Balearic Lens
Stories · Yachts & charter
Yacht charter photography in Ibiza & Formentera
The shots that book charter weeks.
Charter guests pick a boat on their phone. They scroll a booking portal with dozens of similar yachts, and within a few seconds they decide which one is worth a closer look. At that moment, your photos are the only thing they have.
The engines, the cabins and the service on board only count if the pictures make someone stop scrolling.
I photograph and film charter yachts in Ibiza and Formentera for charter companies such as Smart Charter Ibiza and Windrose Ibiza – from day cruisers like the Pardo 43 to larger yachts like the Mangusta 92 or the Leopard 102. This is how a shooting day works, and what makes the difference between pictures that document a boat and pictures that sell charter weeks.
What one shooting day covers
A charter listing needs two things: the boat itself, and the experience of being on it. A good shoot delivers both.
The boat
- Exteriors underway and at anchor
- Drone photos and video, from above and alongside
- Interiors: saloon, cabins, bathrooms, details
- Helm, deck areas and equipment
The experience
- Life on board, with models or with the crew
- Swimming, water toys, long lunches at anchor
- Afternoon light and, if you want it, sunset
- Vertical cuts from the video for social media
Photo and video are shot on the same day, and the drone flies for both. You get one coherent set of material instead of three separate productions.
A typical day on board: the Pardo 43
The Pardo 43 is a good example because it is what many charter fleets in Ibiza actually run: a fast, open day cruiser that earns well in high season and competes with many similar boats on the same portals.
- Morning · in the marina
Briefing at Marina Botafoch
While the crew prepares the boat, champagne and fruit plates are set up for the styling shots later in the day. Then a short briefing with the captain, the crew and the models, if there are any on board: the route, the order of shots, and who needs to be where.
- Morning · underway
Running shots in soft light
The first hours are for the boat at speed – from the drone, alongside, from the bow quarter. This is the light that makes white hulls look clean and the water look deep blue.
- Midday · inside
Interiors while the sun is hard
When the sun is high, the exteriors lose depth. That is the time to go inside: cabins, saloon, bathrooms, details. Nothing is wasted.
- Afternoon · at anchor
The experience
As the light softens again, we anchor in a cove and shoot life on board: swimming, paddle boards, jet ski, lunch on deck. If the listing calls for it, we stay until sunset.
There are half-day and full-day shoots. Which one makes sense depends on what you need at the end: a complete listing refresh with video, or a set of new exteriors for the coming season.
Films on board
Superyacht, shipyard or international marine brand?
Drone work at sea: the part most people underestimate
Most of the shots that stop the scroll are drone shots. Flying over open water is a different discipline from flying over land.
Authorities
Commercial drone flights need a licence and an airspace check before every shoot. Around Ibiza airport and in some protected areas, flying is restricted or not allowed at all. I fly with an AESA licence for commercial use and plan the route around those zones.
Wind
Strong wind makes stable footage difficult, especially low over the water. On windy days we change the order of shots or the location.
Take-off and landing on board
There is no ground to start from. Launching and catching a drone from a moving deck takes practice, and the crew needs to know what is happening.
Return to home
Drones fly back to their starting point automatically. On land that is a safety feature. On a boat, the starting point is where the boat was half an hour ago – now open sea. It has to be handled manually.
How to prepare the boat and crew
The better the boat is prepared, the more of the day goes into shooting instead of fixing things in the background.
- Hull, windows and stainless steel cleaned the day before
- Fenders and loose lines stowed for the exteriors
- Cushions, towels and bed linen fresh and ready
- Personal items out of cabins and deck areas
- Water toys charged, fuelled and ready to go in
- Champagne, glasses and fruit ready for styling
And plan a buffer before casting off. On a boat, there is always something that still needs doing – no shoot I know has ever left the marina exactly on time.
Weather is the only real risk
In my experience, very little goes wrong on a well-prepared charter shoot. The one thing nobody controls is the weather. If wind or clouds make the day unusable, we move it. Better to shoot a day later than to publish a season’s worth of listings with grey water.
Where the material ends up
The same shoot feeds every channel a charter company uses:
- Booking portals and charter listings
- Your own website
- Social media, with vertical cuts from the video
Several boats from the same fleet
A whole fleet is much more efficient than a single boat. We plan the yachts on consecutive days, the equipment moves only once, and all boats get the same look across your listings – so your fleet looks like one brand instead of a collection of different photographers’ work.
See the full service and how quotes work on the yacht & charter photography page.
What charter companies ask
Half day or full day?
A half day works for a set of exteriors or a smaller boat. For photo, video, drone and interiors on the same boat, a full day gives the light enough time to work.
Photo and video on the same day?
Yes. That is how most charter shoots are planned, including drone footage for both.
When is the best time to book?
Spring, before the season starts. The boats are freshly prepared, the marinas are quiet, and the new material is online before the first summer bookings come in.
Can you fly the drone everywhere?
No. Near Ibiza airport and in some protected areas, drone flights are restricted. I check the airspace before every shoot and plan the route accordingly.
What if the weather is bad?
We reschedule. The date moves, not the quality.
Do you speak my language?
English, Spanish and German – with you, your captain and your crew.
Planning your next season?
Tell me the length of the boat, how many yachts are in your fleet and when you need the material. I’ll send you a quote and a date within 24 hours.