AFTERNOON
Pros: When the sun is below its zenith but above
the horizon, it has a more directional angle than
midday so is perfect for emphasising sand patterns
or rock detail, but has softer, warmer properties.
Cons: One of the biggest challenges for
photographers is the prevalence of people –
beaches are busier in the afternoons than the
morning, making clear compositions difficult.SUNSET
Pros: An advantage of sunset over sunrise is
that colours are warmer due to greater levels of
particulates in the atmosphere, in certain locations.
Furthermore, inverse to dawn, the light grows softer
as time passes.
Cons: There’s a higher chance of wind during the later
afternoon and evening than at sunrise, due to warmer
ground level air allowing high level winds to descend.EXPERIMENT
WITH PITCH
Once you’ve found a
position to study your
subject from, adjust
the vertical angle of
the camera. Pitch the
lens up to exclude
most of the foreground
and reveal sky detail,
then tilt downwards to
limit sky dominance
and show more close
foreground elements.TWILIGHT
Pros: The second ‘blue hour’ follows
daylight, so we have more time to plan
compositions, allowing us to capture moody,
cool images with easier set-up procedures.
Cons: Light can fade quickly once the sun
has set. Shooting can continue for up to an
hour, but this raises safety issues, especially
with rising tides and slippery surfaces.Compose stunning beach scenes
Overcome the challenges of composing at coastal locations
for clean yet impactful framingLOWER THE
TRIPOD
Set up on a camera
support and begin by
lowering the tripod
to below waist level.
This provides a good
starting point for
creative framing, as
we will be shooting
a view most people
wouldn’t see when
they’re simply
standing in the scene.SHOOT
HANDHELD
When you arrive on
location, start by using
a standard zoom lens
to find the aspects of
the scene you want
to focus on. Working
without a tripod at
this stage gives you
freedom of movement,
enabling you to quickly
try out the extremes
of perspective.CHANGE
ORIENTATION
Once the balance
of beach and sky
has been found,
experiment with
portrait format. This
will exaggerate depth
if the camera’s pitched
down, and height if
it’s pitched up. A tall
frame successfully
compliments any
close objects.CLEAN UP
FRAMING
The final step is to
ensure a level horizon.
Since the actual
horizon line will likely
be visible in most
beach scenes, this is
a critical guarantee.
Checking at the final
stage is advisable, in
case there has been a
shift while composition
was being perfected.EXPERIMENT
WITH DISTANCE
Vary the distance
between the lens and
objects in the close
foreground, and see
the effect on the
impression of distance
to background detail.
This can create an
inclusive wide-angle
view while maintaining
frame-wide interest,
with no empty space.Afternoon Sunset Twilight
photographer’s choice of exposure, as this
dictates how movement is rendered in the
image. Shutter speed obviously plays a role
in the potential for sharpness, especially in
the challenging environment of a shoreline,
where stabilisation is almost always required
to produce a crisp texture in rocks and other
foreground detail.
However, the duration of the exposure
also influences lighting and tonality. A longer
exposure will highlight the contrasts of
stationary and moving scene elements but
will also introduce a softer, painterly quality to
the lighting style, with a smoother gradation
from highlight to shadow. This can be used to
moderate how colour is reproduced, which is
an essential consideration in a coastal scene.
Reflected light from the ocean surface
strongly influences the overall colour palette
of the image, so by understanding the
relationship between exposure and colour
intensity we can begin to take creative control
over how the scene translates into an image.
Regarding compositional strategy, it
is important to consider all areas of the
frame – perhaps even more so than for other
landscape subjects. The nature of beaches
and shorelines is such that there’s a great
deal of variance in the density of foreground
detail, so adaptability is critical. Following a set
procedure for lens choice, frame orientation
and horizon placement provides a basic
framework from which we can build more
creative compositions.Left
Shooting portrait
When shooting in portrait
format, take care to
observe how this impacts
the distribution of light and
shadow across every area
of the frame x6^ ©PeterFenech©^ CristianKirshbom
©^PeterFenech
© Max Malloy(^34)
6
2
5
1
COASTAL LANDSCAPES
AFTERNOON
Pros:Whenthesunisbelowitszenithbutabove
thehorizon,ithasamoredirectionalanglethan
middaysoisperfectforemphasisingsandpatterns
orrockdetail,buthassofter,warmerproperties.
