DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

 

When the sun's out us Brits pack the car up with buckets, spades, the dog and family members and head to the beach. But as well as eating ice cream and playing the odd game of cricket or rounders take some time out to take a few beach photos. It doesn't even have to be a gloriously sunny day for photography either as waves crashing against the sea wall will look just as good as a family snap on the front.

  1. Gear Suggestions

You won't need a huge bag full of your fancy gear - you'll have enough to carry with all of the cool boxes and beach gear anyway! Your interchangeable lens camera and a zoom lens are fine or even a point-and-shoot camera will be enough if you're really lacking on space. Make space in your bag for a hotshoe flash for when the sun begins to set and if you're worried about saltwater or sand getting into your camera put it in waterproof housing or if you're using a point-and-shoot make it a waterproof one. Pack a blower to gently remove grains of sand that will land on your lens and have a microfibre cloth ready to wipe away sea spray.

 

2. Capturing Portraits

It's most likely that your number one subject at the beach will be your family but you don't always have to take shots of them grinning like Cheshire cats at you. Candids of them resting, playing in the sand, swimming or eating ice cream will work just as well, if not better than a posed, family portrait.

 

3. Lighting Tips 

Make sure you pay attention to where the sun is. It may work well for the sun to be behind you but this will only make your subject squint. Instead, move your subject into the shade of a brolly or have the sun behind them and use flash to fill in the shadows. Also, if you can, avoid taking photos at midday as the light's harsh and causes long shadows.

 

 

4. Check Your Backgrounds

Keep away from distracting backgrounds and make sure you take a good look around the viewfinder before you take your shot as the odd bit of rubbish, which can spoil a shot, is easy to miss when you're surrounded by so many interesting things. Make sure your subject fills the frame to stop attention going elsewhere and even though it may sound a little clichéd, silhouette shots of people do work well. Try using a telephoto lens to help you compose tightly and have your tripod to hand for those longer, evening exposures.

 

5. Don't Forget Your Basic Beach Shots 

As well as people shots try a sweeping shot of the sea and beach, stretching out for miles. Early morning or later in the evening after all the tourists have gone will give you an empty beach to work with. However, not everyone has kids who will get out of bed early so if the only shot you can take is full of brollies and windbreakers in the afternoon do it. A busy beach, particularly if there's not even standing room left, will always get a smile or you could try to clone them all out if you prefer a more natural shot.

 

6. Capturing Sunset Scenes 

Sunsets are, of course, a holiday snapshot favourite but as the sun's not setting until late on you may want to head off for some food then return to the beach later once your stomach's full.

If you do plan on photographing the sun as it sets DO NOT look at it through the camera lens and wait until it's very low in the sky and diffused by the haze caused by pollution or clouds. If the sun's your main focus, have it slightly off centre to make your final image more compositionally pleasing and don't forget that having foreground as well as background interest works well in sunset shots.

 

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A wildlife photo of two gannets together has won our 'Photo of the Week' (POTW) accolade.

This image, titled "Gannets Bonding" by Debmercury, captures two gannets against a soft, blurred background, full of emotion and texture. The composition and timing come together really well to create a nice photo. It's a great example of wildlife photography that catches a real moment between two birds. Congratulations to Debmercury on this superb capture.

Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2027, we’ll crown our 2026 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards! 

To see more of our POTW winners, visit the POTW Gallery.