A boat is safe in the harbour. But this is not the purpose of a boat.
Paulo Coelho
Who can look at a boat floating on the water and not feel at least a small sense of adventure? The chance to leave the land behind and explore, the promise of an escape from the routine of everyday life, the drama of the open sea or the gentle rocking of a boat on calmer inland waters.
I can never resist a boat ride if I get the opportunity. But even if you can’t get out on a boat, or prefer dry land, they always make interesting subjects for photography. The shapes, the reflections, the colours …
Ah yes, the colours. What if we eliminate those however and focus more on those shapes? We may find they make just as interesting a shape in black and white. So I’m doubling up contributions to Terri’s Sunday Stills theme of Afloat with this week’s theme-free Monochrome Madness. Here is a selection of boat images from around the world, and a few rather closer to home. I feel the monochrome edits (done as always with Silver Efex Pro) work well, even on those most colourful of boats in Africa. See what you think; all comments welcome of course!
My feature photo is of a yacht moored in Budle Bay, between Holy Island / Lindisfarne and the mainland coast of Northumberland.
Fishing boat returning to the harbour at Amble, Northumberland
Passenger boat from Seahouses moored off Inner Farne, Northumberland
The marina at Buckler’s Hard, Hampshire
HMS Middleton in the Solent, Hampshire, England
Fishing boat, Nampo, North Korea
Small ferry boat on the Gambia River
Father and son on the Kerala Backwaters
Houseboats on the Kerala Backwaters
Fishing boat just off the beach at Kovalam, Kerala
On the Nam Ou river, Laos
Fishing boat, Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam
Kayakers in Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam
Locals out to collect oyster shells near Mandina Lodge, Gambia
Fishing boat off the coast of Gambia
Fishing boat off Baobab Beach, Madagascar
Local ferry, Baobab Beach, Madagascar
Mokoro in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
45 Comments
Image Earth Travel
Ah, two of my favourite subjects – boats and B&W photography.
Love these shots!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed these shots 🙂
equinoxio21
Perfect. You should do a book.
Toonsarah
You keep saying that!
equinoxio21
Haha. I might be dotting in my “old age” or it’s because I mean it. (I do mean it)
Annie Berger
I smiled when I read that both you and Phil commented on how much you enjoy boat trips when traveling as Steven and I are exactly the same. You’re both lucky in that you have fairly easy access to water when you’re on the home front and not on the road as we’re landlocked in Colorado. I really enjoyed all the Northumberland shots but the African pics were also spectacular, Sarah. I hope we get to Botswana some day as you’re always tempting us with shots from there! Annie
Toonsarah
River trips can be just as much fun as those by sea Annie – do you have any of those? But if ever you’re in the UK at the same time as Phil and Michaela aren’t travelling (an unlikely juxtaposition, I know), wouldn’t it be fun to do a boat trip together?!! I hope you get to Botswana too, it’s a stunning country to visit 😀
Annie Berger
A wonderful dream! Lots of lakes in Colorado but no river trips come to mind unless you’re shooting rapids which wasn’t what I was thinking about!
Anonymous
Loved the father and son. I suspect that small ferry boat would be interesting in color.
Toonsarah
Thank you again (I do wish I knew who you are – please leave your name in future if not logged in to Word Press!) Yes, the ferry boat looks good in colour, as does the Gambian fishing boat, but I thought it would be fun to experiment with monochrome as I’ve shared colour versions in the past.
rkrontheroad
Ruth Rosenfeld (rkrontheroad) – I’m logged in and don’t know why that isn’t working!
Toonsarah
How odd! But WP is strange some times 🙁 I gather all the recent anonymous comments were from you, so thank you again very much.
rkrontheroad
I tried to go back and put my name on a reply. ☺
bluebrightly
You clearly have enough material for a lifetime. I appreciate your efforts to bring it together in new ways. All the Asian boat scenes appeal to me, partly because I still haven’t been to any part of Asia and long to go.
Toonsarah
Thank you 🙂 Oh yes, enough for a lifetime I guess, but I hope to add still more!
Leanne Cole
Lots and lots of boats Sarah. Great variety of them. I really like the houseboats. They could be fun.
