Cruise ship photographer Ian Hughes reveals outtakes from his days at sea

Photographer Ian Hughes spent the better part of the 1990s photographing American and Italian travellers on ships
He worked on a total of 15 different ships during his tenure, capturing miserable families and matching pensioners
For 20 years, he’s saved the best outtakes that he snapped, finally revealing the hilarious images after all this time

Katie Amey for MailOnline

Published:
06:30 EST, 12 August 2015

|
Updated:
09:44 EST, 12 August 2015

108

View
comments

A cruise ship photographer has revealed the hilarious images he captured while employed to snap shots on-board.

Ian Hughes, now 45, spent his 20s working on cruise liners taking pictures of holidaymakers, including grumpy granddads and gurning grandmas.

Ian, who is engaged and lives back on dry land in Brighton, East Sussex, worked on 15 ships during his tenure, where he captured everything from miserable families to merry pensioners dressed entirely in pink.

Eye eye, Captain! This lady’s eyewear certainly makes her stand out… but it probably isn’t the most flattering snap she ever had taken!

Wish you were rear? This couple posed in an unfortunate location – behind a marble statue of a naked man – while on the ship

Setting off from Miami, USA, or Genoa, Italy, he photographed mainly Italian and American travellers in the 1990s.

Ian, who now works for EDF Energy, said: ‘Mostly I really enjoyed it and I’d recommend it to anyone as something to try in their early 20s. Beats working in an office all your life.

The ‘heaviest wave on earth’ like it’s NEVER been seen…

Holidaymaker who contracted salmonella from five-star…

Plane passengers thrown from their seats and left covered in…

‘The Americans loved having their pictures taken most of the time. You’d never tell from these pictures but on the whole they were happy to have their evening meals interrupted by pushy photographers like us.

‘I know a few photographers who worked on British based cruise ships and that was a very different story – ‘F*** off I’m having me tea’ was a common response apparently.’

Although many of his outtakes feature miserable families and couples, some merry pensioners were happy to dress in matching ensembles

This couple look like they are preparing to throw themselves overboard… though at least the sight of that hat is keeping this man smiling

At least someone’s happy! This traveller clearly had a whale of a time back in 1994

Surprise! A woman, who was clearly not expecting to be photographed, was snapped while enjoying tea with her husband

We all like to chill out on holiday… but this poor man seems to be taking it slightly too literally as he freezes on deck

This couple clearly were not keen to have their photo taken as they blocked their faces with their hands and boarding passes

Ian admits, however, that he did have a couple of run-ins with customers in his time working for The Cruiseship Picture Company, including one that almost got him fired.

He said: ‘Those name badges used to get us into a lot of trouble when the passengers filled out their comment sheets.

‘Fair to say most of us got fired from the odd ship or three in our time.

‘The highlight of my career came when a comment sheet came back saying, ‘At embarkation the photographer called my wife a d*ckhead. This was uncalled for and in very bad taste.’

‘I had some explaining to do to the Captain after that one. I said he misunderstood my accent.’