You may wonder what makes the difference between sea and landscape photography.Even though it may seem kind of the same thing, to be precise, landscape comprises seascape as one of its parts; it is not. To my mind, there are so many little things that need to be taken into account when you are doing a shot. Whether it is a landscape, portrait or any other photoshoot, everything should be perfectly set if you want to get a breathtaking picture. Here are some guidelines that I always follow when shooting seascape, and I recommend you to observe at least some of them. You will see how much your photography skills will improve!
Choosing a Location
First of all, I have to warn everybody to be cautious, as I know that a photographer will do anything to get that one pretty shot. Frankly, I have been in such situations too. Several times. One minute everything is fine, and the next one you find yourself sitting on a rock attached by water from all sides. Yeah, I had to wait a couple of hours for the tide to go off and clear the passage for me. So, remember: safety is your priority.
Before starting to shoot, you need to decide on the spot, from which you will take pictures. Will it be the beach, the tall cliff, or perhaps the rocks? It will help you understand what to take with you to the shooting, for example, a sweater or hiking boots.
It is also important to watch the sun. You don’t want half of your picture to be covered by the shadow, right? So be sure to look at the place where the sun will be setting. On top of that, it won’t hurt if you check the weather forecast too. The weather changes quickly in coastal areas, and you may not even notice an upcoming storm. Sometimes the wind can be a serious reason to stop the shooting. It’s always better to be prepared for such situations.
Shooting Tips
While you are shooting seascape, you basically have two options here. You either freeze the movement of the waves or blur the movement of the water. However, if your pic includes a cliff or rock, it will be reasonable to choose the second option. So the water will look silky and soft. To make your shot even more beautiful, you may increase the exposure time. If you want to freeze the water, consider shooting at 1/1000th or faster. It is also a great way of shooting water sport activities like surfing.
I also recommend using a tripod for seascape photography, especially when you shoot after the sunset. It will help to provide sharpness for your pictures and make them more clear. If you shoot on the beach, the sand may not be the best platform for a tripod, so keep an eye on its movement or find a place where a tripod will stand perfectly still. And always check the pictures after you have taken them. Sometimes they may not take clouds or rocks as sharp as you need them to be.
Seascape pictures look fantastic in black and white. I definitely recommend you to shoot in color and then convert some of the suitable pictures in black and white with the help of Photoshop. I bet you are familiar with this application; however, you may not know that it allows you to convert images in black and white and add different adjustments afterward. But if you initially take pictures in black and white, you won’t have the possibility to make them colorful. So judging by my experience, it works better in color.
Scenes Ideas
You can consider plenty of options for shooting, from something simple like seashells to complicated pictures of weather conditions. So here is the list of the scenes I like to shoot most of all:
- Reflections of the sky and clouds on the water
- Moving water and rocky outcrops
- Lighthouses on sunset and sunrise
- Sea storms
- Combinations of colors
As you see, ideas are numerous and literally just lay out there. You just have to find something that inspires you or brings good vibes and start shooting. The more, the better. I’m sure there will be at least 5-10 awesome shots out of 500. And don’t be afraid to experiment – the result may be surprising. You will be impressed by how easy it will become for you to take beautiful pictures with every new photoshoot.
Seascape photography is indeed amazing and can bring you not only pleasure but good money too. But please always remember about safety and comfort. Put on appropriate clothing, check the weather forecast in advance, and take a flashlight or headlamp. If you know a fellow photographer or just a friend who enjoys seascape, it would be a good idea to bring him along too.
I hope you find my recommendations useful and apply them next time you do a seascape shooting. Thanks for reading, and good luck!
