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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watermelon offering

Watermelon Offering


picturesque tide rolling below a sunset

Picturesque Tide Rolling Below A Sunset


sunset on open water

Sunset On Open Water


blue shallows offshore from dense forest

Blue Shallows Offshore From Dense Forest


cliff view of beach

Cliff View Of Beach


a beach chair on snow covered mountain

A Beach Chair On Snow Covered Mountain


sandy path in the evening

Sandy Path In The Evening


shadows creating texture in soft beach sand

Shadows Creating Texture In Soft Beach Sand


oregon haystack rock

Oregon Haystack Rock


the setting sun over still water on a city coast

The Setting Sun Over Still Water On A City Coast


a view from a cliff onto a sandy beach

A View From A Cliff Onto A Sandy Beach


close up orange tide rolls into shore

Close Up Orange Tide Rolls Into Shore


overhead view of beach and water

Overhead View Of Beach And Water


blue waves roll over pebbles on a palm tree-lined beach

Blue Waves Roll Over Pebbles On A Palm Tree-Lined Beach


typewriter at the beach

Typewriter At The Beach


new zealand shorebird tip toes through the surf

New Zealand Shorebird Tip Toes Through The Surf


cows strolling along the beach

Cows Strolling Along The Beach


relaxing on sunny beach

Relaxing On Sunny Beach


oceanside park

Oceanside Park


water flowing underneath the shadowy pier

Water Flowing Underneath The Shadowy Pier


a view of the sea from a rocky cliff side

A View Of The Sea From A Rocky Cliff Side


a cool grey tree-lined rubble beach

A Cool Grey Tree-Lined Rubble Beach


two lonely chairs

Two Lonely Chairs


water gently bubbling onto beach

Water Gently Bubbling Onto Beach


Aerial photography: umbrella shadows on the sand

Straw Parasols On A Beach


ocean waves swirl off rocky pacific coastline

Ocean Waves Swirl Off Rocky Pacific Coastline


lifeguard chair on an empty beach

Lifeguard Chair On An Empty Beach


sunrise over the horizon

Sunrise Over The Horizon


the grey face of an apartment block draped in clothes lines

The Grey Face Of An Apartment Block Draped In Clothes Lines


sunbathers, surfers and kayakers on a beach under cliffs

Sunbathers, Surfers And Kayakers On A Beach Under Cliffs


two people run into the water on a beach in winter

Two People Run Into The Water On A Beach In Winter


beach birds

Beach Birds


the sea crashing into shore on a sunny day

The Sea Crashing Into Shore On A Sunny Day


a golden beach below a cliff

A Golden Beach Below A Cliff


crystal clear water on the beach

Crystal Clear Water On The Beach


cloudy day beach camp out

Cloudy Day Beach Camp Out


single rock in shallow sea

Single Rock In Shallow Sea


drone image of person on white sandy beach

Drone Image Of Person On White Sandy Beach


rock formations on oregon coast

Rock Formations On Oregon Coast


sea wading

Sea Wading


sea stack by ocean at low tide

Sea Stack By Ocean At Low Tide


sun sets behind fishermen

Sun Sets Behind Fishermen


waves rolls over rocks at sunset

Waves Rolls Over Rocks At Sunset


person holds out arms silhouetted by a setting sun

Person Holds Out Arms Silhouetted By A Setting Sun


waves come in after low tide

Waves Come In After Low Tide


a lonely untouched tropical island

A Lonely Untouched Tropical Island


sunset splashing over rocks

Sunset Splashing Over Rocks


blue and white waves crashing

Blue And White Waves Crashing


beach sands and the sunlight

Beach Sands And The Sunlight


two young people share a happy moment on a beach

Two Young People Share A Happy Moment On A Beach


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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.