Frequently Asked Questions
General Photography & Video Services
What type of photography does Steinberger Photography specialize in?
Steinberger Photography specializes in commercial, marine, lifestyle, architectural, hospitality, aerial, automotive, portrait, and editorial photography. Based in Beaufort, South Carolina, we work with clients throughout the Lowcountry, Savannah, Charleston, Hilton Head, the Southeast, and across the U.S. on assignments ranging from large commercial productions to smaller, story-driven photo shoots.
Where are you based, and do you travel for assignments?
We are based in Beaufort, South Carolina, and regularly work throughout Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston, Bluffton, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and beyond. We also travel nationally and internationally for commercial photography, marine photography, advertising campaigns, editorial assignments, and brand storytelling projects.
What types of clients do you work with?
We work with a wide range of clients, including boat manufacturers, yacht brokers, marine brands, architects, builders, interior designers, hospitality companies, resorts, small businesses, magazines, advertising agencies, tourism brands, and corporate clients. Each assignment is approached with a strong visual strategy, whether the goal is advertising, editorial, website content, social media, print, or brand development.
Do you offer both photography and video production?
Yes. In addition to still photography, we offer motion services including brand films, boating videos, product videos, short documentaries, social media reels, promotional videos, aerial footage, and lifestyle-driven video content. Many clients choose to combine still photography and video during the same production to maximize the value of the shoot.
Marine, Boat & Yacht Photography
Do you specialize in boat and yacht photography?
Yes. Marine photography is one of our core specialties. We photograph pleasure boats, fishing boats, yachts, boat interiors, marine lifestyle campaigns, boat-to-boat action, aerial drone imagery, and on-water advertising productions for boat builders, brokers, dealers, and marine brands.
What is included in a professional boat photography shoot?
A professional boat photography shoot may include exterior images, running shots, drone photography, lifestyle imagery, detail photos, helm and cockpit images, interior photography, owner/operator shots, and brand-focused storytelling. The exact shot list depends on whether the images are being used for advertising, a product launch, a yacht listing, editorial coverage, or marketing content.
Do you photograph yachts for brokers and private sellers?
Yes. We provide yacht and boat listing photography for brokers, dealers, and private sellers. A typical yacht listing shoot can include exterior dockside images, interior photography, detail shots, aerial drone images, and optional video. The goal is to create a polished, professional visual package that helps the yacht stand out online and attract qualified buyers.
Do you offer drone photography for boats and yachts?
Yes. Drone photography is available for marine assignments when weather, location, and regulations allow. Aerial images are especially valuable for yacht listings, boat advertising, marina marketing, waterfront properties, and lifestyle campaigns because they show the vessel, location, scale, and surrounding environment in a powerful way.
Can you photograph boats underway?
Yes. We have experience photographing boats underway from chase boats, docks, bridges, shorelines, and drones. Boat-to-boat photography requires planning, communication, safety awareness, timing, and an understanding of how boats move on the water. These shoots are ideal for marine brands, boat builders, lifestyle campaigns, and editorial features.
Do you photograph boat interiors?
Yes. Boat interior photography is one of our specialties. We photograph salons, cabins, galleys, heads, helm areas, upholstery, finishes, lighting, storage, and design details. The approach is similar to architectural and interior photography, but adapted to the unique challenges of working in compact, reflective, and often moving environments.
Can you provide video for a yacht or boat listing?
Yes. Video can be added to most yacht and boat photography assignments. A listing video may include exterior walkarounds, interior walkthroughs, drone footage, detail shots, and short lifestyle clips. For brokers, video helps potential buyers get a stronger sense of the vessel’s layout, condition, and personality before scheduling a showing.
Architecture, Interiors & Hospitality Photography
Do you photograph architecture and interiors?
Yes. We photograph residential architecture, commercial architecture, custom homes, interiors, hospitality spaces, resorts, restaurants, and designed environments. These assignments often include exterior views, interior spaces, architectural details, lifestyle elements, and aerial photography when appropriate.
Who hires an architectural photographer?
