Apart from that, finding an interesting subject to focus on can be tricky, particularly when there are other people around. The amount of sunlight on the beach can reflect off the water and the sand, even on the dreariest of days, making it hard to achieve a well-balanced exposure. However, there will be situations in which including other people can elevate your images, making the composition much more creative and dynamic. In most instances, youll be able to get away with hand-holding your camera, though there are some situations in which the stability of a tripod will do wonders in helping you to reduce camera shake for sharper and cleaner images. Take one with you when you watch the sunset. Some ideas that come to mind include wooden piers stretching out into the horizon, as well as boats moored near the shore or even seaweed and other debris that has washed in with the tide. For better-quality photos, use a tripod instead of just pointing and shooting, and keep your lens clean. Place, 50mm Photography: 5 Reasons Everyone Needs a (Nifty) 50mm Lens. This perspective draws the viewer into the image and helps you create depth. Its that moment during the day when the sun is low on the horizon and everything is lit up in a warm glow, minimising shadows and contrasts within the environment. Sun stars happen when you set your lens aperture to around f/11 or smaller and take photos where the sun is partially in view. It tells a story and keeps things interesting. But if youre willing to head out when everyone else heads inside, the photography opportunities are often amazing! You may find that there will be fewer people around at sunrise as compared to sunset. Use a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion of your subjects. By utilizing a quality tripod, you can capture a longer exposure with a slower shutter speed. #1. Last but Not Least Make Sure the Horizon Line is Straight! Again, if you are unable to slow the shutter speed down enough, you may benefit from attaching an ND filter to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, meaning that youll need a longer shutter speed to expose correctly. A focal point can be something as simple as a chair or a shell.
Every camera manufacturer has its own type of RAW file format. It's a worthwhile investment -- especially if you're doing middle-of-the-day shoots -- that can transform your beach photography. Try raising the ISO to 1600 and slowly increasing or decreasing from there, depending on how much light is available. The higher the ISO, the more 'noise' in the photograph. All of these make great subjects, particularly when the lighting is just right. The golden hour is a great time to practice beach photography. Take advantage of your phone's built-in autofocus. Bring along several beach supplies that match well with the aesthetic youre aiming for. Choose your best, most scenic shots for the cover. There's a lot of complicated lighting going on, especially if you're photographing during the golden hour. A focal point can be anything eye-catching, from boats on the horizon to people splashing in the water to a monumental wave. You may enjoy the sunshine, water, and sand, but your camera doesn't take the best photos in those conditions. When youre shooting at the beach, oftentimes, you will either end up with an over or underexposed part of the image, usually in the foreground or the sky. Follow him on Instagram, on Twitter at @digitalPS or on Google+. For those who are photographing nature at the beach, including landscapes and seascapes, try setting the aperture in the range of f/11 to f/16. Anyway, in addition to the above advice, I highly recommend you bracket your exposures. My recommendation is to switch over to your cameras Manual mode or Aperture Priority mode, both of which allow you to adjust the exposure to compensate for any issues. If you will be shooting handheld, then you may need to shoot within the range of ISO 100 to 400 during the daytime, to ensure a shutter speed fast enough to minimise camera shake. If you are unable to open the aperture without overexposing the image, try attaching an ND filter to reduce the amount of light entering your lens. A central composition where the focal point sits smack-dab in the middle of the shot often looks boring and static. Conditions may be different but thats part of the charm of beach photography. but theres another type of filter I wholeheartedly recommend for beach photography: The polarizing filter, which mounts in front of your lens and blocks reflected light. Shooting at the beach at night or in any other conditions can be extremely difficult. