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Seascape Photography Tips

Welcome to our Seascape Photography Tips page.

One of the most popular themes for a lot of professional landscape photographers is capturing the perfect seascape. There is something magical about the combination of endless water and wide horizons. Throw in a stunning sunrise, sunset, or cloud formation, and you’re in business.

Tips for Capturing the Perfect Seascape

Seascape Photography Great Keppel Island

1. Wear appropriate weather-and waterproof clothing. Hiking boots usually don’t last very long in salt water, so invest in a pair of budget ‘reef walkers’ to step over sharp coral or slippery rocks.

2. Make sure that you take measures to protect your equipment. Salt spray can easily damage electronics. It can also mist up lenses and viewfinders, so always carry a small towel with you. You can protect your camera with a plastic bag or shower cap, or invest in a commercial water and dust-proof covering. Remember to always wash your Tripod legs in fresh water after a beach shoot, even if you have carbon fibre model.

© 2010 Mia Rose

3. Plan your shoot in advance. Check the tides before you leave and opt for a receding tide that exposes the rocks and leave gorgeous reflections in the sand. You may also want to check forecasts on wind strengths and movements in the tides to ensure a comfortable shoot. A cool way to ensure that you arrive at the right time and place to capture a sunrise or sunset, try ‘The Photographer’s Ephemeris’ application. It’s free software that uses Google Earth to highlight exactly where the sun and moon rise and set in any location on the planet on any day. Decide on your viewpoint and get to your destination at least half an hour before optimal shooting time.

4. The same rules that apply to all landscape photography are important in capturing the perfect seascape too. The quality of light is paramount. Pre-dawn light, or the after-glow after the sun has set leads to stunning effects. There is nothing quite like those pinks, mauves and blues reflected in the water and sand just before the light goes.

5. Stormy weather is great for seascapes – especially the wild light just before and after a storm. Look out for billowing clouds and shafts of light breaking through and lighting up patches of the sea. You may want to indulge in some HDR (High Dynamic Range) bracketing of shots to capture the full tonal range.

6. Long exposures using neutral density filters will give you beautiful blurred water and cloud images.

7. Try different lenses for different effects. Wide-angles will give you a large ‘stretched’ perspective while telephoto lenses allow you to get in close for crashing waves and rocks offshore.

* Digital Landscape Photography

* Landscape Photography Tips

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Read, reflect and be inspired. If you find something of value on our Seascape Photography Tips page, enjoy its gifts and please pass it on to your friends.

SBI!