Cameras

Beach photography presents many unique challenge to the amateur photographer due mainly to the extreme photographic conditions in which it is often undertaken. Contending with an abundance of light, reflections and movement can leave some photographers grasping at straws, but it can also produce some of the most starkly beautiful images of any subject matter. We’ve put together a list of things that you may want to consider more guidelines than rules, but which might help you take your beach photos from the realm of average to great. Well, at least we hope they do.

1) Shoot in the Golden Hours It is going to be very difficult to take an above average beach photo in the middle of the day. Even on cloudy days, there is usually going to be a problem with over exposure. While many photographers put their cameras away between 10am and 2pm, that time is usually extended dramatically when shooting beach scenes especially if you are lucky enough to live in an area with reasonably good weather. As you can see from the photos below, the best images are usually taken at sunset or sunrise, so try to emulate that.

2) Capture Motion With lower light and longer exposures comes the chance to capture the motion of the waves and sea. As you can see, this can really result in some haunting images that are ten different kinds of awesome.

3) Remember the Rule of Thirds Composition of beach photos is just as important as any other type of photography. Remember to consider the rule of thirds and you shouldn’t go too far wrong with your beach composition.

4) Remember the Sunny F16 Rule If you absolutely, positively must shoot at the beach when the sun in shining, then you might at least come away with some images worth looking at if you remember the sunny F16 rule. This is not an ideal situation, but if you are even remotely experienced with photography you will realise that there are very few ideal situations in this hobby and when they come up, you usually get a prize for the resulting images!

5) Take Advantage of Reflection Being around so much water is going to give you a lot of opportunities to take advantage of reflection. If you need some inspiration then check out these reflection photos to see what we mean. Getting reflections under the right circumstances can add a huge element of interest to your images.

6) Don’t Ignore Black and White While you may think of the water or beach as a place where you can get fantastic contrasting colours (and you would be right) you might also like to take a moment to consider black and white images. Some of the greats were able to get incredible black and white seascapes that ooze atmosphere. Look at this image for instance:

7) Use Driftwood in the Composition You can find it on almost any beach and you can use it in good composition and to draw the viewer’s eyes to an area of the image. You can also move it around to build the image you want. (Ok, some people might consider that cheating, but we all do it!)

Think About the Weather While the beach might provoke mental images of flawless cloudless days, more dramatic weather can result in incredible images at a beach. Look at the brewing storm in the image below to see what we mean or check out these storm photos to see what can be done when shooting in extreme weather.

9) Use Clouds for Drama Going along with considering the weather is watching out for clouds. Most of the best images of beaches somehow incorporate clouds into the composition to add interest to the beach.

10) Don’t Forget Night Time Beaches usually make us think about beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Don’t forget that you can get some spectacular night time beach photos too. There are a whole heap of separate issues in incorporating the moon into a photo but the results can be great. Check out our moon photos post to get some more inspiration.

Other Awesome Beach Photos

Concluding Thoughts

Shooting at the beach presents its own set of challenges with lighting, motion and composition. Even so, even a rudimentary adherence to some of the suggestions here should increase the chances that you’re able to capture an image a cut above most other beach photos. A bit of experimentation and deference to the conditions will mean you should come up with a couple of solid photos.

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Shooting streetscapes is amazingly rewarding because you can share your neighborhood and how you see it with everyone else. There are 33 great examples of streetscapes here all with a variety of different styles so most all bases are covered.

Photo by sandwinch

Grab your camera and walk out your front door, but take note to a few common themes in these photos:

• Square is the new rectangle. The Square format is coming back bigger then ever!
• Timing is everything. The street right in front of your house will look different at sunrise, mid-day and sunset, and like a different world at night. Experiment with shooting the same scene at different times
• Seasonal changes drastically effect photos. There are some summer, winter, spring and fall photos here. Take note to how interesting a winter scene would be if it was summer.
• Angle of view. Most people take photos while standing up, but experiment with getting down to ground level, or standing on a bridge looking down.
• Utilize a tripod for longer exposures at night

As a photographer, I’ve always found it really interesting to try and go shoot what I commonly see in my neighborhood in a new an unique manner. Give it a try, photo walks through your own neighborhood can often reveal amazing new things you never knew were there, and use these 33 photos as some inspiration!