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Polarizing filters enhance blues, darken shadows, and suppress glare from reflective surfaces. RAW is an uncompressed version of an image file. Modern cameras are brilliant devices, but beaches are tricky subjects. Try focusing on a focal point in some of your nature shots and notice the difference. Alternatively, you can use your cameras in-built level (if it has one), or you can buy a bubble level that mounts to your camera hot shoe. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Whichever lens you decide to choose will no doubt have an influence upon the types of images that youll be able to capture at the beach. Footprints can be great leading lines. An Introduction to Focal Lengths, Understanding Lens Flare in Landscape Photography, A Fundamental Guide to Sharp Focus in Handheld Landscape Photography, Must Have Filters for Landscape Photography, What to Do if Your Camera Gets Water Damaged in Iceland, Ultimate Guide to Golden Hour Photography, How to Plan for a Successful Landscape Photography Shoot, Night Sky and Star Photography Tips for Beginners, Recommended Camera Settings for Landscape Photography, When to Use High ISO for Landscape Photography in Iceland, Aperture and F-Stop in Landscape Photography for Beginners, How to Pick the Perfect Shutter Speed for Landscape Photography, How to Use Complementary Colours in Photography, Ultimate Guide to Composition in Photography, 10 Tips for Stunning Portrait Photography, 5 Good Reasons to Add People into Your Landscape Photography, 5 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Landscape Photography, How to Create Portraits with a Black Background, How to Use Leading Lines for Better Compositions in Landscape Photography, Creating Starburst Effects in Your Landscape Photography, 10 Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners. Meanwhile, polarising filters can help to minimise or reduce glare and reflections on the water at sea. The lack of color emphasizes the textures and tones of the sand, and subjects that previously seemed boring come alive. (And while its possible to handle this problem through careful exposure see the previous tip flash will give you a more balanced photo.). For instance, check out this beach photo, in which the stormy sunset and choppy waves create a foreboding mood: Of course, youll need to take steps to stay safe, and if rain starts to pour, be sure to protect your camera with a waterproof cover. That way, if youre trying to photograph a distinct subject such as a person or a bird you can position the center of the frame just over your subject and use that meter reading to set your exposure. Here are some beach photography tips sure to make your next photo session produces quality photographs. In this article, I share 10 easy-to-follow tips and tricks for stunning beach photography. For instance, if you want to photograph crystal-clear water, a polarizer will let you cut through the glare to capture the ocean floor (within reason, of course!). The two main photo formats available on a digital camera are JPG and RAW. For one, you can make sure your camera has its gridlines turned on, then when out in the field line up the horizon with a gridline. While having a flash will help to illuminate your subjects against colourful backgrounds, try putting it away during sunrise and sunset. 
This will result in most of the scene being in focus, from the foreground to the background. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Photo by: 'Fredy Martinez Enamorado, Pixabay'. And test out some of the tips Ive shared today. In this extensive guide, well go over everything that has to do with landscape photography: how to scout locations, best Bad weather can be annoying, especially when you go on a photography trip in Iceland. Even footprints in the sand can make for an interesting leading line into whatever you are photographing in the distance. If you can adjust your camera so that the point of interest sits off to one side, your photo will look much more dynamic. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. At the beach, you can find reflections in rock pools, puddles and even when the tide is out, especially if there is water retained in the sand beneath. You can find more of her work on herwebsiteor by following her onFacebookandInstagram. Upping the EV (say, to +1) will brighten the image. When we think of the beach, we automatically imagine warm and sunny days. "Golden hour" is the time shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sky is redder and softer than when the sun is up. No matter which product you choose, with our beach photography tips, your photos will be worthy of displaying in no time. To maximise your chances of a relaxed shoot without being interrupted by having someone in your frame, try visiting the beach in the off-season. 
