Ship Spotter Spotlight: Antje from Germany

In 2021, we started to put the spotlight on our passionate ship spotters. Each month, we showcase a different photographer of FleetMon.com. In September, you’ll meet a female user, teacher and children’s author from Germany (User name: antjewhv).

What is your maritime background?

I was born in 1947 and worked as a teacher at primary and secondary schools in Wilhelmshaven which is located at the North Sea. The city itself has a maritime background.

When did you start to take photos of vessels?

My favorite photo motifs include landscapes, houses, castles and palaces and churches. When the occasion arises, I shoot boats and ships, too. I started to upload vessel photos to FleetMon.com at the end of 2019, encouraged by my husband (user: berndwhv) and some other community members who I met at Fleetmon’s ship spotter meeting in early December 2019 in Hamburg.

What is your motivation for being a ship spotter?

Ports, rivers and canals are wonderful excursion destinations for my husband and me. The different construction methods of the vessels and tasks of boats and ships as well as the high shipping traffic on the seas fascinate me.

Whenever there are reports about interesting ships heading our way and whenever the weather is suitable, we go on a trip to take vessel photos.

Which technical equipment do you use for vessel photography?

I use a Panasonic DMC FZ 1000.

Which vessel types do you like to take photos of the most and why?

To be honest, I like all of them. I don’t make any distinctions.

How many pictures of different vessels have you collected since you started?

My collection includes around 11.000 photos.

What are your favorite ship spotting locations?

Bremerhaven, Bremen, Cuxhaven – the cities are within easy reach of Wilhelmshaven, our place of residence. They offer a variety of ship motifs.

Which worldwide ship spotting location would you like to visit if you had the chance to?

Maasvlakte because it seems like the perfect location to shoot vessels heading to the port of Rotterdam.

Which is your best shot on FleetMon.com? Please tell us about the moment when you took it.

Here’s what I like about the picture: On the one hand, the photo represents drama because of the cloudy, churning sky. On the other hand, the seagulls convey a peaceful atmosphere. Everything is illuminated by the sun. For me, the colors harmonize quite well. The ship is arranged in the center and it strives slowly towards the lock.