Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Beach Photography - The Art of Taking Great Photos on Your Beach Vacation

Beach photography is an extremely popular art form. It is hard to resist the urge to capture the rolling, unpredictable waves, the bright sparkles of sunlight that bounce off the glistening waters, the unusual shells that line the surface of the shimmering sands.

Nature is uninhibited, and absolutely gorgeous. If you enjoy photography, you are sure to benefit from this informative guide on how to capture the essence of the beach on film. It does not matter if you engage in photography for fun or if you do it professionally, you can learn a great deal about technique and strategy here in this beach photography guide.

Shell on the Beach, Gulf of Mexico, Alabama, USA

When it comes to beach photography, there are several different methods and techniques that can be used to capture the sights. If you are a photographer, it is important to ensure that you attempt to capture pure emotion.

Your pictures must be organized so that someone can pull out a certain feeling, or bring an experience out of the picture. Now, this may sound like a challenging procedure, but if you know a few ways to do this, you are sure to capture the beautiful images that you set out to when indulging in photography of the ocean. The following methods have proven successful for many who have participated in beach photography:

1. The first step in capturing pictures that overwhelm the senses and emotions of an individual is to look around and focus on the first thing that draws your attention. It could be a seagull walking along the shoreline, or a particular cloud looming over the waves. You may see a slight breeze pressing against the palms…or, a small pool of water with a beat down sand castle along the side of it. If it draws your attention, it is likely to also draw the attention of your audience.

2. The next thing that you should do is focus on shadow. When it comes to beach scenes, it is common to see bright skies, lots of sunlight, and shimmering sands, but it is not often that you can capture an intriguing shadow. The shadow may come from a tree along the inviting shore, a rock sitting along the waves, or even a sailboat traveling across the luscious seas. The extreme mix of shadow and light often plays upon the senses of an individual. If you are able to capture this, you may just have that one picture that is actually worth TWO million words!

3. In beach photography, it seems that the “unchartered” territories are often the most intriguing to individuals. Most people want to walk across the rocks, but hold back. Many may want to check out that cave nestled in on the shore, but are frightened of the possible dangers or scary legends that surround the cave. If you want to have the best of the best when it comes to beaches, visit all those unchartered territories and capture various images of it on film.

4. If you want to add a little “color” to your shots, take the color completely out of the picture! Black and white photography of the ocean as well as the shore has been found to be quite popular among users. By doing this, you are creating a whole new atmosphere that is quite attractive to viewers. It has also been stated that this type of picture is more successful in drawing out the emotions of the individual that views it.

5. Chances are, you are going to get yourself a little wet. The waves crashing upon the shore, the droplets of water in the wind coming from the ocean, as well as storms, rain, and other types of condensation may all result in this. It is important that you are showing no inhibitions when photographing the immense ocean and beach that you are capturing. Sometimes, getting a little wet actually enhances the images that you are attempting to capture. It is important to make your viewer feel as if they are right there, playing in the waves, feeling the ocean breeze, and enjoying the warm rays of the sun.

There are numerous tips and techniques when it comes to beach photography. I could express what type of camera to use, the flash that should be purchased, what angle to shoot at, and more. The truth is, though, it is not about what equipment that you have as much as it is about the experience that you encounter while visiting the beach. If you shoot from the angle of experience, you will succeed in beach photography.

Brown Pelican  Turquoise Place Orange Beach

When you are visiting the Alabama Gulf Coast, be sure to take your camera everywhere. Good photo subjects have a way of showing up when and where you least expect it. I rarely leave home without my camera. When I do I usually end up saying, "That would have made a good picture." This brown pelican at an Orange Beach marina with the two new Turquoise Place condo towers in the background captures many different thoughts in one small photo.


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