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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beach stones rounded by waves cover the shore

Beach Stones Rounded By Waves Cover The Shore


aerial photo of a beach and calm waters

Aerial Photo Of A Beach And Calm Waters


person sits on a mat at the beach and looks out to the water

Person Sits On A Mat At The Beach And Looks Out To The Water


bridge to off shore rock

Bridge To Off Shore Rock


woman in floral dress sits by a wooden boardwalk

Woman In Floral Dress Sits By A Wooden Boardwalk


beach driftwood

Beach Driftwood


coracle boats in a beach

Coracle Boats In A Beach


the sunrises over the water as a person walks the beach

The Sunrises Over The Water As A Person Walks The Beach


wooden structure reaching to water at sunset

Wooden Structure Reaching To Water At Sunset


wooden pegs lead into aqua blue water

Wooden Pegs Lead Into Aqua Blue Water


small island stands alone

Small Island Stands Alone


one sunbathing sea lion chats to a sea lion in the water

One Sunbathing Sea Lion Chats To A Sea Lion In The Water


deep blue waves crashing against rocks

Deep Blue Waves Crashing Against Rocks


arm resting on a wicker beach bag with sunglasses on it

Arm Resting On A Wicker Beach Bag With Sunglasses On It


staggered rocks and sparse plants along shoreline

Staggered Rocks And Sparse Plants Along Shoreline


waves crash on side of seastack

Waves Crash On Side Of Seastack


sea bird perched atop barnacle covered post off rocky shore

Sea Bird Perched Atop Barnacle Covered Post Off Rocky Shore


plane glides above tropical beach

Plane Glides Above Tropical Beach


waves on the shore with hills in distance

Waves On The Shore With Hills In Distance


a battered hut at the water's edge framed by city lights

A Battered Hut At The Water's Edge Framed By City Lights


sunset over calm water and sandy shore

Sunset Over Calm Water And Sandy Shore


an aerial view of clear blue water by the shore

An Aerial View Of Clear Blue Water By The Shore


beach with people playing in the sunshine

Beach With People Playing In The Sunshine


a sweeping sunset illuminating a beach

A Sweeping Sunset Illuminating A Beach


woman carries wood across beach in india

Woman Carries Wood Across Beach In India


seagulls make some noise on a beach

Seagulls Make Some Noise On A Beach


person stands on white sandy hill looking out to the ocean

Person Stands On White Sandy Hill Looking Out To The Ocean


a jagged rocky cliffside meets the ocean water and waves

A Jagged Rocky Cliffside Meets The Ocean Water And Waves


bon echo provincial park sandcastle

Bon Echo Provincial Park Sandcastle


shore meets the sea

Shore Meets The Sea


rocky beach

Rocky Beach


waves crashing over beach structure

Waves Crashing Over Beach Structure


sunglasses hanging from the side of a beach bag

Sunglasses Hanging From The Side Of A Beach Bag


rocky shoreline and choppy water

Rocky Shoreline And Choppy Water


stone archway frames a person walking to beach

Stone Archway Frames A Person Walking To Beach


woman wades through water at beach

Woman Wades Through Water At Beach


young woman takes in the view

Young Woman Takes In The View


sunsetting on foamy rocks

Sunsetting On Foamy Rocks


golden light on water surrounded by mountains

Golden Light On Water Surrounded By Mountains


person dressed in black looks out to a sandy beach

Person Dressed In Black Looks Out To A Sandy Beach


silhouette of people holding surfboards on beach

Silhouette Of People Holding Surfboards On Beach


landscape of a sandy beach and rolling hills

Landscape Of A Sandy Beach And Rolling Hills


sun loungers lined on the beach

Sun Loungers Lined On The Beach


broken beach

Broken Beach


purple towel on a beach with book and cellphone

Purple Towel On A Beach With Book And Cellphone


large boulders emerge from water at the shoreline

Large Boulders Emerge From Water At The Shoreline


a beach shack on stilts

A Beach Shack On Stilts


sunny coastline below distant mountains

Sunny Coastline Below Distant Mountains


a church sits atop colorful beach

A Church Sits Atop Colorful Beach


lifeguard stands on sandy beach

Lifeguard Stands On Sandy 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.