Mimeo Photos can help you create the perfect keepsakes after your trip. Composition is a complex topic, but the basic advice is simple: Include an interesting focal point, something that draws the eye and acts as a compositional anchor. All it takes is one tap on the photo's subject to focus and correct the exposure on most phones. Plus, you might get the beach to yourself! Consider purchasing a quality air blower and some lens cloths for your camera bag. To learn more and to change your preferences please see our Cookies Policy. The puffin is a small bird that belongs to the auk family. At this time of day, photos are less likely to come out overexposed. This site uses cookies to allow better navigation. So before you take your shot, check that the horizon is straight from one side of the frame to the other. Most beach photographers shoot in color, but if youre interested in moody-looking, fine-art style images, why not try a black and white conversion? Your camera might underexpose your beach photos if the sun, sky, and sand appear to be too bright. Youll be amazed by the results! By reducing what their eyes can focus on, you can place the emphasis back on your subjects in a different way. Sign up for announcements, free content, and special offers. Sand reflects light all around and the sun beats down, so youll often end up with images that lose detail in the highlights and/or the shadows (due to overexposure and underexposure, respectively). Shooting water and sunshine takes a tremendous amount of skill. For example, visiting on a cold and stormy winters day is a far cry from visiting on a sunny summer afternoon. As a general rule, avoid relying on high ISO values to brighten up your shot. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. As such, if you have your camera mounted to a tripod, try using ISO 100. This artist, educator, writer and speaker is not only kn Iceland has one of the greatest puffin colonies in the world, and it is estimated that between 8 and 10 million birds inhabit the island. On the other hand, if you will be photographing a cluster of objects such as beach chairs and umbrellas, you may need to close the aperture to around f/5.6 or f/8, in order to have all of the objects sharp and in focus. If you have a focal point (an empty beach chair, a rocky jetty), you can create all kinds of cool movement effects around it. When the sun hits the horizon or even when it is partially obscured by an object such as a cliff is the perfect moment for you to capture a sunstar at the beach. Neutral density filters are great see the previous tip! He lives in Melbourne Australia and is also the editor of the ProBlogger Blog Tips. If youre not using filters, then try the exposure bracketing technique to capture a few images that encapsulate the entire dynamic range of the scene. Photo by: 'Juan Valdez, Pixabay'. With so much sand about, light will be reflected everywhere, increasing your chances of overexposing the scene. A horizon line that is askew can really throw off the balance of your image and make people feel sea-sick. 
We won't share it with anyone, 8 Tips for Breathtaking Forest Photography, 7 Tips for Beautiful (and Meaningful) Engagement Photography, Weekly dPS Photography ChallengeYour Choice, 10 Tips for Stunning Street Market Photography (+ Examples), Upcoming: Nikon Full-Frame Camera and Lenses to Be Released in 2022, Mylio Photos Review: Manage All Your Images in One (Safe!) A wide aperture will allow you to blur the background, which can help to minimise distractions. Beaches look great on sunny days, sure but did you know that, if you head to the beach when the sky is dark and stormy, you can get stunningly atmospheric images? The reason? Sunrise and sunset are some of the best times to visit the beach for photography. is the editor and founder of Digital Photography School and SnapnDeals. Most of the time, you probably wont want to have other people in your shots, particularly if youre trying to capture a landscape or a seascape at the beach. Using a flash can help to eliminate shadows on your subject's faces. This will help you to isolate your subject from everything else that is going on in the surroundings. You dont need good weather to go to the beach but it pays to go at the right time. In fact, beaches are one of those places where camera Auto modes go on the fritz; they try to make the sand a neutral gray color, and in the process, they underexpose your entire shot. Whether you shoot handheld or on a tripod at the beach will depend a lot on the photographs that you are hoping to capture. You can also try using a faster shutter speed to freeze the movement of waves crashing onto rocks by the shore, capturing every single droplet still in the air, or even seagulls in mid-flight. Lets dive right in, starting with my first tip: If you want to capture beautiful beach photos, you must pay careful attention to your composition. I Far above the Arctic Circle is anarchipelago of islandswith landscapes