This is really helpful since no beach is alike and the direction of light differs from one side of the world to another. In the first situation, we would likely use a lot more fun and lighthearted prompts to keep our couple engaging with each other in ways that elicit a lot of natural laughter and smiles. But while doing beach photography can be tough, dont worry because there are a few simple tips and tricks you can use to keep your beach portraits looking gorgeous, even at high noon. How to Create Catch Lights in Your Natural Light Portraits, Tips for Using Golden Hour Light for Portraits, Side-by-side comparison between reflectors and diffusers for portraits, 6 Tips for Taking Better Natural Light Classic Portraits, How to Use a Small Softbox With Your Flash to Transform Your Portraits, Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light, The Importance of Shadows in Portrait Photography, So You Have No Model? How Much Does an Average Wedding Photographer Cost? Be sure to check and see what time the sun rises and sets on the day of your shoot. The sand can also work as a natural reflector, bouncing light back into their faces. I love this. When shes not on the beach, you can find her writing on her blog and spending time with her baby and husband. If you expect crowds, is there a spot nearby that may be less crowded (perhaps further from the parking lot)? Lets dive right in, starting with our number one tip: To capture stunning beach portraits, you need to know where the sun is, no matter the time of day. What You Need to Know About The Angle of the Sun. There are many difficulties that harsh mid-day sunlight can pose in any location but these are made worse at the beach. Ask your clients to hold still and attempt some slow shutter speed photos. Another alternative is to give your subjects action oriented poses such as walking along the beach, jumping, running, etc. And once again, make your groups active. Many of our favorite beach photo shoots were around sunset on days with warm and good weather. But the overcast scenario is not preferable as it will make your photographs lackluster (low in contrast in saturation), and they will require a lot more Photoshop work to make them acceptable. Of course, this all depends on your style of photography. Ethan. That way you know when to schedule a photoshoot, where to set up your camera, where to position your subject, and how the light will change over the course of your session. This is because there is almost always wind at the beach, and the wind turns those reflectors into huge sails. By swapping your lenses for a new perspective, you can take a lot more pictures that feel distinctly different. 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You can use an external flash, pop-up flash, or a reflector. What You Need to Know About Lighting Your Beach Portraits. Morning light is a great time to do beach portraits, 3. Once you've picked your location, you must decide whether it will be a morning, or evening, shoot. And, if you are trying to take a picture of a person who has their back to the ocean, a properly exposed image will end up with blown out skies (and even the ocean itself can be blown out thanks to bright sky reflections). A lot of beaches come connected to beach towns which may have cool little shopping districts, neat architecture, even parks and other areas worth noting. You can also try silhouetting your clients with the sunset light to offer a different look to the final images: One more quick tip: Golden hour is the perfect time to turn your clients toward the setting sun. Will there be enough parking? Your approach to posing will be entirely subjective. Share your thoughts in the comments below! Morning light on a beach is magical. In the morning, the best time to start your shoot is about five minutes before sunrise. We recommend natural colors: khaki, white, blue, green, black. Is Portrait Formatting always best for Portraits? Generally you want some type of sidelight from the sun. In this guide, were going to teach you how to take great portraits of couples on the beach. Be aware that most built-in flash units will not be powerful enough to balance your exposure to the sun: especially in a complete backlit situation. Do not have a natural look. Let's examine each of these creative decisions one at a time. We normally try to keep these within walking distance as much as possible. It doesnt matter the time of day; its good to include variety in your beach portraits. We tell clients to avoid bright colors such as pink, red, orange. What Size Beauty Dish is Right For Your Portrait Photography? Going to Naples in June and would like to get a good picture of the kids there for a holiday card. Rain can be a shoot stopper. Your email address will not be published. If you angle your subjects away from the sun but youre still getting harsh, unflattering light, you may want to consider using a reflector or some fill flash to deal with those unwanted shadows. How to Use Portrait Angles More Creatively: A Visual Guide, How to Use Facial View and Camera Angle to take Flattering Portraits, Comparing a 50mm Versus 85mm Lens for Photographing People, Comparing a 24mm Versus 50mm Lens for Photographing People, 3 Tips for Taking Portraits with a Kit Lens, Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits, 3 Ways to Get Killer Portraits Using a Tripod, Photographing Portraits with Classic Lenses (includes Example Images). If you would like to incorporate some color try using blue, green, or black. See more of her work on Instagram. Throw some bold colors into those shots! I would with 1/2 to 2/3 under. Photographing lifestyle-type photos with the family playing, getting in the water, and just having a beach day is a good way to spice up the photoshoot. Light Stalking participates in various affiliate programs, meaning we may get paid commissions on certain products purchased through our links to other sites. Will your subjects be able to walk to the location? However, golden hour begins about an hour before the sun dips below the horizon, which means the angle of the light is pretty low and directional. Have