If you’re taking a vacation to the beach this year, just know that we’re all jealous. And if you live close enough to head there regularly, well, you can probably imagine how we feel about that, too. Seriously though, a huge number of vacations in the summer are organized around getting to the beach for a week or two. The view is gorgeous, the weather is beautiful, and you’ve got all the time in the world to relax. Everyone and their mother (literally) is taking pictures while they’re at the beach. But here’s the thing – not every beach photo turns out that great. Who knew it would be so hard to capture a vast, elemental force on your iPhone?
Still, you can get some great beach photos if you follow a few simple rules.
Find A Focal Point
This is a really common mistake. Someone is sitting on the beach, enjoying a beautiful, uninterrupted view of the water, and they decide to snap a pic and send it to their family and friends. The problem is that ocean, sand, and sky don’t really give the viewer anything to focus their eye on. Without that focal point, even a tremendous shot of the ocean comes off as kind of boring, and your viewer won’t look at it very long.
An easy way to fix this is by getting a person in the shot. Or it could be a boat, a rocky outcropping, or anything else that breaks up the lines of the ocean and sand.
Keep The Lighting In Mind
The beach provides some great sunrise and sunset lighting, and you can easily capitalize on this during your vacation. But also remember that the water will reflect light, and this can cause some unflattering highlights on your subjects, especially at times of day when the light is harsher.
However, don’t pass up an opportunity to use these reflections to your benefit. High tides and shallow pools can provide some very cool opportunities for photos featuring reflections of your subjects.
Find Some Color
There’s a reason that most people will take a look at your photos from the beach and shrug. It’s because no matter where you are, the colors at the beach tend to be very similar. There’s a lot of brown and tan sand (or maybe white), blue water, and probably blue sky. The locale is beautiful, but the photo looks just like any other. A good way to get around this is by finding something colorful for the focal point of your picture. The color will pop out, and your friends won’t be able to stop staring.
Look For Lines
It’s important that you look for lines to use in your photos. The water’s edge makes a natural, interesting line, but you can also use any dunes or vegetation down the beach.
You’ll want to share all your gorgeous photos with your friends and family, and wifi cloud frames from Nixplay are the best way to do it. Check out our selection and find the frame that’s right for you.
Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.