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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purple towel on a beach with book and cellphone

Purple Towel On A Beach With Book And Cellphone


sandy beach and wavy ocean on a overcast day

Sandy Beach And Wavy Ocean On A Overcast Day


glowing orange sunset on a beach

Glowing Orange Sunset On A Beach


sun sets behind two feathers in the sand

Sun Rises Behind Two Feathers In The Sand


people stand on beach by a pier at sunset

People Stand On Beach By A Pier At Sunset


wooden structure reaching to water at sunset

Wooden Structure Reaching To Water At Sunset


beach walk at sunset with a pier in the distance

Beach Walk At Sunset With A Pier In The Distance


aerial photo of a town next to a sandy beach

Aerial Photo of A Town Next To A Sandy Beach


people sit on the beach and look out toward ocean

People Sit On The Beach And Look Out Toward Ocean


view of a town on a sandy beach near green trees

View of A Town On A Sandy Beach Near Green Trees


waves reaching the wet sand on shore

Waves Reaching The Wet Sand On Shore


taking in the view of a lake and mountains

Taking In The View of A Lake And Mountains


golden light on water surrounded by mountains

Golden Light On Water Surrounded By Mountains


silhouette of a person with sunset behind them

Silhouette of A Person With Sunset Behind Them


person running on the beach under setting sun

Person Running On The Beach Under Setting Sun


aerial photo of a beach and calm waters

Aerial Photo Of A Beach And Calm Waters


aerial view of white sand and blue water

Aerial View Of White Sand And Blue Water


sunset over calm water and sandy shore

Sunset Over Calm Water And Sandy Shore


a single sailboat in still waters

A Single Sailboat In Still Waters


silhouette of people holding surfboards on beach

Silhouette Of People Holding Surfboards On Beach


white boat with a red stripe on a sandy beach

White Boat With A Red Stripe On A Sandy Beach


person in black walks towards the water on beach

Person In Black Walks Towards The Water On Beach


people on a sandy beach with city buildings

People On A Sandy Beach With City Buildings


person in a black dress walks on the beach

Person In A Black Dress Walks On The Beach


large round rocks scattered on a sandy beach

Large Round Rocks Scattered On A Sandy Beach


people sit under orange umbrellas on a beach

People Sit Under Orange Umbrellas On A Beach


people run towards the water on a sandy beach

People Run Towards The Water On A Sandy Beach


large sandy beach with white wavy water

Large Sandy Beach With White Wavy Water


person wrapped in orange rides their bike on the beach

Person Wrapped In Orange Rides Their Bike On The Beach


people walking down a sandy beach at sunset

People Walking Down A Sandy Beach At Sunset


people walk down a sandy beach on a clear day

People Walk Down A Sandy Beach On A Clear Day


misty crowded beach with hills and buildings

Misty Crowded Beach With Hills And Buildings


waves lap the shore of a sandy beach

Waves Lap The Shore Of A Sandy Beach


person fishing on the beach is silhouetted at sunset

Person Fishing On The Beach Is Silhouetted At Sunset


two people sit on the beach and watch the sunset

Two People Sit On The Beach And Watch The Sunset


person is silhouetted walking the beach at sunrise

Person Is Silhouetted Walking The Beach At Sunrise


beach with people playing in the sunshine

Beach With People Playing In The Sunshine


the sunrises over the water as a person walks the beach

The Sunrises Over The Water As A Person Walks The Beach


sunsets on a beach with people swimming

Sunsets On A Beach With People Swimming


person stands on rocks poking out of the ocean shoreline

Person Stands On Rocks Poking Out Of The Ocean Shoreline


person walks the beach while wearing a facemask

Person Walks The Beach While Wearing A Facemask


person gives peace sign while wearing a facemask

Person Gives Peace Sign While Wearing A Facemask


person sitting leans over to pick up a stone from the beach

Person Sitting Leans Over To Pick Up A Stone From The Beach


people sit around a bonfire on the beach

People Sit Around A Bonfire On The Beach


aerial photo of green trees and aqua blue water

Aerial Photo Of Green Trees And Aqua Blue Water


people enjoy a clear day at the beach

People Enjoy A Clear Day At The Beach


person holds out arms silhouetted by a setting sun

Person Holds Out Arms Silhouetted By A Setting Sun


a silhouette of a person riding a bike at sunset

A Silhouette Of A Person Riding A Bike At Sunset


the back of a beach chair looking out to snow covered mountains

The Back Of A Beach Chair Looking Out To Snow Covered Mountains


a beach chair on snow covered mountain

A Beach Chair On Snow Covered Mountain


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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.