Toonsarah
Thank you Leanne – we spent a night on one of those houseboats, it was a great way to observe life along and on those backwaters 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
Very atmospheric, the monochrome approach seems to enhance the craft and move the water into the background. We love boat trips too – they’re hard to resist when you get the opportunity. In fact, we had a rather amusing one earlier this week.
Toonsarah
That’s an interesting observation Phil, and I see what you mean – thank you 🙂 I’ll look forward to hearing all about that amusing boat trip!
Teresa
Wonderful settings. Love the house boat, but thinking that it might get me a bit dizzy.
Toonsarah
Glad you enjoyed these Teresa 😀 We spent a night on one of those houseboats – they’re super gentle, you hardly feel the motion on those still waters, and it moored for night (a bit to my disappointment!)
Teresa
Hubby and I wanted to go on the Camden one or the Regents one but when we were there last November, it always rained so we weren’t able to make it.
grandmisadventures
Great pictures. I wish I was part of the group of kayakers there in Vietnam right now 🙂
Toonsarah
Thank you Meg 😀 That was a stunning landscape for kayaking or any sort of boating!
Heyjude
I like the feature image, sparkling water always looks good in B&W and like Anabel I prefer the small boats especially with people. The boat on the Gambia river is lovely, but looks far to small to ferry anybody about. The final shot is my favourite though: beautiful textures and even though not in colour the warmth shows.
Toonsarah
Thank you Jude 😊 I’m glad you like the people shots. That last one is of another couple staying at the same lodge as we were – we agreed each to take photos of the others’ boat and share them afterwards but although I sent this one to them, I never received ours 🙁 That Gambian ferry is the budget option – there’s a big but rather decrepit ferry that makes the journey, which we took, but it’s cheaper for locals to hire a boatman to take them across in one of these small boats. They take about 4-6 people I reckon, and the same sort of boats go out to sea fishing (I’ve included one here) so I’m pretty sure crossing the river would be fine, and possibly safer than the main ferry!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Great selection. I think I like the ones with people the best. Both father and son in Kerala and the Botswana one – the people help the boat really pop out from the background whereas in some the boat kind of melds in to everything else when there’s no colour. The fishing boat in Amble I also like – the white foam does the same job as the people for me. Not sure I’ve explained that very well but it makes sense to me!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel 😊 You’ve explained perfectly and I know just what you mean. The father and son one in Kerala is a favourite of mine.
Anne Sandler
Great boat images in black and white Sarah! Monochrome helps tell their stories and adds depth. Loved all of them.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anne 😊 I’m glad you liked the monochrome treatment!
restlessjo
If it’s going to be black and white it has to be wistful for me, Sarah, and I like the misty Laos and Vietnamese shots. I followed Margaret out to La Albufera yesterday. I didn’t get the sunset but I did enjoy the boat ride 🤗💙
Toonsarah
I know how, like me, you do enjoy a boat ride 😀 If you want wistful I agree those are the best – I’m glad you liked them 🙂 Personally for monochrome I like either wistful, high key or a bit of dramatic contrast, depending on the subject I guess!
restlessjo
I seldom translate to monochrome because I’m really a sparkle on the water lass 🤣💙
Freddie
Black and white photo looks classic.
Toonsarah
Thanks Freddie 🙂
Freddie
You’re welcome Toonsarah
Monkey's Tale
I like the way the mountains fade away in the distance in the Laos and Vietnam pictures. Maggie
Toonsarah
The weather wasn’t great when we were on our Halong Bay cruise so that fading of the karst rocks is down to light drizzle! But on the Nam Ou in Laos we had pretty hot weather, so that fading is probably a heat haze 🙂
bushboy
Boats can be difficult in monochrome but you have done a great job Sarah
Toonsarah
Thank you Brian 🙂
margaret21
Until I actually looked, I thought boats might be a bit disappointing in b/w. They’re not of course. I think the various fishing boats work particularly well.
Toonsarah
I’m glad to have changed your mind Margaret 😀 Although I’m sure not all boats would work, you do need a bit of contrast and a clearly defined shape!
margaret21
Oh sure. But that kind of thing is never a problem to you!
Terri Webster Schrandt
Your monochrome flotilla is spectacular, Sarah! B&W sure makes some mundane boats pop, while the smaller vessels look rustic. Beautiful collection!
Toonsarah
Oh, I wish I’d thought to call this a flotilla 😀 Thank you Terri, I’m glad you enjoyed these shots.