you ever wondered how to shoot a beach portrait like a pro? Photographing People: To do Styled Portraits or Not? Honeybook for Photographers 10 Tips for the Best Workflows, How to Use Imagen AI to Better Your Wedding Photography Business. Alternatively, on a beach in California, youll catch the sun hitting the water from the land side. This helps conceal that the hair was flying around anyway. Better Beach Photography. What the angle of the sun will be to your subjects. Plan on a sunrise, or sunset, shoot. Ask yourself these questions. If you are normally taking portraits with a 50mm lens, try putting on a wide angle 16mm or a tighter 85mm and see how it impacts your photography! They are some of the most common leading lines you will find on any beach no matter where you are in the world. Then break it down into individual families and finally the children alone. Being on the East Coast of the USA, we get lucky because the sun sets in the West, meaning photographs during sunset will illuminate our couples faces when they have their backs facing towards the ocean. When you walk the beach, look for several things: A beautiful background. This is especially true for couples portrait photography. Always bring some plastic garbage bags to cover your equipment in case you're dodging rain showers. The light is a little bluer in the mornings, and depending on the beach where your session is taking place, the sun can rise over the ocean or peek through the trees. There is a reason for this: neutral earth tones work best. This will keep their hair from blowing in their face. Getting up high can keep clients out of harsh sunlight. The easiest way to do this is to use an ephemeris app (I personally use this one). is a destination wedding and portrait photographer based on the beautiful beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Whether youre photographing an engagement session, wedding portraits, an anniversary, or a couple just because we hope our portrait tips help you to take better shots next time youre shooting at the beach. If you are familiar with your shooting location, this is an advantage. Beach environments are normally wide open (so have very little shaded areas). How difficult is the access to your chosen location. Youre not alone. As a photographer, its important to research the area you will be photographing for interesting extra locations. Fly-away hair around the head can be easily dealt with in Photoshop. This will provide rim lighting, and your flash becomes the main light. Single subjects can posed in many ways, especially children. It's not difficult. There are two main weather concerns for the beach portrait photographer: wind and rain. To get the most natural reactions from your couples, use candid posing prompts by Signature Edits. Once the sun passes the highest point, it will be at a bit of an angle as it starts to go down for sunset. 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Conveying this feeling of happiness in your photos will be especially valuable to making pictures that feel right for the day they were taken. The thing with the Rebel is if I try hand the camera to someone to ask them for a quick family photo, they are quickly intimidated so my husband and I rarely make the yearly photo! Thats the sweet spot for photographing during the midday hours at the beach. A helper can be invaluable. While youre waiting for the midday sun to angle a bit, the nearby town can also serve as a nice background. Blue hour is a great time to photograph because of the beautiful colors like blue, orange, pink, and purple that come out after sunset. As we wrote in our review, these prompts have really helped us to up our game when it comes to taking couples portrait photography. 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This is especially useful if sunrise is behind the water at the beach. , Kent, Just ignored my question earlier. This will give your portraits that warm glow of the setting sun, and it will be less bright for your subjects to keep their eyes open. That way, you can capture that beautiful golden color cast on their skin and hair, plus itll contribute to the overall look of the photos. A good STRONG flash is your best choice. But don't fret if you aren't; pre-planning will keep you on-track for a successful shoot. Thanks again, Yes perfect for relaxing and getting a tan. Its not to say we dont want some more serious and moody shots when the weather is nice, and that we dont want any of people smiling when its darker and more moody out but these things do make an impact. 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In the second situation, we might keep them closer together for a lot of shots, and use prompts that keep them a little more serious and connected. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Learn photography with us and read all about Light Stalking and the people behind our photography traininghere. Will there be crowds of people? If grandparents are present, photograph them with all the kids. Kent, I have a Canon Rebel.is that camera good enough for a good family photo on the beach? Engagement photos + the beach = swooning heart eyes over here!! If there is a single aunt, or uncle, shoot them with all the kids. LOL any tips? But don't give up too easily. Posing Tip for Portraits Which Way Should Your Subject Lean? Your main concern will be to give them something to do. We always think of our couples photography as being a collection of images, not a single shot. Place, 50mm Photography: 5 Reasons Everyone Needs a (Nifty) 50mm Lens. This is especially true if the sun provides a warm glow, as the light will over-saturate the color of the clothing. What's The Best Clothing for Beach Portraiture? I recommend you position your clients so theyre looking away from the sun; that way, the sun starts to fall behind them (and this will prevent the issues I discussed in the previous section). Lastly, your camera gear can help you to take more interesting photos while at the beach. thanks for the tips! I feel like Im always playing around with settings and messing it up so I end up using my iphone in the end.