HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! We took a short hiatus to spend time with friends & family during the holidays. Well, and to edit millions of photos, but we are BACK! On the show today, we’re chatting with Amy Gray, a San Diego based family portrait photographer who specializes in beach photography!
For those of you who aren’t in San Diego, or another beachy spot, you might be thinking “ah, beach photography is so beautiful. I wish I lived near a beach.” But the truth is, it’s HARD! You’re dealing with sand, wind, water, and often harsh light. It’s one of the more challenging places to shoot, especially if you’re working on an open beach with no pier or structures to give any type of shade coverage. Luckily, Amy has some tips! She shares a TON in this episode, but here are a few favorites!
Key Takeaways
- Time your shoot properly. Those of us who have been in business awhile know what this means, but a newer photographer might not! The best time of day for lighting in most locations (beach included) is going to be either golden hour (the 60-90 minutes or so before sunset) or very early morning. Amy prefers golden hour (who wants to go to work at 6 AM?), and guides her clients toward the best start time depending on the sunset that day. Don’t let your clients pick their start time, especially when it comes to beach photography. Make sure you emphasize how important it is to have good light… the less shadows the better!
- Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to bring an assistant or ask your clients for help holding scrims, reflectors, etc. If you’re doing a photo of just the kids, have dad filter the light with a scrim. They’re usually pretty happy to help. You can also have a tall family member stand in a position that blocks the sun & creates more even lighting. Get creative with your resources!
- Figure out your editing workflow. Amy talks about how she’s a fan of sliders in Lightroom… she starts with a basic preset & goes from there. She actually has different presets for different locations/times of day, so editing is super quick! Beach photography, and any other photography done in harsh conditions, can require a bit more editing than other locations. Play around with the sliders in Lightroom until you’re happy with the result!
We have a TON more info about beach photography & shooting in harsh light in the episode, so be sure to download!
