Beach pictures

Relax in our sunny collection of beach photos. You’ll find royalty-free images of stunning seaside sunsets, white sand beaches, clear blue oceans, powerful waves, beach pictures with people, starfish, conch shells, seashells, boats, and more.

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young woman sat on swing in front of beach

Young Woman Sat On Swing In Front Of Beach


woman dances on the sand

Woman Dances On The Sand


portrait image of contrast between sand and sea

Portrait Image Of Contrast Between Sand And Sea


los angeles palms by boardwalk

Los Angeles Palms By Boardwalk


blanket pug on rocky shore

Blanket Pug On Rocky Shore


vacation holiday coconut drink

Vacation Holiday Coconut Drink


oceanside villa

Oceanside Villa


feet sink into sand

Feet Sink Into Sand


dreamy beach landscape

Dreamy Beach Landscape


surfer carrying board

Surfer Carrying Board


friends sunbathing

Friends Sunbathing


beach sunset thailand

Beach Sunset Thailand


beautiful day at the beach

Beautiful Day At The Beach


woman wades in ocean at sunset

Woman Wades In Ocean At Sunset


seaweed washed up on beach

Seaweed Washed Up On Beach


beach sunset

Beach Sunset


beautiful beach in portugal

Beautiful Beach In Portugal


puppy at the beach

Puppy At The Beach


waves crashing on beach

Waves Crashing On Beach


red and blue shoreline iphone screen

Red And Blue Shoreline Iphone Screen


woman watches waves

Woman Watches Waves


friends laughing on beach

Friends Laughing On Beach


beach towel in wind

Beach Towel In Wind


beach sun reflections

Beach Sun Reflections


blue beach waves

Blue Beach Waves


beach waves through trees

Beach Waves Through Trees


autumn shore

Autumn Shore


beach party balloons

Beach Party Balloons


stone sculptures on beach

Stone Sculptures On Beach


beach boardwalk selfie

Beach Boardwalk Selfie


laying on the beach

Laying On The Beach


heart in the sand

Heart In The Sand


boardwalk by the ocean

Boardwalk By The Ocean


beach sunset silhouettes

Beach Sunset Silhouettes


beach party with champagne

Beach Party With Champagne


ocean waves crashing

Ocean Waves Crashing


private holiday beach

Private Holiday Beach


surfer standing by ocean

Surfer Standing By Ocean


hands peace sign in water

Hands Peace Sign In Water


the active beach

The Active Beach


woman swims in ocean

Woman Swims In Ocean


river stone texture

River Stone Texture


coconut drink on beach

Coconut Drink On Beach


thailand beach

Thailand Beach


beach sand footprints

Beach Sand Footprints


beach pals

Beach Pals


green bike by water

Green Bike By Water


hot sunset over water

Hot Sunset Over Water


beach smiles

Beach Smiles


love written in stones

Love Written In Stones


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Stunning Beach Pictures and Travel Photography

Travel photography is one of the most interesting genres of photographic journalism. As far as the subjects covered - the genre is one of the most open. Travel photographers are visual artists who specialize in capturing the essence of a time and place through the lens of a visitor observing a location and its culture.

From wide-shots of white sand beaches to action shots of intense weather patterns to serene photos of your personal tropical paradise complete with stunning shots of beach-fronts and surfs - travel photography is a truly diverse and fascinating art

Turning Your Vacation Photos into Art

The art of travel photography is so much more than simply snapping shots on location. Framing, timing, color and composition all have a significant role to play in truly capturing the character of your location.

Framing a Tropical Island

When photographers talk about “framing” an image they’re talking about using the objects around the subject you’re capturing to situate them and draw the viewer’s attention to them. Surrounding palm trees, rocks, branches and even doors or windows are great way to do this. You’ll want to be mindful of what surrounds your subject and use it to your advantage.

For example, maybe you’re on the ocean in the middle of the caribbean snapping shots of bottlenose dolphins bouncing up and down over the water. A stagnant shot of this scene would be great - but what might really put the photo over-the-edge would be managing to frame the dolphin against the backdrop of a tropical island or even the decor of the boat.

Colors of the Surf and the Ocean

Color is an important aspect in any photography - but in travel photography it’s especially important. Remember that the colors in your photographs can set the mood and convey the character of the location.

If you’re snapping shots of a tropical surf in Hawaii for example - it would make sense to use bright, saturated blues, yellows, and pinks. Whereas if you’re photographing the country-side of Scotland - more muted greys and soft greens would make more sense.

It’s no secret that colors opposite each other on the color wheel](https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory) play well together - but with photographs of real scenes, you’re not able to alter the colours of objects (at least not until post-production). Similar to framing - finding the right colours to play off each other is about having an artistic eye and being able to spot scenes and compositions in real life that can play off each other.

When travelling - you want to keep an eye out for scenes with contrasting colours that you can incorporate into your shots. Beaches, surfs, islands, cities and nature reserves are great places to find colours that naturally play off of each other.