Summer Series: 5 Tips for Ocean Photography
Prints available: Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, CA
These 5 tips can help you capture an excellent ocean photo on your next trip to the beach. Tips 1 & 2 likely require a dedicated camera, while 3, 4, & 5 can be helpful even with a smartphone. I’ve included various photos as examples of both what to do and what not to do.
1. Still ocean shots: Use a long exposure with a tripod
If you’re trying to capture a picture of a nice sunset or some feature at the beach such as a pier, you’ll want to use a long exposure (a few seconds or longer) to smooth out the ocean waves. This helps draw attention away from the waves and towards whatever you’re trying to focus on.
Why do you need a tripod? When taking a long exposure photo, you want your camera to be as stable as possible. Trying to stabilize a camera with just your hands while taking a 2.5s exposure will not come out well.
Even the slight movement of the camera when you press the shutter button can cause your photo to be blurry, so I recommend using a remote (like the Canon BR-E1 for Canon cameras) to take your photo. Some cameras even allow you to connect using your phone via Bluetooth to use as a remote shutter. Lastly some cameras offer a touchscreen with a touch shutter option, which allows you to lightly tap the screen to take the photo rather than depress the shutter button.
Summary:
Use a long exposure (2.5s or longer)
Use a tripod
Use a remote / cell phone / touchscreen shutter to activate your camera’s shutter
Examples using various shutter speeds
The following 4 photos of Balboa Pier were taken in Newport Beach, CA using various shutter speeds.
Shutter speed: 1/100s
Notice how the waves look crisp but uninteresting. The people on the pier also appear clear.
Shutter speed: 1/2s
The waves appear slightly blurry, and so do the people on the pier. Not great.
Shutter speed: 1s
The ocean looks semi-smooth & is starting to look better than the previous photos.
Shutter speed: 2.5s
This one looks the best out of these 4 in my opinion. The waves have been smoothed out for a clean, glassy look.
2. Wave photos: Use aa zoom / telephoto lens
To capture the chaos of a wave, it helps to have a zoom lens so that you can get as close as possible without actually being in the wave (although a waterproof camera and a wetsuit would yield the best photos!).
What about shutter speed? In general choose a faster shutter speed as you zoom in further. A shutter speed around 1/250 - 1/800 is generally good. Don’t use a long exposure like you would for still shots since it’ll smooth out all of that great wave chaos that you’re trying to capture.
Examples using various zoom distances
The following photos taken in Big Sur, CA capture the waves using difference zoom distances.
Zoom: 19mm (wide angle)
Zoom: 45mm (medium shot)
Zoom: 127mm (zoomed in)
The foreground no longer includes the shore, helping you focus on the power of the wave. This photo is admittedly timed better to capture a crashing wave than the 3 photos above, but ignore that for now. Instead notice how the crashing wave has more impact as you get closer to it.
Prints available: Pfeiffer Beach
3. Beach features: Don't be afraid to play!
The beach is pretty, but let’s be honest, we’ve all pretty much seen the sand and the water before. If you’re looking for a way to add some life to your picture, find something on the shore to incorporate into the foreground. And don’t be afraid to play - draw a design in the sand or stack sticks if you can find them. Even something minor, like a log or some rocks, can help add an extra spark to your photo.
Examples of adding beach features into the foreground
These 4 pictures show how you can incorporate random things that you find at the beach into your photos to spice them up a bit.
The rock features in the water are pretty on their own, but not interesting enough for the photo I wanted. The addition of the log helps you to imagine yourself sitting here, enjoying the sound of the surf and watching the sun go down.
The large circular building adds a unique feature to the background, but this picture could be improved by adding something interesting in the foreground.
Even though there’s nothing exciting offshore in this photo, the driftwood pile adds something to grab your attention. I made this little structure by dragging random pieces of driftwood from around the shore.
You can just feel the California vibe coming from this picture! Driftwood and flat rocks, combined with a surfer catching some end-of-day waves, capture the beauty of coastal California.
Prints available: Classic California
4. Sky shots: Clouds are your friend
Don’t get me wrong - beach days are the best with bright sun and blue cloudless skies. But if some clouds roll in, get off of your beach towel, grab your camera out, and capture some pictures!
I typically try to minimize the amount of blank sky in my photos because it’s simply not interesting to look at. On the other hand, if there’s a good cloud formation at the beach I might try to fill up 80% of the frame with just the sky. The ideal setup for an interesting sky for me is partly cloudy (not a complete cloud cover).
Examples of clouds vs. clear skies at the beach
These photos show a few ways that the sky can positively and negatively affect your beach photos.
A little evening haze allows you to see the shape of the sun.
This picture has a semi-interesting set of wooden posts, but the top 30-40% of the image has a blank blue sky. A few clouds might help improve the photo.
The water and trees are pleasant on their own, but the sky takes center stage in this photo taken on a partly cloudy night at the Back Bay in Newport Beach.
Prints available: Western Sky
I was initially disappointed when I saw clouds roll in during a relaxing evening at the beach, but then these heavenly rays poked out of the clouds creating this eye-popping spectacle.
Prints available: Heavenly Rays
5. Time of day: Go at sunrise or sunset
The flat mid-day light is typically less interesting than the variety of colors and directionality of sunrise and sunset lighting. Let me be honest - I’m not a fan of this “rule” since it drastically reduces the amount of “good time” you have to take photos to just a few hours each day. But it seems to be true when I look at the pictures I’ve taken. Test it; go browse some of your favorite photos and note how many of them are around sunrise or sunset. For me, the answer is “a lot!”!
Examples of how time of day can affect your photo
These 4 photos show how capturing your photo at sunrise or sunset can add some dramatic color or shadows to enhance your image.
The iconic Bixby Bridge is gorgeous in any light. I stopped here multiple times on a recent visit, and took many photos. This particular one was my favorite. The setting sun off to the right generated some interesting shadows off to the left, along with a warm glow on the hillside.
Prints available: Bixby Bridge
The wood pillars underneath the pier are turned into dark black shadows due to the hot orange sunset.
Prints available: Sunset Over Catalina
The blue-green waters are pretty, but the flat mid-day lighting results in a blank, uninteresting sky.
The setting sun causes some interesting shadows on the ground both from the people and from the wooden posts below the pier.
Prints available: Balboa Pier
Conclusion
While there’s no perfect recipe for a great picture, these 5 tips can help stack the odds in your favor to capture excellent photos of the ocean on your next beach trip.
#4 is just luck (you can’t control the weather!), but the rest of these are within your control. So next time you’re planning a trip to the beach, pack your tripod, your zoom lens, check the cloud forecast, and time your visit right to capture some high-quality photos. Good luck!