that seem to come out straight from a fairytale. For one, there are fewer people at the end of the day, which means you can capture plenty of beach landscapes that dont feature distracting sunbathers and swimmers. All modern smartphone cameras let you set the autofocus area by touching the screen. The Camera Diopter: What Is It, and How Can You Use It? If youre hoping to take pictures of sweeping seascapes, then a wide angle lens will be perfect. If youre not quite sure what to bring along, then opt for a mid-range zoom lens, which will give you a bit of middle-ground in terms of focal length. Photography at the beach isnt as easy as it seems. So the next time you go to the beach, bring your camera. I dont think that Im the only person who is always looking forward to the next adventure. Do you have a favorite beach for photography? A straight horizon line will make for a more powerful image. An image of a silhouette minimises distractions such as facial expressions and patterns, which can have an effect on how your audience will perceive the subjects. It's important that you protect your camera gear from sand and the elements at the beach. A lens hood is also great for protecting the front element of your lens from damage should you drop it or bump into something. If you don't have fancy equipment, don't worry! That way, you can slow the shutter without risking overexposure. This is an especially important technique when shooting into the sun; if you photograph without a flash, you risk turning your subject into a silhouette. These tools help you keep pesky sand and dust off your equipment. And the golden hours offer amazing light; the low sun blankets the beach with lovely warm colors, plus it creates interesting shadows (which can act as a focal point see the previous tip!). Just keep in mind that if you do take photos of people, you should obtain their permission first, so as not to be that creepy person at the beach. The aperture that you choose to use will depend largely upon what you are trying to photograph. With its dramatic and largely untouched Arctic landscape and immensely scenic viewpoints, Lofoten is arguably one of the best locations in the world in regards to photography. What is your favourite beach to shoot at? Position the center of the frame over the shaded person, lock the exposure, then recompose and hit the shutter button. If you love the beach, it's natural that you'll want to share photos of your experiences with your friends or remember your favorite moments long after your vacation is over. Shutter speed can be tricky to understand. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. However, the coastline can be just as beautiful at night, when lit up by a full moon. You probably love watching the sunrise or sunset at the beach, and it turns out that those "golden hours" are also the best times for taking photos. If you're shooting in RAW, manual mode, check the dial on the camera's right side for the Exposure Compensation feature. (If your camera doesnt have a pop-up flash, you can always bring an external flash and mount it to your hot shoe.). If youll be frolicking around in the waves, then consider using underwater housing equipment or taking a waterproof point-and-shoot camera with you instead. A lengthy shutter speed will get you a water-blurring effect just like this: Beaches tend to be very bright, and the brighter the scene, the faster the shutter speed you need to create a well-exposed image. The more your subject is in focus, the better! Its a common beach photography mistake, and one that you should avoid at all costs: You see, when youre faced with wide-open space and a long, unbroken horizon, even the slightest camera tilt becomes immediately apparent and it looks terrible. Reserved / Disclaimer, Your email is safe with us. Reflections can happen in any still body of water and can add another layer of interest to your shots. The background might turn out incorrectly exposed, but the subject will look perfect, and thats often what counts! Of course, if you go out with your camera in the late afternoon, stick around for the sunset. Although you might enjoy watching the waves crashing onto the shore, it may not make the best photograph. Plus, you can even use the beach umbrella to get some shade in between taking shots. Ive been doing a lot of black and white beach photography as of late, and the effect is often very cool. And while its difficult to completely eliminate harsh shadows and highlights when working in direct sunlight, you can easily mitigate them: Just activate your on-camera flash, then let it fire! Don't just take great photos, turn them into something you can hold onto for a lifetime. These are the perfect moments for capturing silhouettes. Golden hour occurs right after sunrise and just before sunset. Depending on which season you decide to head to the beach, the atmosphere there can be vastly different. This will help to illuminate them against the very bright backdrop.
