(image credit: CubaGallery)
Nature photographers, landscape photographers, wedding photographers, hobby photographers… who doesn’t love an excuse to take some photos at the beach? It is human nature to want to take photos of the places we are drawn to personally, so the beach is a great source of inspiration for photographers at all levels.
Beach photography can be particularly challenging, even for experienced nature photographers. We are often inspired by the sounds, the smells, the open space; so the job of the photographer is not just to photograph a place, but to capture a feeling.
Work dawn or dusk
The obvious way to avoid harsh light is to shoot when the light is low—the golden hours just after dawn and before sunset. “You get a softer light,” said Mr. Wright. “The light on your subjects won’t come from straight above, so you don’t get that jack-o lantern look with shadows under the eyes and nose.” The general rule is that the best time to shoot is when your shadow is twice as tall as you are.
(image credit:Jeka World Photography )
Get Down To the Water’s Edge
To get the best beach photos, be prepared to get your feet wet. Down at the water’s edge where the sand is wet, your foregrounds will be more colorful, and wiped clean of footprints, tyre tracks and other distractions that can spoil the natural look of a beach photo. You may also discover reflections that add interest to otherwise plain foregrounds.
(image credit: Nick Chill Photography)
Use Your Wide Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens can be the best way to capture that sense of isolation and distance that you often feel when walking on the beach. The smaller lens exaggerates the perspective, making the background appear to stretch away for many miles and creating a real sense of three-dimensional depth.
If you are looking up the beach, you can capture everything from the swirling water right in front of you to the lighthouse in the distance. Even better, the stronger depth of field of the wide-angle lens lets you keep it all in focus.
(image credit:alanrmcwhirter )
Reflect on your shot
There is an even better way to avoid that flat flash-lit look. “What I would do, ideally, is use a reflector,” said Mr. Wright. Reflectors are typically collapsible fabric panels that require a stand or an assistant to hold them. But you also have a natural reflector at hand. “Sand, which is a reflective surface, bounces up a lot of light,” said Mr. Wright. “The color of the light that is bouncing off it is warm and looks great on your skin.” Get your subject to sit or lie in the sand. A cliché pose is lying on the stomach, elbows on the sand, chin supported by the hands.
(image credit: Larsthrows)
Lighting
Most people photograph beaches in the middle of the day, when the sun is glaring. The problem with this is that it can produce some very harsh lighting, with very bright highlights and very dark shadows. This will give you a photo with lots of contrast, making it easy to lose detail in either the bright or dark areas.
Instead, try shooting early or late in the day, or even around sunrise and sunset, for a softer light quality with less contrast. These times of day also produce some fantastic colours, with long shadows that bring out the beach’s texture, adding depth.
(image credit: jaimuku)
Use a Polarizing Filter
Polarizing filters work wonders in beach photography, enhancing the rich blue of the sky and generally making the colours more bright and vivid. They can also be used to affect the appearance of water – turn the filter one way to reduce reflections, allowing you to see right through the water to the sea bed, or turn it the other way to increase the water’s “sparkle”.
(image credit:deanspic)
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