Following the news of Fred. Olsen’s launch of the ‘Moments Crew’, Celebrity Photographer Scarlet Page spoke to Cruise Industry News about her role in the new project, which will see its crew of artists documenting guests’ experiences through journalling, painting and photography.

Page will be spending her time onboard capturing guests’ most memorable moments through the lens of a camera.

Page noted that Fred. Olsen approached her about being one of the artists in residence, and that even though she has never been on a cruise herself, she is excited for the project.

“I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life, but not this way. With the brief being very much how I like to photograph, it felt like a dream come true, to be honest,” she added.

Photographing Onboard

“I’m going to have a bit of downtime where I’m just sort of taking it in. I’m going to have my family with me, which is quite a joy because none of us have ever done anything like this. This is going to be pretty special.”

Page said that regarding her day-to-day, she will spend time speaking to the passengers that she will be shooting and gaining their trust.

“You must be quite connected. Even if you’re at a distance, they must be okay with it. And so, I must make them feel okay with it; not everyone is.”

Page explained that her approach would be to capture people, focusing on them in a non-intrusive way and in her own flow.

“Having not done this yet, I don’t quite know what to expect, but I do know what I’ll be looking for and I certainly won’t be in there too much. I won’t be directing them.”

Page said that when onboard, it won’t just be about taking a photo. She emphasized the significance of placing importance on each moment, whether it’s a small or a big one.

“It’s about trying to capture something that feels like it’s capturing the spirit of what happened. Particularly being on a cruise and photographing … there’s an element of reportage but really catching people off guard and capturing pure joy and excitement, or even sort of quiet moments,” she said.

“It’s not about putting on a photo face; it’s capturing something from the soul and the spirit and something quite pure. (Photos) mark special occasions, but this is just going to be a little bit different and hopefully really valuable for the passengers.”

According to Page, letting it all unfold and watching and listening puts an emphasis on how important moments are when capturing them.

Seeing What Happens

Page noted that passengers can be attracted to cruises when they are doing or celebrating a special event or moment, and this project is emphasizing and elevating such key moments.

“We all know how important it is to make the most of every day as much as we can. I think this probably will become more of a thing that is focused on (in cruise) because it’s important reminding yourself and being grateful for the shared experiences, and the things that we’ve done and the things that brought us that joy, and tapping back in,” she said. “You take the time to go back to that place and remember and, you know, reconnect.”

When describing what she hopes to capture onboard, Page said: “It’s exciting because you never really know what you’re going to get, and that’s it. It’s a big unknown for me. I am excited about meeting incredible people, having my own experiences such as this and recording it forever.”

“That’s part of the excitement: pitching up and just seeing what happens, seeing what takes place and what you capture. That’s very exciting,” she said.