Photo by mugley

Photo by taivasalla

Photo by mugley

Photo by Mr. T in DC

Photo by Canterbury Heritage

Photo by Nick__N

Photo by ronnie.yip

Photo by taivasalla

Photo by kardboard604

Photo by thedarkerside.to

Photo by bulliver

Photo by mugley

Photo by St-Even

Photo by neilalderney123

Photo by Robert in Toronto

Photo by thedarkerside.to

Photo by pinkcigarette

Photo by Ivan Cabrera

Photo by _setev

Photo by michaelgoodin

Photo by leonem

Photo by Voxphoto

Photo by taberandrew

Photo by Graela

Photo by thespeak

Photo by kootenayvolcano

Photo by robotography

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Photo by Stuck in Customs

Photo by Tony the Misfit

Photo by velo_city

Photo by ronnie.yip

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Starting a career in photography can be an exciting, exhilarating move. Most photographers have freedom unlike any other traditional job and can book appointments as frequently as they want. Amateur photographers, that is to say those who don’t get compensated for shooting, usually do so because they enjoy hobby. Regardless of where you stand, there will be times when you need to decline an offer for work. Here are some examples of when and why you shouldn’t say yes to an offer.

Photo by Hamad AL-Mohannna

Professional Photographers

When you are a professional, it’s your business, even if only part time, you generate part of your income from shooting. This is an important fact that will come into play now.

Weddings that you are invited to as a guest and asked to shoot, probably a good idea to say no. I’m often asked this, even though I’m not a wedding photographer. If you invite me to your wedding, let me be a guest! I want to enjoy and remember the day, not work the event. It’s OK to decline shooting friends and family weddings and events.

Holidays are important, most people enjoy spending them with friends and family. If you are offered to shoot a job on July 4th (for American’s) or a wedding on New Year’s Eve, think about how that will impact your personal and social life. Do you want to work that holiday for strangers or spend it with people you care about?

Spec work, short for speculation, implies shooting something that a client might want to buy. Know your rates and have them agree prior to shooting. Rarely does working on spec ever benefit the photographer.

Trade work in exchange for pay. As a photographer who offers a service, you’ll often find clients who will offer you work in trade, rather than straight pay. Sometimes this isn’t a bad idea, but remember that trade doesn’t pay your bills.

Travel compensation is not payment for services rendered. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, If we pay for you to come to (insert fancy destination on the beach here), could you shoot our wedding? If they aren’t willing to pay for your services too, it’s probably a good idea to say no.

Working outside your normal area of expertise. I am not a landscape photographer, nor am I a wedding photographer. So far in 2010 I’ve turned down four wedding jobs because it’s simply not an area I’m great at. I told one person who found me through a mutual friend that I could provide good photography, but they deserve great photography. They completely understood.

Amateur Photographers

If photography is your hobby, and you do it because you love it, that should be the only reason you do it. Don’t get lured in by offers that sound too good to be true or deviate from your joy of photography.

Over your head jobs should be passed on. If you are asked to shoot something that you know you can’t handle, suggest they hire a professional.

When the line blurs between a fun hobby and a time exhausting job, turn the job down. Photography is a hobby, a passion, a form of expression. When it stops being fun, consider saying no.

Your goal is to become a professional shooter, so you’re working towards making that happen. Don’t represent yourself as one until you know the quality and expertise is on par with what clients should expect. If you are honest and upfront and decline a job that is out of your scope, you could very well get another job by the same client who respected your choice to not provide sub-par quality work.

All Photographers

Paid work or not, professional or amateur, time is a valuable commodity. Don’t take on more jobs then you can actually do, and don’t forget to factor in post processing times and commuting. I generally factor in about 30-45 minutes of post processing time for every hour of shooting time I do. There are exceptions to this, but that’s my general rule of thumb. Don’t take every offer because you want to satisfy every customer, friend or family member, you won’t be able to.

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