​4 tips for coastal photography

The sea is a kaleidoscope, with its colorful natural scenery, canvas prints varied coastal topography and rich environment. Coastal scenery is always a challenging subject for photographers. Some people like rough waves, others prefer the tranquility of the sea; In either case, the timing and season of the shoot are very important, as time is closely related to the tides, which influence the appearance of the coast you are photographing; Season affects the colors and flavors you shoot.

Take the island climate of Taiwan as an example. Abundant sunshine in summer makes it easy to capture the seascape of blue sea and blue sky, while the northeast monsoon often blows in winter, cheap canvas making the scenery grey and pale. In spite of the beautiful scenery, please remember to wipe the camera clean after shooting to avoid the invasion of sea water and sand, and please try not to change the lens.

1. Decide where and when to shoot

The orientation of the sun and the photographer has a great influence on the formation of the photo. In the morning, seek an east shore; In the evening, you must find a coast to the west. Even when shooting daytime scenery, the Angle of the sun also has a huge impact on the image. Try to shoot at a time of day when the sun is at a lower Angle, when the light is softer, canvas floating frame the colors are changing, and the reflection from the water gives more detail and texture.

2. Equipment preparation

Wide Angle lens and medium telephoto lens can show their different characteristics. When the reflection of sunlight on the sea surface is strong, the CPL ring dimmer can be used to control the degree of reflection and eliminate the reflection on the water surface.

3. Settings during shooting

To capture the flow of the waves at a slow shutter speed, you can reduce the perceived brightness and lengthen the exposure time. ISO recommends setting it between 100 and 50, and using a small aperture above F11 to achieve a greater depth of field, as well as a slow shutter speed to show the flow of waves. It is recommended to use the shutter prerequisite (Tv or T), set the shutter time at 1/10 second to 1 second, and use a foot frame to avoid hand shock. If daytime sunshine is sufficient, cannot reduce shutter speed, can use ND lens to lengthen exposure time. To freeze the action of the waves and show a sense of rhythm, a high-speed shutter between 1/125 and 1/1000 seconds is needed.

4. Secure feet and your own safety are important

Sometimes you have to go into the water in order to get a better view (especially if you need to get closer to the foreground with a wide Angle lens). In addition to pay attention to your own safety, the stability of the foot frame is also indispensable. Sometimes the wave flow force is too big, will cause the shaking of the foot frame and the flow of sand and gravel, so always determine whether the foot frame is stable. Before shooting, press the tripods deeper into the sand so they don't sink under their own weight.

Cleaning equipment is important

When shooting near the seaside, the scene was often stained by the spray caused by the waves breaking on the rocks, breakwaters and beaches. When watching the scene on the computer screen later, it was found that there were stains caused by water drops and salt, which was quite a pity. When shooting, keep the front of the lens clean at all times, dye sublimation printing on aluminum and try to keep a distance from the waves to avoid affecting the shot.