Beach Photography:
Capturing the Perfect Beach Memories
By Jennifer Otto
Anyone can take a picture, but not everyone can take a good picture. With a little help, you will be taking better beach pictures than all of your friends. Not to mention, you may actually look at your beach vacation shots again rather than leaving them to gather dust in your bedside table.
The trickiest part of taking pictures on the beach is dealing with the bright sun and reflective waters. There is no telling how many times that I have seen a picture that provides the background in perfect detail yet the subject of the picture looks washed out and dark.
The key to getting great shots in the sun is to actually try to work against the sun and photograph in the shade and under the cover of clouds. In fact, most photographers agree that the best beach pictures are shot on overcast days. Overcast light can help eliminate shadows and exaggerated highlights. It is also ideal for close-up shots.
Another problem with the sun is that it can cause your subject to squint. If you are unable to find shade or covering for your subject, do not fret. An easy fix for this is to simply turn your subjects from the sun until they can finally open their eyes. Now that your subjects can see, take your picture using your camera’s flash. This may sound weird given that it is such a bright day, but the flash will actually work to lighten up the shadows caused by the brightness of the sun.
Some more tips that will help you take great beach pictures include:
Know your camera – this sounds simple, but this is the most overlooked step. Do not buy a new camera for vacation without testing it out first. Read the manual and play with the camera before you travel. This will save you time and frustration on your vacation when you are supposed to be having fun.
Use the Rule of Thirds – the Rule of Thirds is a simple technique that can make your pictures more interesting. Visualize two vertical lines with two horizontal lines crossing – similar to a tic-tac-toe board. For the simplest practice of the Rule Of Thirds, just position your subject at one of the intersections of the lines, or partway between one of the intersections and the center. This will usually give a more pleasing composition than having the subject exactly in the center of the photo.
Get close up – there is nothing more interesting than getting close to the subject. Not only do you get more detail, but you also remove the clutter than can appear in pictures.
Avoid dead space – the most boring pictures involve a subject centered in the middle with tons of dead space. Get closer to the subject or use the Rule of Thirds to avoid unwanted dead space.
Use the framing technique – another technique that makes a picture more interesting is the framing technique. This can create a better balance with an overwhelming subject. Take pictures through an opening in a cave, tent, rock or tree. These provide natural frames around the subjects.
Make sure the subject is entering and not exiting – if you are taking a profile of someone walking, your subject should be walking into the picture and not out of it. The eye naturally finds this type of picture more pleasing.
Get the face not the back of the head – if you are trying to take an action shot, get in a position that allows you to face the subject. Sometimes it is hard to get a good action shot when the subject is moving all around, but whenever possible, get a face view.
Use diagonals and crossing lines to your advantage – some of the most interesting pictures involve multiple angles. Look for interesting angles on sandcastles and birds flying. Let the birds fly diagonally across the viewfinder.
Shoot from different heights – do not always sit under the umbrella as you take your shot. Stand up for some. You may even try to add more height by standing on a cooler or even a sand dune. Different heights and angles make a more pleasing composition.
Kill the clutter – there is nothing more boring than a picture that has too much going on. The best way to see the interest in the photo is to remove the other items that draw attention away from the subject. Obviously, you cannot remove beachgoers from the beach, but you can move the subject of your picture or get closer to it to keep out clutter.