The number one question asked of many professional photographers is: How do you take such gorgeous pictures? The short answer is: Take a lot of pictures. With pricy film and developing costs out of the equation, taking loads of pictures with today’s digital cameras is cheap. Pros throw away dozens of shots for every stunning image they keep. But beyond that, what can amateurs, and more specifically, boaters, do to improve their photos?

Start with a good digital camera, something above 5 megapixels. Most all sport similar features, so try a few different cameras at a store and choose what you are comfortable with. And while you’re at it, buy a water-proof bag or box for the boat. Electronics don’t like moisture. Also, purchase a large memory card, 2 gigs at least. You’ll need it for all those beautiful pictures.

Some cameras have an eye piece in addition to the LCD for framing, some don’t. The LCD screen can be invisible in bright sunlight, or when you’re wearing polarized sunglasses. A built-in viewfinder solves the problem.

When out on the water, don’t store your camera in the air conditioned cabin. As soon as you take it outside, thick, Florida humidity will condense on the lens and make your pictures look like you spent the day in the fog on San Francisco Bay. Moisture will also settle on the internal electronics and shorten the camera’s lifespan. Just as important, don’t let your camera bake in the sun or other hot areas. This can be equally harmful.

Check your lens frequently when shooting. On a boat, water has a bad habit of finding that tiny piece of glass. Lenses are coated with an invisible substance to reduce glare and reflection. Cleaning the lens with your shirt or a sand covered towel can rub that off. Use the cloth that came with your camera, and use light pressure. If you don’t have a cloth, you can pick one up at any camera store.

Here’re a few tips for shooting portraits. Place your subject’s head towards the top of the frame, not in the middle to reduce excess head room. However, if you are taking a shot from head to toe, put their feet near the bottom. On a boat, backgrounds are often very bright, especially at sunset. Cameras adjust to this brightness making foreground objects too dark. The solution? Set the flash to “on” so it flashes every time. This is known as a fill-in flash and will definitely help you shoot like a pro.

So, on your next boat ride, shoot early, shoot often, and shoot like a pro. Don’t worry about filling up that memory card either. Stick in a new one or dump it off to your computer. Hard drive space is cheap. Memories are priceless.