Category — Shadows

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!

The sun is the source of all life in our universe, and we should rightfully be thankful for its presence. Yet, in particular situations, the sun can be the photographers worst enemy. They make people squint and cast harsh shadows. In general, the bright sun is a horrible thing for the beach photographer. Yet, here are 3 ways to use the sun to your advantage instead of being annoyed by it.

1. Have people face the sun at an angle
When you’re taking photos of people, instead of having them face directly at the sun, try positioning them such that they’re at a 45 to 90 degree angle looking at the sun. You don’t want them to be backlit with the sun behind them, either. Get it so that the sun is lighting their faces, and yet they don’t have to stare directly at the sun when looking at the camera. Be aware of shadows caused on faces by someone’s nose or by other people next to them, and try to mitigate their effects.

2. Use trees and buildings to your advantage
Many times, even on the beach you can find trees (palm and otherwise) that you can set subjects (people or objects) underneath so that the sun isn’t so harsh on them. Semi-leafy trees can be ideal so that some light is getting through, but not too much. Also, depending on the placement of structures, you can photograph people in the shadows and still find enough light to make a good photo.

3. Create interesting photos with unique shadows
Instead of fighting the sun, USE the sun to create artful patterns. Think of textures and unique figures you can create by figuring out where the sun falls. Instead of “painting with light,” try your hand at painting with shadows.