How to Choose a Yacht Photographer in South Florida
Hire a marine specialist who shoots boat listings every week, flies under an FAA Part 107 license, includes a walkthrough video, and delivers edited photos within two days. In South Florida, expect about $400 to $800 for a center console and $13 to $15 per foot for sportfish and motor yachts.
This guide covers what a listing shoot should include, the questions that separate a marine photographer from a general one, and what you should pay. It's written for brokers, dealers and owners selling a boat between Miami and Jupiter.
What a listing shoot should include
Buyers scroll a listing in seconds. The shoot has to show the whole boat, in order, with the light right inside and out.
- Exteriors: profile, bow and stern three-quarters, cockpit, bridge or helm, and deck details.
- Interiors: salon, galley, staterooms, heads and the helm station, shot so the windows hold detail instead of glowing white.
- Engine room and systems: clean, well-lit frames of the engines, generator and electronics.
- Drone aerials: overhead and orbit shots at the dock, and running shots underway when the listing calls for them.
- Walkthrough video: one continuous tour a buyer can watch before booking a showing.
- Web-ready files sized for YachtWorld, Boat Trader and the brokerage site.
Ask whether drone and video are included or billed as add-ons. At AH360 they're included in every package.
7 questions to ask before you book
- Do you shoot boats every week? Can I see three recent listings like mine? A boat portfolio shows how they handle cabins, engine rooms and reflections on gelcoat.
- Is the drone pilot FAA Part 107 certified? Commercial drone work requires it, and most of the Fort Lauderdale and Miami waterfront needs an FAA authorization before takeoff.
- Is a walkthrough video included? Many buyers watch the video before they ever call.
- When do I get the edited photos? Two days is a fair standard for photos; video takes longer.
- What does travel to my marina cost? Get it in writing before the shoot.
- What happens if the weather turns? You want a photographer who watches the marine forecast and tells you early.
- Can you shoot running shots underway? Ask who provides the chase boat and whether the captain needs to be aboard.
What it costs in South Florida
Most marine photographers price larger boats by the foot and small boats at a flat rate. Here is AH360's 2026 pricing, with drone and walkthrough video included:
| Boat | Price |
|---|---|
| Center console up to 50 ft | $550 flat |
| Center console over 50 ft | $13 per foot |
| Sportfish and express boats | $13 per foot |
| Motor yachts | $15 per foot |
Priced by the boat's style, not its builder: a Viking convertible is a sportfish; a Viking motor yacht is a motor yacht. Travel is $0 within 70 driving miles of Fort Lauderdale, which covers all of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Miami-Dade adds $50 for a center console and $75 for other boats.
A 60 ft Viking convertible in Palm Beach County is 60 × $13 = $780. A 75 ft motor yacht in Miami is 75 × $15 = $1,125, plus $75 travel.
Drone rules near the ports
Much of the waterfront from Port Everglades to Biscayne Bay sits inside controlled airspace around Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami International airports. A Part 107 pilot requests FAA authorization through LAANC before flying there. A hobby flyer can't legally fly a paid shoot there.
Weather and timing
Offshore wind and seas decide whether running shots happen, and morning light decides how the interiors look. Most AH360 shoots start at 8 AM.
AH360 tracks the marine forecast for every booked shoot and emails you when the outlook turns, so you can shoot in protected inside water or pick another day before anyone drives to the marina.
Red flags
- No boats in the portfolio, or only dockside exteriors.
- Interiors with blown-out white windows or crooked horizons.
- Drone and video quoted as expensive add-ons.
- No answer on what happens when the weather turns.
- Photos promised "in a week or two" for a listing that needs to go live now.
Why brokers use AH360
Steve Momot has photographed boats across South Florida since 2018 and works with more than 50 Florida brokerages. His work has run in Marlin magazine and on brokerage listings from Miami to Jupiter. See dated credits on the credits page and two case studies (Family Circus, Envelopeus).