Return to home page Main Menu Navigation

Pilot Boat, Orkney #1

Pilot boat, Orkney Islands, Scotland

Click on the image for licensing terms

The story behind this image

The perspective you get from being eighteen decks high on a cruise liner is quite unique, it's like being in a low flying helicopter but not so scary!

I took full advantage of my elevated position on board the P&O liner Azura as she sailed out of Kirkwall, the capital town of the Orkney Islands just to the north of Scotland, to look down and take this photo of the pilot boat as it came alongside to disembark the pilot that had guided us out to sea.

The bright orange superstructure of the pilot boat contrasted very nicely with the deep aquamarine ocean, and I deliberately took this photo at an angle, allowing the boat and its wake to form a diagonal line across the frame of the image, imparting a sense of movement and dynamism to the composition.

License this image

Image data

Filename - orkney pilot boat 01

Camera - Canon 6D

Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 75mm

Exposure - 1/20 sec @ f8, ISO100

Filters - Polarising filter used to remove glare from the water

Location - Orkney Islands, Scotland

This image - 800x533px JPEG

Conversion - Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CC

Comments - Hand held exposure with lens stabilisation