Architects, builders, interior designers, developers, real estate professionals, hospitality brands, resorts, magazines, and marketing agencies often hire architectural photographers. Professional images help document a finished project, attract future clients, support award submissions, improve websites, and create stronger marketing materials.
How is architectural photography different from real estate photography?
Real estate photography is usually designed to quickly show a property for sale. Architectural photography is more refined and intentional. It focuses on design, light, materials, composition, craftsmanship, and atmosphere. The goal is not just to show a space, but to communicate the quality and vision behind it.
Do you photograph hotels, resorts, and hospitality properties?
Yes. We photograph hospitality properties including boutique hotels, resorts, restaurants, vacation rentals, clubhouses, marinas, and destination properties. Hospitality photography may include architecture, interiors, lifestyle imagery, food and beverage, amenities, guest experiences, aerial views, and brand storytelling.
Can you photograph both interiors and lifestyle images during the same shoot?
Yes. Many hospitality, architecture, and brand assignments benefit from a combination of clean interior imagery and lifestyle photography. This can include people enjoying the space, dining, relaxing, boating, entertaining, or interacting with the property in a natural way.
Lifestyle, Brand & Commercial Photography
What is lifestyle photography?
Lifestyle photography shows people, places, products, and experiences in a natural, story-driven way. Instead of looking overly staged, the images feel authentic, polished, and connected to real life. Lifestyle photography is often used for advertising, websites, social media, tourism campaigns, marine brands, hospitality companies, and small business marketing.
Do you photograph advertising and commercial campaigns?
Yes. We create commercial photography for brands, businesses, agencies, and organizations. Assignments may include lifestyle campaigns, product photography, marine advertising, automotive projects, hospitality imagery, corporate photography, and brand storytelling. Each shoot is planned around the client’s message, audience, usage needs, and visual goals.
Can you help plan the creative direction for a shoot?
Yes. We can help with creative direction, shot lists, location planning, production approach, talent needs, timing, and visual storytelling. Some clients come with a fully developed concept, while others need help shaping the look, feel, and story of the shoot from the beginning.
Do you work with small businesses?
Yes. We work with small businesses that need professional imagery for websites, social media, advertising, public relations, and brand development. This can include environmental portraits, behind-the-scenes images, product or service photography, short videos, and brand story content.
What is brand storytelling photography?
Brand storytelling photography goes beyond simple headshots or product images. It shows who you are, what you do, where you work, how your process looks, and what makes your business different. These images are especially useful for websites, about pages, social media, brochures, and marketing campaigns.
Aerial & Drone Photography
Do you offer aerial photography?
Yes. We offer both aerial helicopter & drone photography for marine, architecture, hospitality, real estate, commercial, and lifestyle assignments. Aerial imagery can show scale, location, waterfront access, landscape, property layout, and the relationship between a subject and its environment.
What types of projects benefit from drone photography?
Drone photography is valuable for boats, yachts, marinas, waterfront homes, resorts, golf communities, commercial properties, architecture, construction projects, and destination marketing. It is also useful for showing movement, geography, and a sense of place, especially in tight spaces, spontaneous situations or when a full-scale helicopter is outside the budget.
Is drone photography always available?
Drone photography depends on weather, airspace restrictions, location permissions, safety conditions, and FAA regulations. If drone photography is important to the assignment, we evaluate the location and conditions in advance to determine what is possible. We have also photographed from kites, poles and towed parachutes in situations where drones or helicopter were not feasible.
Automotive Photography
Do you photograph cars and automotive campaigns?
Yes. We photograph vehicles for lifestyle, editorial, advertising, and personal project work. Automotive photography can include static beauty images, road trip storytelling, lifestyle scenes, motion, details, interiors, and location-based imagery that connects the vehicle to a larger experience.
What makes automotive photography different from regular product photography?
Automotive photography is about more than showing the vehicle. It is about light, location, movement, design, lifestyle, and the feeling of the journey. A strong automotive image can make the vehicle feel aspirational, capable, refined, adventurous, or luxurious depending on the creative direction.
Portrait & Editorial Photography
Do you offer portrait photography?
