So Summer is here and your headed to the beach. A great time and location to take some family photos! Here are a few tips for taking better beach photos.
Timing is important!
If you have a camera that has a timer and a tripod it’s so much easier to get a shot of the whole family and you won’t have to feel awkward asking a stranger to push the button. Even if you have someone with you who will not be in the photo, a tripod helps keep you steady and focus the shot. Remember, the start and end of days are usually the best times and opportunities
to shoot at the beach. There are less people walking around and the sun is shining at an angle that will give you more interesting effects of shadows and colors – particularly in the evening when the light becomes warm and golden.
Watch the Horizon!
One of the most common problems in beach photography is when there are wide open spaces. With a long and often unbroken horizon there is the tendency to slope to one side of the frame. Work hard at keeping your horizon square in the framing of your shot. Also, consider placing your horizon off center as centered horizons can sometimes leave a photo looking chopped in half.
Use Your Flash as Fill Light!
It’s bright outside, but you’ll often find that your subject will almost always have shadows on their face from hats, glasses, noses etc. Switch on your flash and force it to fire when shooting in these situations. The shadows will be lightened and your actual subject will be well exposed. This is particularly important when shooting into the sun (getting that beautiful sunset in the background). Without a flash you could end up with your subject being a silhouette. If your camera gives you some level of control over how strong a flash will fire, you might want to experiment with this to see witch power setting works best. On the other hand, if your subjects do look overexposed and you can’t decrease the flash strength, try moving back a little from your subject or use your zoom to get a tighter framing. This will decrease the impact of the flash. As usual – experimenting is the key.
Hopefully these tips will help you get the best family beach photos ever! If your not headed to the beach or just want a great beach shot without the hassle. We will be taking beach photo on our real sand beach set in our photo garden at the studio. June 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th. Call today to set your appointment, session times are limited.
(901)521-8181.
Hope to hear from you soon and have a Great summer!
John, Becky and Noah
