Beach Photography Tips: Taking great pictures by the sea
It’s getting to be that time of year again, when everyone heads to the beach. If you’re going to be taking your digital camera with you on your seaside adventures this year, here are some tips on how to take the best pictures possible.
Go early, or stay late
Beach light can be pretty harsh in the middle of the day, and can make your pictures seem blown out and too bright to even distinguish. Besides getting the awesome effects of a sunset or rise, going early in the day as the sun is coming up (or right after) or taking pictures at dusk can have much better effects on your pictures lighting wise. You also tend to get less extra people in your pictures when you go at slightly off-peak times.
Use a Flash when taking pictures of people
I know, it’s bright outside…why would you use a flash? When you’re taking pictures in exceptionally bright places like the beach, chances are some of your shots are going to have people with huge shadows on their faces. If you force your flash to turn on and take pictures using it, then you can fill in some of those shadowy areas and get overall better pictures.
Use your cameras spot metering option
Pull out the manual for your camera and find out if it has spot metering. Essentially, spot metering will allow you to pick what part of your picture you want to be exposed correctly. So if you’re taking a picture of your child playing in the sand you can tell your camera to expose your child perfectly. Spot metering can help in some bright lighting situations.
Invest in some filters
If you’re using a DSLR, investing in a UV filter or a Polarizing filter (or both) can help when you’re taking pictures at the beach. Much like strapping a pair of sunglasses on your lens, both help your camera filter light and make your pictures overall much more attractive. A UV filter can typically be purchased pretty inexpensively, and can double as protection for your lens when you’re taking pictures in situations when it might get scratched or damaged.
