TIPS FOR AWESOME KID’S PHOTOS AT THE BEACH

If you, like many of us, abhor the thought of taking your expensive camera equipment to the beach – with all that sand and water – then at the very least grab your iPhone and give taking kid’s photos at the beach a shot. Besides beautiful vistas and gorgeous skies, the beach is a perfect place to take some memorable images of your kids. But first, a few tips to ensure you get amazing kid’s photos, regardless of the equipment you are using:

Use the water

If you can find some still water, use it to reflect the scene, including your little ones! Sitting, standing, or jumping – whatever works. Or rather, whatever you can convince your kids to do at the time. This strategy works even better when there are other things in the reflection, such as birds, clouds, boats, etc.

Get up close for great kid’s portraits

Sometimes getting closer and looking at the details can create interesting images. Hands or feet in the water, at ground level for a sandcastle, sea life, footprints, or seashells. Have your kids draw pictures in the sand, or follow their foot patterns down the beach for a picturesque photo of them along the shoreline.

Look for your focal point

Any photo, whether a portrait, landscape, or somewhere in between, needs to give the viewer something to look at. Find the more interesting part of your image and use it to build a creative composition. Use the the rule of thirds to place your focal point in the frame. Or, for docks/wharfs/piers you can keep it in the center with a focal point at the end.

Make silhouettes and panoramas

When the sun is behind your subject, it can be a pain to try to get your camera or smartphone to take a good exposure. So work with what you have, take a step back, and make some lovely silhouettes at the beach. For a striking silhouette, step back and use a landscape setting. You might have to adjust your exposure to get the “perfect” shot.

Embrace Monochrome

Summer photography involves (ideally) some sun, which may not always result in a complimentary photo – when there’s a lot of shadows happening you may get better results by converting your image into black and white. If your colorized image looks good but “not quite” try adding a black and white filter, either in camera or afterwards with a photo processing software.

Finally, don’t forget to share! Upload to Instagram or Facebook, create an album, or print your favorites. Create some memories – but also capture your kid’s having a great time at the beach.