Salisbury MD Family Photographer
Everyone having fun at the beach this summer? Our family hasn’t been this year but these are some pictures I took of my kids back in 2014 in Ocean City Maryland. The link at the bottom of the post has 14 tips for getting good photos but I pulled out nine of the ones that everyone would understand and were the most important.
Different Lighting Conditions
When you shoot at the beach it’s always super bright until the sun starts to set. Sunsets do not last long on the beach so in order to get really nice photos it needs to be later in the day and it can provide some seriously amazing color in your images!
Water Reflects light
Since light is easily bounced with water you’ll have to keep in mind that when the light is bright it may reflect on your subject. This can create unflattering highlights on everything so watch out for that.
Creative Locations
Just because you are shooting at the beach doesn’t mean that you are only limited to the beach! Look for unique settings that will help to tell the story better.  I always liked taking photos of my kids running up to the beach, it makes for nice framing and it tells more of the story. Some other fun ideas might include sand dunes if your in Assateague or under the piers at the inlet. Don’t be afraid to try out new things, but remember to be careful if you are on piers and jetties!
Don’t be afraid of not so nice weather
Stormy dramatic skies can make for some truly stunning images, so don’t fear the clouds if they start to roll in but if you hear thunder or lighting please go inside! 🙂
Watch the Horizon
It can be so much more evident when you have a very sharp horizon, like where the ocean meets the sky running through someone’s head or neck. Horizons can also become more sloped and angled if you aren’t paying close attention so be mindful of that.
Random Strangers
In most cases, you are not going to be the only one on the beach. First thing in the morning joggers and surfers are usually out and in the evening hours families are everywhere. Try to find a location that might not be as popular, so people won’t be popping into your frame and try to shoot around them or angle so that they are not in the photo.
Safety First
Top priority is safety especially when at the beach with kids. It is very easy to slip and fall on slimy rocks that make a jetty or to have a toddler fall face first into the water. Mine kids always got sand in their eyes 🙂
Keep eye on background
You will always find trash cans, over abundance of seagulls, cars and more. Remember to keep an eye on your background to keep distracting elements out of the frame. Having such a wide open space like the beach will just make these elements appear more obnoxious. Or fix them in Photoshop like I do 🙂
Most Important Have Fun!
Shooting at the beach can be a ton of fun, especially with children. Most of the time its very hard to make kids pose for the camera so just let them do whatever and capture the moments as they happen. Even if the photos aren’t perfect they are still memorable so keep them all.
https://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/how-to-take-photographs-at-the-beach-tutorial-by-jennifer-dell/
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