Beach, here we come! And we’re taking our cameras.

Whether you’re going on a holiday or visiting the beach for just a day: Take your camera with you, print your favorite photo on Xpozer, and keep those warm summer vibes with you forever! Let me just give you 4 pointers to get you started.

1. Good timing

When photographing the beach, you’ll need to decide on the mood you want to set. Choose the time of day accordingly.

The beach looks very different with an orange sunset sky, compared to a stormy morning. A photo taken during a storm can be very interesting, though. Imagine huge waves and a scary, dark and cloudy sky.

If you like the relaxing summer vibe, we’d recommend shooting in early mornings. That way there won’t be too many sunbathers in your way. But it all depends on what exactly you’d like to photograph, of course.

If you want to photograph the sun: there are many apps and websites that tell you at what times the sun rises and sets. Don’t forget to check how the beach is positioned with respect to the sun. You could wish for a sunrise above the sea on the west coast, but that’s not going to happen. Ever. So, check your position and time your trip accordingly.

2. Shadows on the beach

During sunny days, shadows are really harsh and dark. It is probably best to avoid those, as they can be distracting and they’d probably distract the viewer from the subject in the final photo.

Of course, shadows are nice things to play with, too! Just check out the shadow in the photo above. That person standing there wouldn’t have been that noticeable without its shadow. So in this example, the harsh shadow is actually quite important.

3. Light

Just before sunrise and just after sunset there’s mostly blueish light. We call this the blue hour. Right after sunrise and right before sunset there’s mostly shades of orange and yellow. We call this the golden hour. Make use of this natural phenomenon to create a special-looking atmosphere in your photo.

4. Choose a subject

Create an interesting subject to complement the image.

An empty beach can be great to unwind the mind, but it’s not necessarily an interesting photo subject. So, choose or create a subject to make the scene around it more interesting. The lady in the photo above makes the image way more interesting than the empty beach would have been. Her being there creates a sense of depth. It feels like I’m walking right behind her, enjoying a walk on the sand.

Practical tips

Is a fotoshoot near sand and water a bit scary to you? Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be fine.

Choose your lens and keep it on your camera. Switching lenses is very tricky near all those grains of sand. They could do a lot of damage inside your camera. Keep it on, and you’ll be fine.
With a special water resistant smartphone bag, you can keep using your phone to take awesome photos, even when you’re standing in the ocean. A budget proof alternative is using a clear zip lock bag. Stay careful, though! Test your bag carefully without your smartphone inside.
Keep a lens cleaning set in your bag at all times. Avoid using cloths to clean your lens, as the smallest grain of sand can scratch your lens and the cloth could leave behind annoyingly hard to remove fibers. Instead, use air to clean your lens. There are lens pens, air blowers and compressed air dusters.

Enjoy your beach (holi)day forever with Xpozer

We might not always have the time or the means to go visit the coast. That’s why we love the idea of capturing the beach whenever you can, so you can keep enjoying it when you’re back home. Your beach photo on Xpozer creates a year-round beach vibe. You’ll be enjoying the summer beach vibe even when it’s mid-winter and snowing.