Gather the cameras, lenses and accessories you
need to create masterful studies of seaside locations
Identify essential kit
‘Essential’ is a relative term in the context of
photography. While there are times when
certain pieces of equipment cannot be
substituted to create the same effect, in many
cases the importance of a product is defined
by the photographer’s willingness or ability to
function without it.
In some circumstances it is better to
work with minimal gear, as this can inspire
a creative approach to the subject. On other
occasions environmental conditions mean
that taking a large amount of photographic
equipment would be impractical – setting
the definition of ’essential’ as an inventorythat unlocks the maximum number of image
possibilities with the most streamlined,
workable setup.
Coastal landscapes are not often seen
as extreme environments, most likely
because of their accessibility, but this is an
underestimation of the dangers beaches
and other seaside environments pose to
photographic technology. Once we are
aware of these safety issues, it is clear that
our choice of kit for a given shoot is heavily
influenced by the location we will be shooting.
Durability is an important characteristic –
and resistance to water and saline corrosionin particular. The potential risks posed by
sand and water often means that changing
lenses during the shoot is not recommended,
causing further implications for gear choices.
It is often better to bring multiple camera
bodies, each with a different lens mounted- one with an ultra-wide and one with a mid-
telephoto, for example.
If budget doesn’t allow for this, be sure to
scout your location before the shoot to work
out which optic will be most useful for the
images you hope to capture. That will enable
you to fit the correct lens before heading into
the field, removing the need to change.
MEDIUM TELEPHOTO
A 70-200mm zoom enables
perspective compression
without adding too much
weight to your kit bag. It also
enables empty or distracting
foregrounds to be cropped, so
smaller scene elements can be
isolated for abstract shots.WIDE TILT/SHIFT
The stretched vertical profile
of many coastal scenes can
cause problems with converging
verticals at wide focal lengths.
A perspective control lens of
24mm or wider enables cliffs to
be captured, by shifting the lens up
instead of pitching the camera.STANDARD ZOOM
A good all-round lens is one that
allows framing experimentation.
A 24-105mm on a full-frame
camera, or a 17-85mm on APS-C
bodies, offer similar angles of
view and flexibly open up multiple
framing options when trying to
find the best composition.ULTRA-WIDE ZOOM
While care must be taken with
empty space in the frame, a
10-20mm or 14-24mm optic enables
foreground detail to be exaggerated,
adding depth to beach scenes. A
model with a focussing distance of
30cm enables extreme perspectives
for a three-dimensional feel.Pick the most
suitable lenses
The best lenses for coastal shots
TECHNIQUES
Gatherthecameras, lenses and accessories you
needtocreate masterful studies of seaside locations
Identify essential kit
‘Essential’isa relativeterm in the context of
photography.Whilethere are times when
certainpiecesofequipment cannot be
substitutedtocreatethe same effect, in many
casestheimportanceof a product is defined
bythephotographer’s willingness or ability to
functionwithoutit.
Insomecircumstances it is better to
workwithminimalgear, as this can inspire
a creativeapproachto the subject. On other
occasionsenvironmental conditions mean
thattakinga largeamount of photographic
equipmentwouldbeimpractical – setting
thedefinitionof’essential’ as an inventory
that unlocks the maximum number of image
possibilities with the most streamlined,
workable setup.
Coastal landscapes are not often seen
as extreme environments, most likely
because of their accessibility, but this is an
underestimation of the dangers beaches
and other seaside environments pose to
photographic technology. Once we are
aware of these safety issues, it is clear that
our choice of kit for a given shoot is heavily
influenced by the location we will be shooting.
Durability is an important characteristic –
and resistance to water and saline corrosionin particular. The potential risks posed by
sand and water often means that changing
lenses during the shoot is not recommended,
causing further implications for gear choices.
It is often better to bring multiple camera
bodies, each with a different lens mounted- one with an ultra-wide and one with a mid-
telephoto, for example.
If budget doesn’t allow for this, be sure to
scout your location before the shoot to work
out which optic will be most useful for the
images you hope to capture. That will enable
you to fit the correct lens before heading into
the field, removing the need to change.
MEDIUMTELEPHOTO
A 70-200mmzoomenables
perspectivecompression
withoutaddingtoomuch
weighttoyourkitbag. It also
enablesemptyordistracting
foregroundstobecropped, so
smallersceneelements can be
isolatedforabstractshots.WIDETILT/SHIFT
Thestretchedvertical profile
ofmanycoastalscenes can
causeproblemswithconverging
verticalsatwidefocal lengths.
A perspectivecontrol lens of
24mmorwiderenables cliffs to
becaptured,byshifting the lens up
insteadofpitchingthe camera.STANDARDZOOM
A goodall-roundlensis one that
allowsframingexperimentation.
A 24-105mmona full-frame
camera,ora 17-85mm on APS-C
bodies,offersimilarangles of
viewandflexiblyopen up multiple
framingoptionswhen trying to
findthebestcomposition.ULTRA-WIDEZOOM
Whilecaremustbetaken with
emptyspacein theframe, a
10-20mmor14-24mm optic enables
foregrounddetailtobe exaggerated,
addingdepthtobeach scenes. A
modelwitha focussing distance of
30cmenablesextreme perspectives
fora three-dimensional feel.Pick themost
suitable lenses
Thebestlenses for coastal shots
TECHNIQUES