Beaches attract countless tourists for a reason. People are naturally drawn to the scenery with the wide open sea, rushing waves, blue skies, coconut trees, and white sand. We might even stumble on a few animals here and there. Many try to capture the scenes but shots rarely come out the way that they want these to. The gap between what their eyes can see and what their cameras capture is too wide. If you want to improve your beach landscape photography, then you might need to change the way that you approach it. Consider the following:
Bring the Right Gear
You need to come prepared with the right gear. Use a camera with a large sensor if you want rich detail, good color accuracy, and excellent low light performance. This should have a manual mode to get greater control over the images. Since you are going to shoot landscapes, it would be a good idea to bring a wide angle lens to capture more details in a single frame. You can just put a camera strap around your neck and shoot by hand but it’s best to put the device on a tripod for longer exposures. Polarizing filters and neutral density filters will be useful as well. These can prevent reflections and reduce the harshness of bright lights.
Chase the Sunrise and Sunset
Photographers will always rave about the golden hours and that remains true for beach landscape photography. Take advantage of the gorgeous colors available when the sun is about to rise or set. Indeed, you should check the map of the beach to see where the eastern and the western sides are. Look for good places to capture your shots before these times.
Clean Your Lens on the Go
The beach can be punishing on your gear. Be careful whenever you go close to the waters. Splashes might get your camera wet. Even small droplets can have an impact on your images. Make it a habit to check the lens and clean with a microfiber cloth or another suitable solutions. Do this quickly as the water has high salt content which is not good for equipment.
Play with the Settings
Try to play around with the camera settings to get different effects. Long exposures can create fascinating shots. The same is true for show shutter speeds. Use this trick for strong waves that are crashing on rocky sections of the beach. Just make sure that you are in a safe location while taking snaps.