Because the beach can be a challenging place to photograph, I’m often asked about tips for beach photography.
But beach photography is not just for the summer.
In fact, I find myself photographing at the beach more in the winter than I do in the summer. In the winter the waves are more interesting and the beach itself is quieter. I especially enjoy beach photography when the weather is a little wild. When the skies are moody, the sea is churning and the sun is breaking through the cloud barrier.
Either way, though, summer or winter, the challenges of beach photography are similar. So let’s take a look at:
- The challenges of beach photography
- Beach photography camera settings and general tips
What are the challenges of beach photography?
The three main areas of difficulty for photographing at the beach are:
- Exposure
- Light
- Interest
Let’s first look at why they are more of a challenge at the beach. Then we’ll go through my tips for beach photography to overcome these challenges.
1. Exposure settings for the beach
While in winter the beach may not be as bright as in summer, when it comes to beach photography settings for exposure, the same rules apply.
A beach landscape is a bright and open expanse – there’s a lot of sky and a lot of light colored sand and reflective water. Just as in summer, in order not to overexpose the sky or underexpose the sand, we need a few exposure tricks up our sleeves.
This leads to the next challenge for photographing at the beach.
2. Direction of light at the beach
On the beach, you’re very exposed to direct sun, as well as light bouncing up from the sand and water.
While that’s great if you’re there to work on your tan, but if you’re there to take photographs, it’s challenging. Not impossible though.
Beach photography just requires a bit more thought and planning than locations that offer shade.
3. Interest in the background
In the city or the countryside, there will always be a lot to include in the image for interest in the background and foreground.
With beach photography, there is very little in comparison, especially on a beach without boulders or a handy shipwreck. If you’re photographing, people, you’ve got your point of interest already, but if you’re there to photograph the landscape, you need to work a little harder.
So, you need to think carefully about what to include in the image to make it interesting.
Tips for beach photography
Now that we know the challenges of beach photography, let’s look at how to work with the environment for great beach photographs all year round.
1. Setting the exposure for beach photography
Meter off a mid-tone
If you’re inland, you can point your camera at the grass in your scene to meter the exposure. On a sandy beach, everything you point at is going to be quite bright, so your camera’s meter will be confused and will try to underexpose the shot.
In the UK most of the beaches are pebble beaches, so I look for a patch of mid-tone grey pebbles and use spot metering. Even better, use a gray card to meter the exposure for beach photography and set your metering mode to spot metering.
Override your camera’s metering system
If you don’t have any of the above, use exposure compensation for beach photography or shoot in manual mode and overexpose by a stop or two more than your camera’s meter suggests is accurate.
Viewing your images on the back of the camera will be difficult, so keep an eye on the histogram instead to make sure your exposure is okay, especially if you’ve got sparkly or reflective water in frame.
Sunny day exposure shortcut
On a sunny day follow the Sunny 16 rule for an accurate exposure in manual mode. It might not be the perfect camera setting for the look you want, but it’s a great place to start.
You can adjust your settings once you’ve got your base exposure settings.
2. How to handle the light at the beach
Shoot at the best time of day
One of the best tips for beach photography relates to the time of day you photograph.
It’s really important as you don’t want to be out there when the sun is high in the sky and light is bouncing everywhere.
At the start and end of the day during golden hour the sun is at a lower angle. This works for both portraiture and landscape because it:
- Is more flattering for portraits
- Brings out texture for more interesting landscapes
Shoot into the sun
Speaking of photographing people, although it’s more difficult for you, it’s better if the sun is behind your subject so that they don’t squint into the light. Then use a reflector or a flash to fill in the shadows and so avoid blowing out the bright background.
If you really want the light behind you, use a diffuser to soften the shadows on your subject.
Use filters
Another handy tip is to use a polarising filter to bring out the blue in the sky and make clouds stand out. Polarising filters are also great for cutting through reflection on water.
Prevent lens flare
Lastly, ensure that direct sunlight doesn’t hit your lens, unless you want lens flare.
Use a lens hood and, if you need further shade, use your hand to shade your lens. If you have someone with you, ask them to block the light and cast a shadow over your lens (another handy use for a reflector).
3. How to make a beach photo more interesting
Find points of interest
A flat, sandy beach without a focal point for interest can be a bit dull, even though it’s beautiful. Even when you have a person as the main focal point, including foreground or background interest might be worth considering.
So look for points of interest to include in your beach photography, like:
- Rocks in the foreground
- A lifeguard hut
- People
- Dogs
- Boats etc
Compose with the horizon in mind
If you’re including the horizon in your beach photography, make sure that you’re holding the camera straight. A wonky horizon is really going to stand out in a beach photo and ruin the shot.
Speaking of horizons, don’t put it in the middle of your photo, make the composition more interesting by having your horizon one third from the bottom of the image, or if you want a lot of foreground, make the horizon one third from the top of the image.
4. Camera care for beach photography
An additional point to consider with beach photography is how to keep your camera safe from:
- Sand
- Water
- wind
Sand
Don’t ever put your camera down on the sand. If your hands get sandy, wipe the sand off thoroughly before handling your camera.
Getting sand in your camera would be disastrous.
Water
While it’s very tempting to get down close to the water for an interesting viewpoint or to shoot reflections, be very aware of waves, even if they’re gentle.
It’s too easy to get lost in the viewfinder and not think about the water.
Wind
Wind and beaches go hand in hand, especially in winter.
While a whipped up sea looks great in photos, changing a lens at the beach is asking for trouble. The moment you open up your camera you’re allowing salty sea air inside. Stay safe and don’t change your lens at the beach, especially if the wind is blowing.
That’s it, you’re all set for photographing at the beach in summer or winter! Or a salt flat for that matter.
Leave a comment
If you have any questions about beach photography settings, let us know in the comments.
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