Photo Tips

Chris d'Aquin is a WeSay.com contributing writer.

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For photographers, hitting the beach is not the only objective during the Spring and Summer months. Making great photographs while you're there is high on the agenda as well! Here are some tips that will help.

Time of day. The most important thing to keep in mind for beach photos is the position of the sun. While it can be one of the main ingredients to having fun, it is also the number one reason why so many photos fail. The sun will cause people to squint (which is never flattering), throw their faces into deep shadow, and reflect off of the sand and surf so much that it will cause the camera to severely underexpose your photos.

The best light. Try to get your photos in the hour or two before sunset or just after sunrise, when the light is not so strong. Late afternoon or mid morning sun will not only be warmer and softer, but it will help create a three-dimensional look to the beach with longer shadows.

Diffuse that light. If you find yourself pulling out the camera in the middle of a sunny day, try to get photos of your subjects under a beach umbrella. If one isn't handy, have them face away from the sun and use your flash to fill in the shadows, or you can wait for a cloud to pass under the sun. Sometimes the sand will be so white that you can use it as a reflector – it will bounce light back up into your subjects, especially if they are sitting down.

Bright exposure. As you take your photos, pay attention to how good the exposure is. It is likely to be underexposed on bright, sunny days. A good way to offset this is to bump up the exposure on your camera. Depending on how white the sand is, you may have to go as far as one-and-a-half stops to compensate. If you can't do this with your camera, or you don't understand what that means, see if your camera has a beach mode. If not, snow mode may also work.

Level horizons. Once you have good exposures and great facial expressions in your photos, what else can you do to make your photos better? Pay close attention to the horizon and make sure it's level. A crooked ocean can be a sure scene stealer in an otherwise great photograph!

Get close. When people are the focus of your shot, get in close – the beach scenery should be secondary. If you are shooting your family or friends from head to toe, make sure you don't leave much room above and below to maximize them in the composition. If you are elect to crop out part of your subjects, cropping at the waist or shoulders is a good way to do this.

Ruling in thirds. Don't forget about the rule of thirds. A great way to put focus on a person is by putting them on one side of the photo and have the beach fill up the rest. If the beach itself is the focus, then fight the temptation to put the water's horizon exactly in the center. Instead, put it at the upper or lower third of the image.

Danger zone! Finally, a few words of caution. As far as your camera is concerned, the beach is a danger zone. Not only is there sand everywhere, but saltwater spray is corrosive. Consider putting a UV filter – or better yet, a circular polarizer – on your DSLR lens to protect it from the sand. If you have a point-and-shoot, turn it off when you are not actively taking pictures so the lens will be covered. And when you get away from the beach, wipe the camera down with a moist towel so you can remove any salt water.