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Lighted Boat Photo Contest

Stationary boats are much easier to photograph but you still need a motionless platform or you’ll end up with fuzzy pics.

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

As we mentioned in Friday’s ‘Lectronic posting of all the Bay Area lighted boat parades, shooting such events is notoriously tricky. Photographing moving objects at night is difficult enough, but throw in an often shaky platform — whatever dock or boat you’re standing on — and it can become downright impossible. But David Esser of the Prout 50 Tigress achieved the impossible on Saturday night during the 35th annual Lighted Yacht Parade on the Oakland/Alameda Estuary. "Lots of great boats this year," he noted before sending several great shots of some entries.

The entries in the Estuary’s lighted yacht parade never fail to impress with their elaborate designs.

© David Esser
Simple and elegant, a classic sailboat scheme.

© 2011 David Esser
Though we prefer photos of sailboats, powerboats offer lots of real estate for terrific displays.

© 2011 David Esser

Though he doesn’t know it, David is the front-runner in the just-created Latitude 38 Lighted Boat Parade Photo Contest. As the only entry so far, he certainly has an advantage, so if you took fabulous photos of ‘Christmas ships’ this weekend (please don’t send shots from previous years), send your top three to LaDonna. If you weren’t able to hit a parade on Saturday, there are still plenty coming up in the next couple of weeks. And we’re not limiting the contest to Bay Area photogs — everyone is welcome to submit their favorite shots!

Long exposures can be used to interesting effect.

latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

We’ll announce the winner, who will receive a cool Latitude T-shirt for their efforts, in the December 19 edition of ‘Lectronic Latitude, so grab that rusty old tripod, pump up the ASA on your camera, and get your paparazzi on!

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