Category — Beach Subjects

We’ve all had it happen. We check the forecast the night before and it says it’s going be sunny. Then we drive the 1 hour, 2 hours or even more to our favorite beach. We open the car door and then suddenly BOOM. We hear thunder and it’s raining. Or maybe it’s just drizzling. Or maybe it is just gray instead of sunny. What do you do? Go back home? No way. You make best of it. And you can still take some great photos. Here are a few suggestions.

Photograph Lightning
If you’re feeling brave and patient, get out your umbrella, raincoat and tripod and set up shop right in front of where the lightning is striking. You’ll need a remote shutter release if you want to minimize camera shake. This is where it gets fun, and frustrating. It takes a little luck and a lot of waiting. But, when you get your first shot of a lightning bolt, it is all worth it. Try experimenting with longer shutter speeds and try to catch the lightning before it strikes.

Use the ambient lighting to your advantage
Usually, when you’re at the beach the bright sun can be a real problem. If it’s raining or cloudy, you have a unique opportunity to take photos without such harsh lighting. I like shooting shells, plants and other still life shots with this kind of lighting.

Try shooting in Black & White mode
If the colors look muted anyway, try out the black and white setting on your camera, or just do some post-processing afterwards to convert your photos to black and white. It really challenges you to create strong compositions and bolder contrasts of subjects when you can’t rely on colors as a crutch.

Don’t get too down if it’s rainy at the beach, there are plenty of opportunities even when things don’t go your way!

It really depends on what your purpose is at the beach: some people are looking for the quintessential beach photo archetype, where other people prefer something off the beaten path and unusual for their photos. Here are five things that are either classic or original. If you have other ideas, share them in the comments!

1. Colored Umbrellas
If you can find someone who’s pitched a brightly decorated sun umbrella in the ground you can frame it either alone or with people in the shot. Even on a bright day, you can use the colors to your advantage.

2. Seaweed
All kinds of plants can wash up on shore. Or even during low tide, unique vegetation can expose itself. Try arranging it in artful patterns, or get in really tight to get great macro shots.

3. Lifeguard Stations
No, I’m not necessarily evoking Baywatch photos, but either with or without the lifeguard present, the lifeguard stands represent a bastion of safety and order within the otherwise wild and dangerous beachfront,

4. Sea Foam
Certain areas can have a veritable meta-sea of sea foam. You can get in close if you’re brave, or you can shoot wider and go for the “walking on the clouds” look.

5. Food and Drink
Here’s something you might not typically think of. I think juxtaposing beach snack foods can be fun, and nothing is better than capturing those perfect moments with friends on the beach relaxing and eating tropical fruit or enjoying a nice cold one.