Image by Tookie

Summer’s winding down, but there’s still time to hit the beach for a few last days in the sun. But this time, don’t leave the digital camera at home. Beach photography shows up as some of the best-selling photos on microstock sites like iStockphoto and is among the most popular on photo-sharing sites like Flickr. As long as you’re ready to fight to keep the sand out of your camera (something easier said than done), beach photography can be both fun and profitable.

Here’s 10 of the best examples of beach photography online today, along a lesson you can learn from each for your own photography.

Image by muha.

1. Every great beach photo needs an anchor.

This is a fantastic image by muha - a beautiful beach that’s all but deserted. But what really makes this photo interesting is the chair in the photograph. It anchors the image - it provides something to draw the reader’s eye in. That’s important. The photo would be a lot less effective if it was just of the sand and waves alone.

There’s no reason to ignore the sweeping, pristine landscape in beach photography - that’s the whole point of the image! Just see if you can pick a cool detail out of the landscape to highlight in your photo. It gives your viewer an entrance point into the image.

Image by muha.

2. Look for leading lines for your image.

This photo provides another example of the way you can draw a viewer into your beach photography. Think about the first thing you saw when looking at this photo - it’s most likely the dock. The dock catches your eye at the bottom of the frame and draws your eye to the small huts on the horizon beyond. That’s what makes it an effective photograph.

By finding leading lines like this, you invite the reader into your photograph and give them a sense of really being there.

3. For big scenes, use a small aperture.

I harp on aperture a lot on Cheapshooter, but one of the easiest ways to improve the quality of your photos. Beach photography is no exception. For shooting those wide, sweeping scenes use a small aperture to make your entire scene sharp. Small apertures create large depth of field - which is what you want. On your digital camera, use a larger f-number.

One of the problems with using a small aperture is that less light hits your camera sensor. Fortunately, the nature of beach photography is that photos are usually taken on bright, sunny days so this shouldn’t be too much of a issue.

Photo by Nathan Gibbs.

4. Don’t miss the details - and use a large aperture when you do.

There’s a lot of cool stuff on the beach that you won’t see anywhere else - boats, footprints in the sand, shells, etc. Incorporate these items into your beach photography. It’s a whole different type of photography that you can add to your repertoire pretty easily.

Nathan Gibbs’ image of the beach is a beautiful example of how to find details on the beach. Part of why it was successful is that he uses a large aperture in the photo, setting a small f-number on his digital camera. This shallows the depth-of-field and gives you as the photographer a great deal of control over what part of the image is in focus. Gibbs used this to his advantage in the above photo, creating a fantastic example of beach photography.

5. Look for reflections.

One very specific type of detail you can find on the beach is a wide variety of cool reflections. Think about how you incorporate this into your beach photography. Shells and boats are just two examples of images that cast complex, interesting reflections - especially in the crystal blue of a tide pool or a sheltered bay.

To shoot a reflection, it’s best when the object is lit from the front and the surface of the water is fairly still. This means early mornings and late afternoons are a good time to look for reflections, as the sun will be at a sharper angle to the object.

Photo by NineBlue

Photo by J Star.

6. Use Both Fast and Slow Shutter Speeds

Both fast and slow shutter speeds have a place in beach photography. Slow shutter speeds, like the image above by NineBlue, blur motion. This can create a cool effect - especially as the surf comes in. Set your camera up on a tripod, use a small aperture and a long shutter speed, and shoot the waves. You’ll get a silky-smooth effect that’s distinctive and unusual. But in the process, don’t forget that the beach is also a place of action. Waves crashing, kids (or dogs) jumping, beach balls flying - all these require fast shutter speeds. Experimenting with both fast and slow shutter speeds is a great way of getting range in your beach photography.

Image by Lucas Cavalheiro

7. Experiment with backlighting.

Backlighting is one of the most common - and cool - effects in beach photography, and it’s easier than you think. Most people just point their digital camera at the subject and click the shutter. What the camera typically does is get its exposure reading from the subject, which is fine in most cases but not when you are trying to achieve a backlighting effect. Instead, manually expose your photograph or use exposure lock on your digital camera to get an exposure reading from the background instead of the subject. In most cases, especially in beach photography, the background will be brighter than the subject in front of it, resulting in backlighting. This is especially effective during sunsets, like in the above image.

Photo by Lionche.

8. Polarizers are a great tool for beach photography.

If your camera can accept polarizers, they’re a great tool for beach photography. Polarizers help to minimize reflections and darken the blues of the skies and water. The result is a clearer line between the water and the horizon, with deeper hues of blue.

If you are searching for a polarizer for your camera, make sure you buy one with circular polarization. Linear polarizers mess with the autofocus systems in modern digital cameras.

In a pinch, or if your camera can’t accept filters, sunglasses make an effective polarizer as well.

Photo by laszlo-photo.

9. Start using your exposure compensation.

One of the more challenging aspects of beach photography is getting the exposure right. Oftentimes, the sky is just a bit brighter than the water, and when you take the photo, the sky ends up blown out. There’s an easy fix to this through using exposure compensation. Point your camera at the water to set your camera’s exposure reading, and then set your exposure compensation down two or three stops. The water will be darker - but not underexposed - and the sky will no longer be blown.

1o. Protect Your Camera

I alluded to this in the beginning, but I’ll restate it here: beach photography can be hazardous to your camera’s health. Sand can enter small cracks in the camera body, creating spots on your sensor or damaging internal electronics. Water is even worse. If you go to the beach, bring a Ziploc bag or a camera case to hide your digital camera in when you aren’t using it to protect it from the elements. Beach photography can be a lot of fun, but that fun is dampened quickly by ruining your digital camera. So be careful.

Like what you see? Join our newsletter.