I love the beach. Living in a coastal city has been a true blessing. And I missed the sea whilst living in Essen, Germany, which is landlocked. I never got to visit the beaches of Europe, which added to my beach blues. Now that I’m back home, I take way too many photos of the beaches of Cape Town. That got me thinking about sharing tips on how to take brilliant beach photos. Grab your sunblock and camera, but first keep reading my tips on how to take brilliant beach shots.

Wear sunscreen

Ok, so you are probably thinking, What does it have to do with beach photography? Well, who wants to look like a steamed lobster in their beach pictures? And who wants to feel grumpy from sunburnt skin? This goes for all skin tones. Feeling good means you will be able to take good photos.

Get there at the right time

Ideally, the golden hour, which is sunrise or sunset, is the best time to take photos. The natural light added so many varied colours to photos. Some beaches also draw in hordes of people. To avoid having photos with lots of people in them, get there early or later after the other beachgoers have left.

Lesser known beaches

If you happen to be shooting in a coastal city like Cape Town with lots of beaches, try to visit some lesser-known beaches. All the Clifton beaches, Camps Bay, Muizenberg, St. James, and Boulders are normally full on weekends during summertime. Opt for beaches like Seaforth, Windmill, Bakoven, and Smitswinkel instead.

Avoid light glare

To avoid photos that are too glary, don’t take photos between 1pm and 4pm. That’s when the sun shines at its brightest. You can still take photos around this time, but be sure to edit them for overbrightness.  Remember that the sun should always be behind the subject you are capturing; this will also stop the dreaded glare. Alternatively, you can take photos of the glare and make it work for you. Like my sister did when she took the photo below.

Close-up

Get close to things on the beach to get artistic-looking photos. Take a close-up photo of beach stones, the waves, or even the beach sand. These kinds of photos are unique.

Smile

If you are including photos of people, try to make them smile. Allow them to smile naturally. You should always try to smile as well. A genuine smile does wonders for any photo. If you are looking to boost your Instagram followers, it’s good to know that pictures of people smiling get the most likes. People can spot fake smiles, and the human face is the number one thing that people connect with in advertising. There are research studies that back this up. Smiles are powerful.

Keep it steady

Use a tripod or practice keeping your camera steady. Taking photos at the beach on a windy day can be tricky. My advice is to practice if you can. If you can’t practice holding tight on to your camera and standing still, moving will cause your photos to blur. Blurry waves can look good with editing  but it’s better to get the shot right the first time rather than editing.

Take photos of objects

Think sand castles, shells, driftwood, boulders, pebbles, and seaweed washed out onto the shore. These beach objects contribute to a lovely image.

Take photos of vegetation and animals

Palm tree photos with the beach in the background always look amazing. Then there’s the animal shots. Seals, dolphins, whales, penguins, and seagulls are often spotted along Cape Town’s shoreline. I love nature, and capturing a photo of marine wildlife or vegetation adds to my good beach memories.

Use shadows

The sunset or sunrise will cast a glow on people. This is the best time to capture those beach silhouette photos. Don’t forget to ask permission first. You can also take a shadow selfie by standing in the sun and taking a photo of yourself in the sand. Wet sand will work the best for this as the “canvas” is flat.

Add props

I have spoken about adding a twist to photos by using props before. At the beach, you can use your beach towel, sarong, sunglasses, or sandals as a prop. For example, allow a corner of a towel to be added to your photo. Take a photo of your sandals in the sand. Ladies can stand with your sarong in your hands while it blows in the wind. Being buried in the sand and having a photo taken can even turn the sand into a prop.

Messages or symbols

Write a word in the sand, a message, or create a heart out of shells. I see a lot of #beach photos of people who added the word and hashtag in a photo on Instagram. Around Christmas time, there were many beach-themed photos with people wearing red swimsuits, a Santa hat, and #MerryChristmas written in the sand.

Winter time

Take advantage of the moody colours of the beach around winter. The change in season will make the same beach look completely different. The added bonus is that the beach will be less full.

Angles

Experiment with the angles of your shots. Taking a photo of the sea straight on is pretty. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mix it up. Take side-angle shots of the sea and shoreline. Stand closer and snap a picture. Stand further or higher up if there’s a bridge, for example.

Edit

Professional photographers tend to use Adobe Lightroom to edit their pictures. I’m not professional, and I almost always use my phone’s camera. I have a Nokia 5, which is light years away from an iPhone’s camera. This means that despite my best efforts, I sometimes have to edit my photos. I use Snapseed; I adjust the brightness, then add either the Pop or Accentuate filter. I use PicsArt and InShot filters less often. Making a digital collage with PicsArt or InShot is easy, and making your images smaller can allow them to look much better. And if all else fails, add a black-and-white filter, which is very forgiving.

Have fun

Most importantly, have fun. This goes back to my tip on smiling. If you aren’t a beach person, then don’t go. If you are one, swim, take a walk, listen to the waves, play beach volleyball, eat ice cream, and have an enjoyable time. When you have fun with loved ones, it can lead to beautiful images taken candidly. Taking solo beach photos can be great as well because you can linger and take your time when capturing a scene or a #beachselfie.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know if you have anything to add to this list of tips. I haven’t delved into nighttime beach photography yet, and when I do, I will update this post. I love reading comments on my blog, and I’m open to online collaboration. If you have any questions, inbox me, e-mail me, or leave them down in the comments section.

Happy travels!