Stop Taking Basic Beach Photos

We’ve all done it. You find an epic beach location for your next vacation, pack your camera gear, step onto the beach as soon as you land and marvel at the crystal clear waters and pure sand before you. As travel photographers, our first instinct is to snap a photo of the breathtaking scene. So, what do we do? We grab our cameras, point it directly at the ocean, try to make sure the skyline is straight and then snap the photo. When we look back at the photo later in the day, however, we don’t see the majestic, exotic beach that seemed too good to be true only hours earlier; we see a basic scene that looks like it could’ve been taken anywhere in the world.

Don’t worry. You can elevate your beach photos, creating photographic memories that actually capture the true beauty of the place and evoke wanderlust in all of your Instagram followers. The best part? You don’t even need to invest in any expensive camera gear to do it. All you need to do is implement these three tips to stop taking basic beach photos:

Incorporate Background Elements

As mentioned previously, most people point their cameras directly at the water, snap a photo and end up with a basic shot of just sand, water and sky. But most iconic beach locations are iconic not just because of their perfect sand or turquoise waters; they also typically have interesting background elements too. Take Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, for example. Waikiki offers incredibly turquoise waters and golden sand. However, Diamond Head crater, along with all of the hotels and palm trees along the beach, really create that epic Hawaiian vibe.

To incorporate interesting elements into your beach shots, you generally need to take photos of the beach from a side angle, as opposed to straight on. If you’re really feeling bold, you can even walk into the water, turn around and snap shots of the scene behind the beach. This can be especially epic if the beach is surrounded by mountains or cool architecture. The great part about this is that you can still incorporate the beach’s beautiful water into your shots, while also capturing more of the place itself. If you do venture out into the water with your camera, however, be careful. You never know when a rogue wave will roll through and damage your precious camera (p.s. cameras don’t like swimming).

So, next time you’re at the beach, try snapping photos of the beach from different angles to try and incorporate different background elements. Your beach photos will instantly go from basic to beautiful.

Embrace Golden Hour

Most vacationers hang out at the beach during the day, which makes sense because the sun is usually its warmest then. The problem with snapping photos during the midday hours, however, is that all of the incredible hues and colours typically found on beaches gets washed out by the harsh sunlight. You may not notice this washout effect that much, as your polarizing sunglasses tend to keep the scene pretty vivid for your eyes, but your camera’s sensor certainly does. This means that photos you take of the beach during this part of the day will, inevitably, turn out flat and desaturated.

To take more vivid beach photos, head to the beach during golden hour, which is the first hour after sunrise or the hour before the sun sets. The golden light will not only provide warmer looking beach photos, but also create a lot more depth / contrast. And, if you time your golden hour beach photo session just right, you may be able to capture some epic colours and textures on the clouds as the sun rises or sets.

Utilize a Circular Polarizer

Now, if you must take beach photos during the day, you can try using a circular polarizer filter to try and combat those flat, washed out vibes when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. A circular polarizer filter essentially removes or limits the reflections within your scene. If you’ve ever stared at the ocean or sand in the middle of the day, you’ll know how bright the sun’s reflection can be at the beach. A circular polarizer allows your camera to cut through those reflections, unmasking some of the vivid colours that lay beneath.

I know what you’re thinking - not another camera accessory that you have to lug on vacation! The good news is that circular polarizer filters are actually tiny, making them super easy to pack in any camera bag. And, depending on the brand, they’re also fairly inexpensive. There is a bit of a learning curve, but, with a bit of practise, you’ll be snapping vivid, high contrast, midday beach photos in no time.

Conclusion

Epic beach scenes leave most world travellers speechless. However, most beach photos end up looking pretty basic. To take better beach photos, look beyond just the sand and water, and incorporate different background elements, such as mountains, trees and buildings. If you can, head to the beach during golden hour to capture warmer, higher contrast photos. Lastly, if you plan on chilling on the beach all day and know that you’ll need to take photos during the harshest lighting conditions, invest in a circular polarizer filter. The filter will help cut through some of the sun’s harsh reflections, helping you truly capture our planet’s most vivid waters.