A Few Days on the Water: Photographing Beaumaris for Castle Narrowboats
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a few days living on a canal boat?
I live near the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, and canal boats have become a familiar sight on my walks. I often see them slowly making their way along the water or moored beside the towpath, and I've always wondered what it would actually feel like to spend a few days on one.
So when Helen from Castle Narrowboats in Gilwern got in touch and asked me to photograph their electric narrowboat, Beaumaris, I was delighted.
More than photographing a place
When I photograph holiday accommodation, I don't want to simply show people what the property looks like.
Good accommodation photography needs to do more than document a room. It should create a sense of what it feels like to be there.
I want potential guests to look at the photographs and start imagining themselves in the space. Where would they have their morning coffee? Where would they sit in the evening? What would it feel like to wake up somewhere completely different?
For Beaumaris, I suggested a few props and styling ideas to help create those little moments, and Helen and Mike did a brilliant job bringing everything together.
We created scenes around everyday experiences you might have during a stay: breakfast on board, coffee overlooking the canal, an evening table set for two, and all the small details that make a space feel welcoming and lived in.
I also suggested including something locally produced, such as Welsh honey, dairy products or a local drink. Small details like these can help connect a property to its surroundings and give guests a little taste of the area before they even arrive.
For one of the photographs, we created a little “taste of Wales” moment on the table, bringing together some local flavours to add another layer of character to the scene.
A little bit of real life
And then, of course, there was Eddie. 🐾
Castle Narrowboats are dog friendly, so there was never really any question that Eddie would be part of the photographs. He is, after all, a very important member of the family.
Including Eddie wasn't about suggesting that every guest needs to bring a dog. It was about showing a genuine part of life on board and the kind of experience Castle Narrowboats offer.
A dog-friendly holiday can be a big part of choosing somewhere to stay, and having Eddie in some of the photographs helps tell that part of the story naturally.
A cottage on the water
Helen and Mike describe Beaumaris as a "cottage on the water" and a "home away from home".
I think those descriptions capture exactly what I wanted the photographs to communicate.
A narrowboat is obviously very different from a traditional holiday cottage. It's compact, it's constantly connected to the landscape around it, and there is something wonderfully slow about life on the canal.
The photographs needed to capture that feeling rather than simply showing where everything was.
Can you imagine yourself staying here?
Ultimately, I wanted the photographs to answer one simple question:
Can I imagine myself living here for a few days?
Not just looking at the accommodation.
Not just admiring the interior.
Actually imagining being there.
Waking up on the canal. Having coffee while watching the water. Sharing dinner in the evening. Taking the dog for a walk along the towpath. Slowing down for a few days and letting the rest of the world carry on without you.
Looking through the images, I hope the answer is:
Yes, I can.
Hospitality photography with a sense of place
This is what I enjoy most about photographing unique accommodation. Every property has its own character, and my job is to find the story within it.
For Beaumaris, that story was not simply about an electric narrowboat. It was about slow mornings, cosy evenings, the canal outside the window, local touches, and the feeling of having your own little home on the water.
Thank you to Helen and Mike for inviting me to photograph Beaumaris. It was a pleasure to capture your little home on the water and the experience of staying there.
Castle Narrowboats, Gilwern
Hospitality & holiday accommodation photography by Kasia Ociepa Photographer