Photo by: 'Pxhere'. When is your favorite time to photograph beaches? Bear in mind, though, that a good ND filter might cost some money and while there are plenty of cheap options out there, image color and sharpness will often take a hit. Your phone camera can take amazing beach photos. Instead of letting the camera decide, try utilizing your Exposure Value (EV) dial. The lens you choose to use will depend largely on what you want to achieve creatively. Using the lowest ISO setting that the conditions will allow is important to achieve images of good quality that are sharp and with little noise. Turn your most hilarious, joyous, and meaningful moments into premium photo products you can touch, hold, or hang. If you clean your lens regularly, you'll edit out fewer water droplets and sand specks later. If youve ever taken your camera out with you to the beach on a sunny day, then youll know how difficult it can be to take great pictures. If you're not taking photos during the "golden hour," consider using a polarizing filter to prevent overexposure and enhance colors. The golden hours that is, the hour or two just after sunrise and the hour or two just before sunset are some of the absolute best times for beach photography. This is one of the most important aspects of beach photography. A lens hood is great for helping to reduce glare. Youll have more control over the exposure, which will lead to more successful shots. By the way, stormy weather isnt the only way to capture moody images. Metal prints provide a sleek, trendy alternative to acrylic wall art. Note that a focal point doesnt need to be big, either; even intimate compositions can have focal points, such as a pattern in the sand, a set of footprints, or a crab on a rock. 
Bonus tip: Don't rely on autofocus. Even if there isnt the light of the moon to help with capturing the foreground, you can shoot the stars with the waves gently washing ashore or even take a panorama of the Milky Way arching over the horizon line. (Be sure to bring a tripod, though; otherwise, youll risk image blur due to camera shake.).
Shooting in RAW will allow you to fix the over and underexposure that results in poor photographs. If you really need to change your lens, then do it in relatively shielded and clean area, such as inside your camera bag with your back to the wind. You can customize everything, from the layout to the cover photo. Different aperture values suit different subjects and scenes. The actual effect occurs because the light of the sun is "split" across the blades of your particular lens' aperture -- that's why not all sun stars look the same. Wherever possible, keep your eyes peeled for little details and textures that can make for an interesting composition. Sand and expensive camera gear do not go well together -- especially when it comes to precious lenses and sensors. It will also result in a better exposure, balancing all of the ambient light that is being reflected by the sand, ocean and sky. There are lots of animals at the beach, such as crabs! To get around this, try using a graduated neutral density (GND) filter to achieve a well-balanced exposure. Canvas prints are better for subdued colors or landscapes since they can appear to mimic oil paintings. You can arrange items like towels, sandals, beach balls, sunglasses, or a gorgeous printed beach umbrella for a stylish finishing touch to your photos. You can also head out in fog or even snow, both of which can look incredible when incorporated into a minimalistic beach composition. Grab your tripod and manipulate shutter speed to "slow down" the appearance of water and clouds. When people let their guard down as they immerse themselves in the surroundings is when theyll feel the most freedom to express their joy. There are some places in the world that are just made for your camera. When youre shooting out to sea, or even when there is part of the ocean in your shot, its incredibly easy for the audience to notice whether or not the horizon line is wonky. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Have you got any other tips for getting creative with beach photography? Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Try slowing the shutter speed down for interesting motion effects, such as blurred action shots of people playing beach volleyball, or silky and dreamy water in the waves. As you can see, beach photography isnt hard and its a lot of fun! Opt for photo decor that best displays single snapshots. Follow the wide-angle lens rule of "low and close" -- capture the focal point in the foreground as close and as low as possible. Its a dream to photograph the beach in conditions like this, so be sure to stay after sunrise and get there early before sunset! If youre not keen on taking pictures of people at the beach, then try exploring the coastline for other interesting subjects instead. That means you can more easily edit your photos in post-processing. Make sure you get permission before including peoplein your shots. One tip: Black and white works especially well on shots taken with dull and overcast light. This is particularly useful when youre shooting in bright light but you want to