How to shoot…

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside… with its dynamic seascapes and wonderful wildlife. Here’s how to capture it!

All images: © Ross Hoddinott

Stick your hand up if you love being by the sea! There are probably deeply rooted, biological reasons why we are so drawn to water, and it is not hard to understand why photographers make a beeline for the coast at every opportunity. The coast is an ever-changing landscape, bursting with drama, motion, and interest. Large sandy bays form wonderful, large open spaces that provide so much freedom for expression and creativity. The coast can be calm and tranquil, or rugged, wild and dangerous. Picturesque coves, inlets, sea stacks, sand dunes and rocky foreshores provide endless picture potential. Man-made objects –such as romantic castle ruins, lighthouses, sea defences, piers, jetties, sea pools and beach huts –add further appeal. The coast is also a rich and varied habitat for wildlife –from tiny barnacles to huge colonies of seabirds.

The coast is a great landscape type throughout the seasons. While large sandy beaches are typically best avoided in the summer months due to the number of tourists, at other times of the year, beaches and coast paths can be deserted. The coast is at its most wild and impressive during the winter months, but in spring stretches of coastal clifftops are ablaze with wildflowers. Meanwhile, each receding tide reveals a clean, untouched beach ready to explore. Rocky bays are full of interesting geology, natural patterns and textures that deserve a closer look.

Ross Hoddinott

Ross is a multi-award-winning professional photographer with a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. He’s a Benro Ambassador, LEE Master and Nikon Alumni, and is also the author of eight books. www.rosshoddinott.co.uk

[1] Durdle Door: it’s often preferable to get close to the water’s edge to capture images that have a sense of energy and flow.

Quite simply, the coast offers endless picture appeal… and our guide to coastal photography will help you successfully capture the character, mood, and beauty of the seaside.

DOWN BY THE SEA

The sheer power, drama and energy of the sea is captivating and hugely photogenic. Meanwhile, beaches are home to a wealth of interest, including reflective pools, rocky outcrops, smooth boulders and wavy sand patterns. It’s an ever-changing landscape full of potential. But to get the most from your visit to the coast, planning and timing is important. The weather, tide, sun’s position and time of year all influence photo opportunities.

Planning

Adegree of planning is important when shooting any type of landscape, but it is particularly important when close to the sea. Firstly, be aware of tide height –and not simply whether the tide is coming in or is on its way out, but also the tidal range (the difference in height between high tide and low tide). Tidal range varies massively depending on location and moon phase. Larger tidal ranges occur during spring tides due to the gravitational force of the moon and sun aligned. Aneap tide is when the tidal range is at its smallest.

This is important to know, as during spring tides more beach is revealed at low tide, and at high tide the sea will advance much further. The tide falls and rises faster too. Not only will this affect photo opportunities, revealing or immersing key foreground elements, but it is vital you understand tides from a safety viewpoint –otherwise, you could end up getting wet feet, or worse, cut off.

Before you visit the coast, download a good tide app like AyeTides, My Tide Times, or Tides Near Me. But remember that tide tables are still only a guide –air pressure and weather can affect tide height, with high-pressure systems depressing sea levels and low-pressure pushing them higher.

Timing

Preparation is important. Ideally, recce locations before revisiting at the optimum time. Some beaches and coves work better at a low, mid, or high tide and ideally you should know this in advance, with a few potential compositions already in mind.