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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bustling bay before the sea

Bustling Bay Before The Sea


yellow seaweed by rock pool

Yellow Seaweed By Rock Pool


birds on sand

Birds On Sand


sun sets over surfers and beach goers

Sun Sets Over Surfers And Beach Goers


aerial view of swimmers

Aerial View Of Swimmers


aerial view of white sand and blue water

Aerial View Of White Sand And Blue Water


woman reads her book sitting on a wooden log on the beach

Woman Reads Her Book Sitting On A Wooden Log On The Beach


persons torso facing wavy blue water

Persons Torso Facing Wavy Blue Water


woman walks towards a beach and blue water

Woman Walks Towards A Beach And Blue Water


white waves tracing the shore line

White Waves Tracing The Shore Line


person reads a novel on the sandy beach by a tree

Person Reads A Novel On The Sandy Beach By A Tree


woman in red walking through shallow water

Woman In Red Walking Through Shallow Water


person in a straw hat walks on a bright sandy beach

Person In A Straw Hat Walks On A Bright Sandy Beach


sand with a metal structure in the middle

Sand With A Metal Structure In The Middle


woman walks away across grassy dunes

Woman Walks Away Across Grassy Dunes


rocky seashore

Rocky Seashore


stone shoreline frames sky

Stone Shoreline Frames Sky


lonely lighthouse

Lonely Lighthouse


woman walks across grassy dunes

Woman Walks Across Grassy Dunes


tide rolls into shore between rocks

Tide Rolls Into Shore Between Rocks


tide rolling to shore under sunset

Tide Rolling To Shore Under Sunset


woman in sari on beach

Woman In Sari On Beach


wood walkway over sand

Wood Walkway Over Sand


empty lifeguard chair at the beach

Empty Lifeguard Chair At The Beach


seashells down by the seashore

Seashells Down By The Seashore


alternative sandcastle

Alternative Sandcastle


stone bollard in sand

Stone Bollard In Sand


beachfront buildings nestled at the base of a cliff

Beachfront Buildings Nestled At The Base Of A Cliff


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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.