properly expose a person in the shade (or with their back to the sun, as in the image below). Beaches are full of animals, all the way from nesting birds to starfish, crabs, sea urchins and other creatures hiding out in rock pools along the shore. Photographers consider it the most desirable time of day for nature photography. Sand can create a lot of problems if it happens to get inside your camera or onto the glass of your lens, so try to minimise lens changes. Rather than relying on your camera to come up with the correct settings for you to use, try switching to Manual mode. A polarizer is also very helpful when shooting blue skies; it can make them look richer, especially when the polarizer is pointed at a right angle to the sun. Not only will it help to prevent stray light that may cause lens flares but it will also reduce some of the haze and glare that is associated with backlighting. Although getting people to pose can be the fastest way to include them in your beach photography, try getting their permission to take photos and then waiting for candid moments instead. Professional landscape photographers use wide-angle lenses to make the foreground seem bigger, drawing the viewer in and creating a sense of depth. It draws the viewer's attention and provides a context for the shot. Travel the world to capture the most incredible landscapes. Fortunately, polarizers arent super expensive you can grab a solid-quality option in the $60 range. Your best photos deserve to be seen. The flash will add a bit of fill light to your subject, reducing the harsh highlight-shadow contrast, and youll get a much more pleasing result. They make for great subjects amidst the sea of skin and sand. So what do you do? Having your camera mounted to a tripod also means that youll be able to shoot at a lower ISO, which will result in pictures of higher quality with less noise. By closing this banner, scrolling this page or clicking any of its elements, you are giving consent to all cookies. Most people dont get up early enough in the morning, whereas in the afternoon or evening, theyll already be out and about. Fortunately, once you know to look out for a crooked horizon, its pretty easy to prevent. These can make for magical scenes, particularly if there are sea stacks on the beach to add further interest. In other words, take multiple shots of the same scene at slightly different exposure levels (for this, you can either adjust the shutter speed manually or you can use your cameras exposure compensation option). This way, youll end up with a treasure trove of photographs from the beach that you can truly be proud of! Beaches feature plenty of moving water, and moving water is great for long-exposure photography. Photo by: 'Pxhere'. Think of the EV dial as an override for your camera's meter. By the time youre finished reading, youll know how to capture beach shots like a professional. Keep in mind also that salt water can be very corrosive to electronic equipment, so try not to get your camera wet. You can then blend the images together later on using post-processing software such as Adobe Photoshop, to achieve a final, single well-exposed image.
(I find that I get the best results when I overexpose by a stop or two, but this really depends on the situation.). Youll end up with less contrast between bright and dark areas in your photographs, while retaining more details. Aperture size is usually fixed, so you're down to ISO and Exposure Time as two flexible variables to control exposure. For example, if you want to take a shot of the mountains in the distance, you can capture the entire range without moving further away from it. Make sure that you remove any filters or make sure that they are very clean beforehand, otherwise you may end up with ugly lens flares and smudges in your shot. Neutral density (ND) filters open up the possibility for slowing the shutter speed and using a wider aperture even on a bright and sunny day, which will allow you to really test your creativity. In practical terms, a wide-angle lens makes the foreground seem bigger. With a sunrise, the colours tend to be more concentrated around the sun, though at sunset youll probably notice the colours spread out across the sky. Weve mentioned several times now that it can be difficult to capture a well-balanced exposure at the beach. Acrylic prints bring out bright, bold colors in your photos, making this format ideal for an exquisite sunrise. Applies to photography orders. Complete Guide to Photography at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, How to Photograph the Diamond Beach in Iceland, See our popular Summer Photography Tours & Workshops in Iceland, Which Camera Lens to Use? These can be pretty unflattering, plus they tend to be accompanied by harsh, unpleasant highlights. When you shoot in RAW, you keep all the image's data. For more unique shoot themes, try and go beyond the usual beach colors like sailor-inspired red and blue stripes or rainbow beach balls and umbrellas. The reason for this is the number of pollutants in the air as a result of human activity later in the day. One of the biggest challenges of beach photography is the brightness.