Organising a photo shoot or a video shoot on a boat in Paris

The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, stone bridges, Haussmann-style facades: on the Seine, the backdrop changes by the minute. For a brand campaign, a music video, a lookbook, social media content or a couple's photo session, a privately hired boat offers viewpoints that no rooftop or quayside can match.

But shooting on the water isn't prepared like a studio session. The boat keeps moving, the light changes quickly, and space on board is limited. Here are the points to sort out in advance to come back with the images you had in mind.

Choosing the right boat for the production

The boat is as much part of the set as the shoot itself. A few criteria help you decide:

• The size of the team. Count everyone who'll be on board (models, photographer, videographer, hair and make-up, styling, assistants, client), not just those who'll appear on camera. A yacht for a small team is often easier to manage than a large, half-empty barge.
• The outdoor spaces. A clear front deck or a rear terrace gives you a foreground against the monuments. Check the height of the railings and whether anything gets in the way of the shot (buoys, masts, tarpaulins).
• A sheltered indoor space. This serves as a changing area, a spot for hair and make-up, and shelter for equipment if it rains.
• The look of the boat itself. Wood panelling, a glazed lounge, a retro style or clean modern lines: choose a boat that fits the world of the brand or the project.

For some scenes, a boat moored at the quayside is enough: it offers stable ground, easy access for equipment and a riverside backdrop, without the constraints of cruising.

Timing the shoot around the light

Light determines whether a shoot on the Seine succeeds. The golden hour, late in the day, warms up the stone of the quays and softens faces. The blue hour that follows brings the first illuminations on the monuments, with a sky that's still readable. In the middle of the day, in summer, the light is harsh and reflections on the water are hard to control.

The right approach: check the exact sunset time for your date and board at least an hour beforehand, to allow time to set up and adjust your settings. Also have a back-up plan ready if the weather looks uncertain: postponing, or shooting scenes inside the boat.

Building the route like a shot list

On a boat, you can't easily go back. So the route needs to be planned like a shot breakdown:

• list the monuments or bridges you want in the background, in the order you'll pass them;
• work out which side of the boat they'll appear on, so you can position the models and crew correctly;
• let the pilot know where you'd like to slow down, within the limits of river traffic and regulations;
• plan several passes in front of the same monument if the shot is essential: a there-and-back needs planning, not improvising.

Share this breakdown with us before the day itself: we'll check it against the cruising constraints (locks, direction of travel, timings) to suggest a realistic route.

Sorting out logistics and permits

A few precautions help avoid unpleasant surprises:

• Equipment. Favour lightweight, stable gear: a stabiliser rather than a tripod, battery-powered lighting, waterproof bags. The boat moves slightly, even in calm conditions.
• Drones. Flying over Paris is heavily regulated. Don't plan to use a drone without checking the current rules and obtaining the necessary permits.
• Filming permits. A private session generally isn't an issue. A professional shoot (advertising, a fiction piece, a music video with a large crew), on the other hand, may require approval from the relevant authorities. Look into this early and describe the nature of your project when you make your request.
• The crew's comfort. Drinks, snacks, something warm for the evening (even in summer, it's cooler on the water) and time set aside for costume changes.

Once you've described your project to us (number of people, type of images, equipment, preferred timings), we'll select the boat and time slot best suited to it, and let you know what to plan for depending on the scale of the production.