Cons:Oneofthebiggestchallengesfor
photographersistheprevalenceofpeople–
beachesarebusierintheafternoonsthanthe
morning,makingclearcompositionsdifficult.
SUNSET
Pros:Anadvantageofsunsetoversunriseis
thatcoloursarewarmerduetogreaterlevelsof
particulatesintheatmosphere,incertainlocations.
Furthermore,inversetodawn,thelightgrowssofter
astimepasses.
Cons:There’sahigherchanceofwindduringthelater
afternoonandeveningthanatsunrise,duetowarmer
groundlevelairallowinghighlevelwindstodescend.
EXPERIMENT
WITHPITCH
Onceyou’vefounda
positiontostudyyour
subjectfrom,adjust
theverticalangleof
thecamera.Pitchthe
lensuptoexclude
mostoftheforeground
andrevealskydetail,
thentiltdownwardsto
limitskydominance
andshowmoreclose
foregroundelements.
TWILIGHT
Pros:Thesecond‘bluehour’follows
daylight,sowehavemoretimetoplan
compositions,allowingustocapturemoody,
coolimageswitheasierset-upprocedures.
Cons:Lightcanfadequicklyoncethesun
hasset.Shootingcancontinueforuptoan
hour,butthisraisessafetyissues,especially
withrisingtidesandslipperysurfaces.
Composestunningbeachscenes
Overcomethechallengesofcomposingatcoastallocations
forcleanyetimpactfulframing
LOWERTHE
TRIPOD
Setuponacamera
supportandbeginby
loweringthetripod
tobelowwaistlevel.
Thisprovidesagood
startingpointfor
creativeframing,as
wewillbeshooting
aviewmostpeople
wouldn’tseewhen
they’resimply
standinginthescene.
SHOOT
HANDHELD
Whenyouarriveon
location,startbyusing
astandardzoomlens
tofindtheaspectsof
thesceneyouwant
tofocuson.Working
withoutatripodat
thisstagegivesyou
freedomofmovement,
enablingyoutoquickly
tryouttheextremes
ofperspective.
CHANGE
ORIENTATION
Oncethebalance
ofbeachandsky
hasbeenfound,
experimentwith
portraitformat.This
willexaggeratedepth
ifthecamera’spitched
down,andheightif
it’spitchedup.Atall
framesuccessfully
complimentsany
closeobjects.
CLEANUP
FRAMING
Thefinalstepisto
ensurealevelhorizon.
Sincetheactual
horizonlinewilllikely
bevisibleinmost
beachscenes,thisis
acriticalguarantee.
Checkingatthefinal
stageisadvisable,in
casetherehasbeena
shiftwhilecomposition
wasbeingperfected.
EXPERIMENT
WITHDISTANCE
Varythedistance
betweenthelensand
objectsintheclose
foreground,andsee
theeffectonthe
impressionofdistance
tobackgrounddetail.
Thiscancreatean
inclusivewide-angle
viewwhilemaintaining
frame-wideinterest,
withnoemptyspace.
Afternoon Sunset Twilight
photographer’s choice of exposure, as this
dictates how movement is rendered in the
image. Shutter speed obviously plays a role
in the potential for sharpness, especially in
the challenging environment of a shoreline,
where stabilisation is almost always required
to produce a crisp texture in rocks and other
foreground detail.
However, the duration of the exposure
also influences lighting and tonality. A longer
exposure will highlight the contrasts of
stationary and moving scene elements but
will also introduce a softer, painterly quality to
the lighting style, with a smoother gradation
from highlight to shadow. This can be used to
moderate how colour is reproduced, which is
an essential consideration in a coastal scene.
Reflected light from the ocean surface
strongly influences the overall colour palette
of the image, so by understanding the
relationship between exposure and colour
intensity we can begin to take creative control
over how the scene translates into an image.
Regarding compositional strategy, it
is important to consider all areas of the
frame – perhaps even more so than for other
landscape subjects. The nature of beaches
and shorelines is such that there’s a great
deal of variance in the density of foreground
detail, so adaptability is critical. Following a set
procedure for lens choice, frame orientation
and horizon placement provides a basic
framework from which we can build more
creative compositions.
Left
Shooting portrait
When shooting in portrait
format, take care to
observe how this impacts
the distribution of light and
shadow across every area
of the frame x6©
Peter
Fenech
©Cristian
Kirshbom
©
Peter
Fenech
© Max Malloy
(^34)
6
2
5
1
COASTAL LANDSCAPES