When a boat enters a broker's catalogue or a charter portal, the first thing clients see is the images. Before the price, before the specifications, even before the name. In this guide I answer the questions owners, management companies and charter agencies ask when they need to renew a yacht's photos and video: what portals really ask for, how to prepare the boat and what you need for a video brokers can use. I am Andrea Sartore, a professional photographer and videographer based in Turin: with my team, including my wife Daniela, also a photographer and videographer, I create photo shoots, videos and drone footage for yachts, catamarans and sailing boats all over Italy and abroad.
What do charter portals ask for in yacht photos?
Portals ask for large, well-named files with the photographer's credit. A concrete example is the YachtCharterFleet Yacht Media Supply page: JPG photos of at least 1920 x 1280 pixels, file names describing the room or cabin and, if known, the photographer's name to credit.
The same portal warns that smaller images appear distorted and blurry once uploaded. That is the starting point: many charter listings still use photos taken years ago with a smartphone or cropped from a brochure. They work on a phone, but on a large screen the boat looks older than it is. A new set, shot at the camera's full resolution and exported to the required sizes, adapts to every format: the broker's website, international portals, PDF brochures and social media.
How many photos does a yacht charter listing need?
There is no fixed number: YachtCharterFleet's page, for example, does not specify one. What matters more is that every area of the boat is represented, because charter guests want to understand where they will sleep, where they will eat and how they will spend their days on board.
A starting list for a complete listing:
- exteriors with the boat under way and at anchor, from several angles;
- deck: bow, cockpit, flybridge or sundeck, sunbathing areas;
- saloon and indoor dining area;
- galley and crew area, if part of the offer;
- every guest cabin, with its own bathroom;
- tender, toys and water-sports equipment;
- details that show quality: materials, finishes, a set table, the view from the deck.
The criterion is simple: if a space exists and the client will use it, it needs at least one photo. A cabin missing from the gallery raises a question, and people comparing several boats often don't ask it: they move on to the next listing.
Why do file names and the photographer's credit matter?
Because whoever uploads the photos to the portal manages many boats and must understand immediately what each image shows. YachtCharterFleet gives the example of a file name like "Master-Cabin-En-Suite.jpg": the file already says it is the master cabin with private bathroom.
Delivering an organised set, with clear names for every cabin and area, saves the broker time and reduces the risk of a photo ending up under the wrong description. The photographer's credit clarifies who the author is and helps manage usage rights correctly when the same gallery is picked up by several agencies. It is best to agree in writing, before the shoot, where and by whom photos and video may be used.
What makes a video "broker friendly"?
YachtCharterFleet asks for HD 1080p video (1920 x 1080 pixels) or the highest format available, and states that it only publishes "broker friendly" videos. In the industry this usually means a video any broker can show to their clients: without phone numbers, websites or logos of a single agency overlaid on the images.
In practice a good charter video shows the boat as the guest will experience it: boarding, the outdoor spaces, moving through the interiors, the cabins, the boat under way. Pace, music and editing should make people want to step aboard without turning into someone's commercial. If a version with the management company's brand is also needed, it can be edited separately, keeping the neutral one for brokers. On the page videographer in Turin you will find our video work. The differences between walkthrough, cinematic film and vertical reels are explained in the English guide yacht charter video.
How is the boat prepared for a charter photo shoot?
The boat should be prepared as if guests were boarding an hour later: clean, tidy and with no personal items in sight. The more ready the boat is, the more time is left for light and composition instead of moving objects between shots.
Some points to organise with the crew or the manager before the shoot:
- fenders and lines arranged or removed from exterior shots;
- cushions, covers and cabin linen clean and coordinated;
- deck washed and dry, glass and stainless steel without streaks;
- galley and bathrooms cleared of cleaning products and everyday items;
- tender and toys ready to be photographed in the water;
- a weather window with calm sea and good light, agreed with the skipper.
Light changes a lot during the day. Interiors often look best in soft light, exteriors under way with the low sun of morning or late afternoon. That is why it is best to plan the day with someone who knows the boat and the area, instead of squeezing everything into a single hour.
Is drone footage needed? What do the rules say in Italy?
A drone is the most effective way to show the lines of a yacht under way and its setting: the bay, the port, the colour of the water. In Italy, however, it must be used in compliance with the European rules applied byENAC, which include registering the operator on the portal D-Flight.
In ports, marinas and areas near airports or protected areas there may be restrictions or specific authorisations required: they must be checked beforehand, not on the day of the shoot. When filming from the sea, you also need to coordinate route and safety distances with the skipper. In our work on boats the drone is part of the service, together with photo and video from land and on board: you will find it described on the page dedicated to the boat and yacht photographer.
Who is Andrea Sartore and how does he work with brokers and owners?
I am a working professional photographer and videographer with more than 19 years of experience, and I lead a team of photographers and videographers, including my wife Daniela. We are based in Turin and work all over Italy and in major foreign ports, for owners, shipyards and brokers.
Over the years I have worked with brands such as Lamborghini, Coca-Cola, Fiat, Bacardi, Mizuno, Santero, Nicole Spose, Papeete, Polar, Mia Make-up, Choies and GLOBElife, and my photos have been published in Vogue Italia, Glamour, Amica, Playboy Spain, Lui, Style, Donna and many international fashion magazines. We bring the same approach to boats: elegant, cinematic images designed to sell a luxury experience. Similar reasoning applies to hospitality on land, as I explain in the guide to the luxury hotel photo shoot.
If you need to prepare photos and video of a boat for the next charter season, write to me from the contact page with the boat model, the port and the period: I will reply with a tailored proposal and quote.
FAQ
In what format should yacht photos be delivered to charter portals?
In JPG. YachtCharterFleet, for example, asks for at least 1920 x 1280 pixels and, if that is not possible, the largest size available. It is still best to keep the files at full resolution, for prints and brochures.
What resolution should a charter boat video have?
At least HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels), or the highest format available. Shooting at higher resolution also allows vertical versions for social media.
Can photos be taken with the boat under way?
Yes, and it is an important part of the shoot. You need to coordinate route, speed and position with the skipper, and choose a day with suitable sea and light. Aerial shots are done by drone, in compliance with ENAC rules.
Is a sailing boat photographed differently from a motor boat?
The method is the same, the priorities change: on a sailing boat the sails, the deck and the boat heeling under way matter; on a motor boat the outdoor spaces, the flybridge and the boat at speed matter more.
Do you also work outside Piedmont?
Yes. We are based in Turin but work all over Italy and abroad, in the ports where the boat is.
How do I request a quote for yacht photo and video?
From the contact page of the website or at +39 348 558 4637. State the type and length of the boat, port and period: the quote is always tailored.
In short
- Charter portals ask for JPG photos of at least 1920 x 1280 pixels, file names describing each cabin and the photographer's credit.
- The video must be at least 1080p and "broker friendly", meaning usable by any broker without the brand or contact details of a single agency.
- A prepared boat, light planned with the skipper and a drone used under ENAC rules make the difference between a listing people scroll past and one they book.
Updated October 2026 – Andrea Sartore, photographer and videographer in Turin.
