Make a Splash with Your Beach Day Photography

Beaches provide excellent opportunities for amazing photography because of their natural beauty and fascinating light patterns.  If you are planning to spend a family vacation, honeymoon or a romantic getaway on a beach this summer, here are some tips to help you capture more creative beach images. Time of Day The best photos you will capture at the beach will generally be taken before or after the light becomes too powerful. That means shooting during the golden hour. Place the camera on a sturdy tripod because of the lower light levels, and set the mode dial to Shutter-Priority mode. Reflections Use the advantage of shooting during the golden hour to capture some amazing reflective shots near the water. Photos of water reflections tend to work better when the sun is low in the sky, as shown in the photo here. Overcast conditions tend to result in a better “mirror” image, too. Location Don’t limit your shooting to the beach.  Look for unique settings like a path leading to the beach, sand dunes, lifeguard stands, and fun colored beach houses. Watch Your Horizon When shooting where the sky meets the ocean in the background, be careful that the horizon isn’t running through someone’s head or neck.  You also want to avoid sloped or angled horizons which can happen when you don’t hold your camera straight while shooting. Check Your Background Remember to keep an eye on your background to keep distracting elements out of the frame. These can include trash cans, cars, joggers, and even surfers. Try to shoot around them or angle so that they are not in the photo. Imperfect Weather Don’t be afraid of less than ideal weather. A foggy morning can leave you with some very soft looking photos as it begins to lift.  It will also help to keep the sun from becoming too bright too quickly allowing you more time to shoot.  Even stormy skies can make for some stunning images. Lens Hood This is especially important on the beach when you are shooting into the sun for backlit images. By using a lens hood you will be able to drastically cut back on haze that could overwhelm your subject. Your lens hood from Beachcamera.com will help you to retain those important details of your subject. Filters UV filters are useful for DSLR owners because they act as a protection for your lens and filter out ultraviolet light in a certain range, cutting back on haze. One of the most useful DSLR lens accessories that you can add to a digital camera is a polarizing filter. It reduces reflections and boosts contrasts like making blue skies rich and almost dark blue, and giving the ocean a variety of effects. We all love the beach, but getting a decent photograph from your beach excursion can be a little tricky. These quick tips should help you improve your results.