
Now I'd said about the wide angle for good reason and that's because portraying the space is so important. With humungous propellors and rooms inside that were designed for third class passengers having that extra coverage really portrays the emotions people would have felt on the ship.
Light is your friend
There are some great opportunities to use light to your advantage inside and outside a ship. At the SS Great Britain, the underwater feature gives such a lovely soft diffused light to capture the details below the waterline
You'll find that beneath the decks in any historic ship is going to give you a hard time but sometimes it can come at an advantage. Portholes in cabins and from decks above can shine through bright blinding lights to contrast with what feels like the dark underbelly of the ship.
Details make the day
My biggest advice when you visit a ship like this is to prepare with lenses that can cope with low light and can find a balance between letting you capture wide shots and finer details. Why? Because historic ships are full of beautifully crafted details that you don't want to miss.
More about the SS Great Britain
The SS Great Britain was the first ship to combine screw propulsion with an iron hull, the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic Ocean, which she did in 1845, in 14 days. The ship also took immigrants to Australia, had a brief stint as a troopship during the crimea war. After her final voyage in 1886, she ended up in the Falkland Islands, as a coal bunker and then scuttled and abandoned until the 1930s and eventually returning to Britain in 1970. What a life.