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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cloudy sky covers the beach as people walk by

Cloudy Sky Covers The Beach As People Walk By


clear blue sea surrounds a small bank of sand

Clear Blue Sea Surrounds A Small Bank Of Sand


beach scene with people enjoying the warmth

Beach Scene With People Enjoying The Warmth


seagulls standing in the sea at low tide

Seagulls Standing In The Sea At Low Tide


clear blue water crawls over the white sandy beach

Clear Blue Water Crawls Over The White Sandy Beach


low view of young woman sat on swing

Low View Of Young Woman Sat On Swing


young woman sat on swing in front of beach

Young Woman Sat On Swing In Front Of Beach


close up of woman spreading arms in autumn breeze

Close Up Of Woman Spreading Arms In Autumn Breeze


portrait of young woman spreading her arms

Portrait Of Young Woman Spreading Her Arms


young woman sitting on a dock looking out to water

Young Woman Sitting On A Dock Looking Out To Water


young woman spreading her arms in autumn breeze

Young Woman Spreading Her Arms In Autumn Breeze


dusty sky with palm sihouettes on beach at sunset

Dusty Sky With Palm Sihouettes On Beach At Sunset


motorcycle on wet beach sands

Motorcycle On Wet Beach Sands


motorcycle and tracks in beach sands

Motorcycle And Tracks In Beach Sands


romantic horseback riding by ocean

Romantic Horseback Riding By Ocean


beach yoga pose- in sand at sunset

Beach Yoga Pose- In Sand At Sunset


beach yoga on rocks at sunset

Beach Yoga On Rocks At Sunset


low clouds along sandy beach

Low Clouds Along Sandy Beach


sand bar between blue ocean waters

Sand Bar Between Blue Ocean Waters


tall mountains look over ocean and sandy beach

Tall Mountains Look Over Ocean And Sandy Beach


waves crash on side of seastack

Waves Crash On Side Of Seastack


waves come in after low tide

Waves Come In After Low Tide


tall grasses by sandy beach

Tall Grasses By Sandy Beach


sea stack by ocean at low tide

Sea Stack By Ocean At Low Tide


sandy beach and person oceanside

Sandy Beach And Person Oceanside


rocky shores of oregon usa

Rocky Shores Of Oregon Usa


rocky shore and low clouds

Rocky Shore And Low Clouds


rock formations on oregon coast

Rock Formations On Oregon Coast


ripples in sand at low tide

Ripples In Sand At Low Tide


oregon haystack rock

Oregon Haystack Rock


sandy beaches and inlets in calm ocean waters

Sandy Beaches And Inlets In Calm Ocean Waters


aerial view of coastal city and roller coaster

Aerial View Of Coastal City And Roller Coaster


low tide seaside rocks

Low Tide Seaside Rocks


low tide rock formations

Low Tide Rock Formations


haystack rock oregon coast

Haystack Rock Oregon Coast


haystack rock oregon

Haystack Rock Oregon


cloudy day beach camp out

Cloudy Day Beach Camp Out


shadows creating texture in soft beach sand

Shadows Creating Texture In Soft Beach Sand


sandy beach driftwood close up

Sandy Beach Driftwood Close Up


sand dunes and beach watch tower

Sand Dunes And Beach Watch Tower


beach driftwood

Beach Driftwood


beach with city in the background

Beach With City In The Background


small hand in the sand

Small Hand In The Sand


kids sand castle

Kids Sand Castle


los angeles palms by boardwalk

Los Angeles Palms By Boardwalk


beach chairs seaside

Beach Chairs Seaside


winding road on california coast

Winding Road On California Coast


northern california rocky shore

Northern California Rocky Shore


rocky california shore with waves

Rocky California Shore With Waves


california coast waves hit beach

California Coast Waves Hit 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.