Scenery photography skills for shooting touching beach seascapes

Lead: The experience of professional photographer Scott Mead shooting beach scenery can be traced back to 1975. His grandfather gave him a Kodak Instamatic camera and sent him to Maui to start. Since then, he has been constantly recording these beautiful beaches, oceans and the sun. Here are some suggestions from Meade to help you prepare for your next beach photography trip.

How do you find a good shooting location on the beach?

Generally speaking, I look for those with fixed prospects? Support? The location of the picture. If I shoot the sunset, I must face the west and see the good waves at the same time. I like to add a little blur to the photos. In addition, make sure the sun is not in the center of the picture, at least a little staggered.

What is your investigation process?

I will spend a lot of time looking for the right shooting point. You must understand how the current moves and how the underwater terrain affects the waves. In the end, you will find a perfect place, all the elements are ready, and the rest are waiting for the perfect light. The beach is a good place to wait.

Sunrise and sunset are obviously the best time to shoot, but how to shoot during the day?

You can shoot at any time of the day. Everything is changing the scenery of the beach. If you are in shallow water, you can wait until the sun rises behind you and the sun shines through the water. Sunlight will be reflected on the beach, and with the surging waves, you can capture an amazing light green picture.

You can also shoot the footprints left by crabs on the beach with a macro lens. Different beaches have different things. If we can wait until noon when the sun rises to the highest, it will be great to take some macro photos on the wet beach.

Do you use a filter when shooting the sunset?

When shooting the sunset, I will use the gradient gray filter 100%. This is really the only way to balance the light, that is, to ensure that the shadows have enough details without letting the highlights overflow. In addition, it has some additional benefits, so that I can slow down the shutter and shoot the movement of the waves.

What is your most commonly used equipment?

I won't leave any equipment at home. I usually bring a 5D Mark II and a 5D Mark III. I will put them side by side. 5D-2 will be used for time-delay shooting, and 5D-3 will be equipped with filters for taking personal photos. Both cameras are equipped with Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L lens. I will also bring a 24-70mm f/2.8L, 100-400mm lens. I also have a 15mm fisheye lens. This is a very interesting shot. I can put it on 5D2 and take cool photos near the water.

Can you tell me about the process of shooting the sunset?

I'll start 25 minutes before the sun sets completely. The scene will always change. Many people will only see one photo in the end, but time-lapse shooting will show the process. Photos are not only about the sun, but also about everything around them. If there is a sailboat or surfer in the picture, they will be very helpful. The main body of the picture is the beach, and other secondary objects will also attract the attention of the audience. They don't just glance at the photo, but pay attention to all the details in it.

How do you predict tides and waves?

You can understand the running law of the waves. There is a small wave first, which is the prelude to the big wave, and there will be a small wave after the big wave. Surfers have been using this rule. Every wave has its own time. You can go early and watch the waves. You will notice a series of waves of 8 to 10. There will be real waves in it. Take some time to observe and you will know how long it will take to wait for the person you want.

Now there are some apps on the mobile phone that can display the tidal time. They can show the arrival time of tides. This enables you to prepare in advance. You can make sure you see the climax.

How to decide whether to shoot a blurred wave with a slow shutter or freeze it with a high shutter?

It depends on the specific situation. Is the wave high enough to form a beautiful shape? Can there be sunlight behind the spray to produce a crystal clear effect? You must observe which way suits you. Sometimes I set the shutter speed to 1/6- 1/8s to record beautiful motion blur. If you want to catch every drop of water, you can raise the shutter to 1/500- 1/800s to freeze everything. You will soon know which is more effective.

Do you think it will be difficult to use a tripod on the beach?

This is not a problem at all. The best I have ever bought is Gitzo tripod, which can be locked on the ground under any circumstances. I also use Acratech level. I can set up a tripod and level it in 1 minute.

How do you protect the equipment on the beach?

One thing I used might make everyone laugh, that is, I bought a small clean garbage bag from the supermarket. This is one of the cheapest and best ways to protect equipment. I'll make a hole in the bag, put it on the lens, and then wrap the rest of the camera in the bag. I still have some rain covers, but garbage bags are the best.

Will you clean the equipment before you put it back in your bag?

I always take a blower or a can of compressed air, because there is sand everywhere. I will wash the sand off the surface quickly, and then put the equipment back in my bag. I will clean the camera carefully again when I get home. Fortunately, in my years of continuous shooting, I never threw my camera into the sand.

What are the most mistakes people should avoid when shooting composition on the beach?

Perhaps the biggest mistake I have ever seen is that people don't devote themselves to it. They will see what they like and take pictures of it. When they come home and see these photos, they will say: This is not as exciting as what I saw at that time. ? You need to ask yourself what made it look great at that time.

Many people are anxious when shooting the sunset. Let the camera's exposure meter give an average value. The color of the sun is beautiful, but the foreground and background are lost. If there is no filter, it is important to block the sun with clouds. Even without the sun, you can take beautiful sunset photos.

How do you keep your scenery and sunset photos fresh and interesting?

Sunset is like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same. If the sky was clear the night before, you could see bright yellow and dark orange. On another day, you will see low clouds and get beautiful pink. After the sun has completely set, wait 15-20 minutes, and you can see some other colors.

Many photos are the result of patience and persistence, but you still need some luck. It is not uncommon for me to go to a place five times repeatedly just to wait for a perfect sunset. It's important to try more.

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