Capturing Fun in the Sun
Stephanie Elie offers tips on how to photograph summer action by the water. |
Article By Jennifer Gidman
Images by Stephanie Elie |
Summertime translates to plenty of action-packed adventures at the beach, by the pool, and even on the backyard Slip 'N Slide. Stephanie Elie enjoys photographing her own family and friends during these carefree moments, and she recently headed out to the shore with her Tamron SP 17-50mm and SP 28-75mm lenses for a day of sand and surf.
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Read on for her suggestions on how to beat the glare, combat harsh shadows, and capture these precious summer moments. |
Protect your equipment from the elements.
I never put my camera down in the sand, obviously! I also use the lens hood on my lenses to protect them from bugs and haze, and when I shoot in the rain, I cut a hole in a Ziploc bag and put the lens in there to protect it. |
Head to the water in the early morning.
Get out the door and over to the water's edge as early as you can. First, that golden morning light is so beautiful to shoot by, before it gets bright and contrasty. Second, you won't have to fight the crowds and have too much traffic spoiling your shots.
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Search for interesting focal points.
Beach shots don't all have to look the same. I always search for different elements and backgrounds I can incorporate into my images. I'll start out shooting some nice shots of my subjects just walking down the beach. Then maybe I'll move to another part of the beach that isn't as well frequented. For this shoot, for example, I did some shots under the pier after our walk on the beach; I also discovered a green wall to use as the background for family portraits.
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Control your exposure.
Bright sun can cause problems for your exposures. First, I use spot metering so it meters on a specific spot - by metering for your subjects or a shady area, you ensure they're well-exposed (even if your background might be a little overexposed). Because your camera is going to be tricked somewhat by the bright sunlight, it also helps if you use exposure bracketing. I'll basically take the first picture using the exposure the camera thinks it should be using, then I'll do one with a lower exposure, then one with a higher exposure. I'll have three options to choose from. |
Enhance the sunshine.
On sunny days, I'll often use a fill flash on the beach to balance out any harsh shadows. This also helps ensure you don't get silhouettes of your subjects if you're shooting right into the sun.
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You can also bounce the light off of a light-colored material to act as a reflector. Anything with a white surface, such as a towel or blanket or sheet, will do the trick. |
Prepare for the glare.
To help me on my end during the brightest parts of the day, I'll typically use a polarizing filter to cut down on the glare coming off of the water, especially at the pool. Another problem you may encounter when the sun is strong is kids squinting too much while you're trying to photograph them. Usually I'd advise to get them into some open shade, but you might not have that many options when you're at the beach or pool. Instead, one of the tricks I use is to photograph them while their backs are to the sun. Another thing I sometimes do is ask them to close their eyes as I'm setting up my shot. When I'm ready to finally take the picture, I tell them to open their eyes right before I shoot.
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A relaxing day doesn't mean lack of action.
I like to get the kids doing all kinds of activities, whether it's running down the beach, going down the slide in the pool, or playing on the Slip 'N Slide. One way to ensure you'll get some great shots while all that's going on is to shoot in burst mode, using a fast shutter speed to stop the action. I'll usually prefocus on a certain spot, so when a kid comes down the slide, for instance, she'll be in focus.
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To check out more of Stephanie Elie's work, go to www.bizzeliving.com. |