Yes. We offer portrait photography for editorial assignments, businesses, creatives, professionals, publications, and select personal sessions. Portraits can be photographed in studio-style setups, natural environments, workplaces, homes, outdoor locations, or locations that help tell the subject’s story.
What is an environmental portrait?
An environmental portrait shows a person in a location connected to their life, work, or story. This could be an artist in a studio, a business owner in their shop, a captain on a boat, an architect in a finished space, or a craftsman at work. These portraits are ideal for magazines, websites, branding, and editorial features.
Do you photograph magazine and editorial assignments?
Yes. We photograph editorial assignments for magazines, publications, and media outlets. These shoots often combine portraits, location details, lifestyle imagery, and storytelling photographs that support a written article or feature.
Video, Motion & Documentary Work
What types of video projects do you produce?
We produce brand films, boating videos, product videos, short documentaries, social media reels, promotional videos, behind-the-scenes content, and story-driven commercial films. Video projects can be simple and efficient or more fully produced with interviews, multiple locations, drone footage, and a larger crew.
Can you create both still images and video during the same shoot?
Yes. Many clients benefit from capturing still photography and video during the same production. This approach is efficient and creates a consistent visual style across websites, social media, advertising, press materials, and sales presentations.
Do you produce documentary-style brand films?
Yes. Documentary-style brand films are a strong way to tell the story behind a business, product, place, or person. These films can include interviews, natural sound, process footage, lifestyle scenes, and cinematic visuals. They are especially useful for brands that want their marketing to feel authentic rather than overly scripted.
Do you create social media reels?
Yes. Short-form video content can be created for Instagram, Facebook, websites, YouTube, and other platforms. Reels can be produced as part of a larger shoot or created from existing footage when available.
Booking, Planning & Usage
How far in advance should I book a photography shoot?
For larger commercial, marine, hospitality, or architectural assignments, it is best to schedule as early as possible so there is time for planning, weather windows, shot lists, locations, talent, and production needs. Smaller assignments may be scheduled with shorter notice depending on availability.
What information do you need to provide an estimate?
To provide an accurate estimate, we usually need to know the type of project, location, number of shoot days, desired deliverables, usage needs, timeline, whether video is needed, whether drone or heli photography is needed, and how the final images or footage will be used.
What does image usage mean?
Image usage refers to how and where the photographs will be used. This may include websites, social media, print advertising, brochures, editorial use, trade shows, digital ads, billboards, packaging, or broader commercial campaigns. Usage helps determine the licensing and overall scope of a commercial photography estimate.
Do clients receive full rights to the images?
Commercial photography is typically licensed based on the intended use. Some projects include limited usage, while others may include broader or long-term usage depending on the client’s needs. Usage terms are discussed clearly before the shoot so there are no surprises.
Do you provide image editing and retouching?
Yes. Final selected images are professionally edited for color, contrast, tone, composition, and overall polish. More advanced retouching can be included when needed, depending on the project.
How many final images will I receive?
The number of final images depends on the type and scope of the assignment. A yacht listing, architectural shoot, brand campaign, editorial assignment, or multi-day marine production will each have different deliverable needs. We define the expected deliverables before the shoot begins.
Do you work with agencies and production teams?
Yes. We work with advertising agencies, marketing teams, creative directors, producers, stylists, videographers, drone operators and heli pilots, assistants, and client-side teams. We are also comfortable working with small, efficient crews when the project calls for a lighter production approach.
Can you handle small shoots with a limited crew?
Yes. Not every assignment requires a large production. Some projects can be completed efficiently with a small crew while still producing professional results. The crew size depends on the scope, schedule, location, lighting needs, and deliverables.
How do I book a shoot?
The best way to start is to reach out with a brief description of your project, location, timing, and how the images or video will be used. From there, we can discuss the creative approach, schedule, deliverables, usage, and estimate. Drop us a line or give us a call!
Steinberger Photography creates commercial photography and video for clients who need polished, story-driven imagery with a strong sense of place. From marine and yacht photography to architecture, hospitality, lifestyle, aerial, automotive, portrait, and documentary work, each assignment is approached with nearly three decades of professional experience and a focus on images that help brands, businesses, and publications communicate clearly and beautifully.