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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a beach paradise tucked between grassy hills

A Beach Paradise Tucked Between Grassy Hills


hanging with friends on the beach

Hanging With Friends On The Beach


beach side moscow mule cocktails

Beach Side Moscow Mule Cocktails


sandals in sand

Sandals In Sand


a male lifeguard patrols a concrete pier on a beach

A Male Lifeguard Patrols A Concrete Pier On A Beach


rainbow and rock cliff

Rainbow And Rock Cliff


casually dressed man at the beach

Casually Dressed Man At The Beach


girl in beach water

Girl In Beach Water


flag on a wooden stick in the sand

Flag On A Wooden Stick In The Sand


ocean with a boat in the foreground

Ocean With A Boat In The Foreground


view of summer

View Of Summer


beach holiday with coconut

Beach Holiday With Coconut


one man lounges on the beach at the water's edge

One Man Lounges On The Beach At The Water's Edge


oceanside women

Oceanside Women


young woman holds watermelon slice on sunny beach

Young Woman Holds Watermelon Slice On Sunny Beach


sea ocean waves coast

Sea Ocean Waves Coast


cute pug in a blanket by water

Cute Pug In A Blanket By Water


small dog watches horses on the beach

Small Dog Watches Horses On The Beach


silhouette on ocean rock

Silhouette On Ocean Rock


boat in clear blue ocean

Boat In Clear Blue Ocean


ocean waves meet red sands aerial

Ocean Waves Meet Red Sands Aerial


portugal beach cliffs

Portugal Beach Cliffs


portugal rocks with boat

Portugal Rocks With Boat


beach yoga on rocks at sunset

Beach Yoga On Rocks At Sunset


person in a white shirt stands by the water

Person In A White Shirt Stands By The Water


sunny beach selfie with friends

Sunny Beach Selfie With Friends


ocean water on beach sand

Ocean Water On Beach Sand


tattooed woman on beach with toes in the sand

Tattooed Woman On Beach With Toes In The Sand


person in a black dress walks on the beach

Person In A Black Dress Walks On The Beach


leaning palms on a sandy beach

Leaning Palms On A Sandy Beach


man reflecting by ocean

Man Reflecting By Ocean


woman popping champagne

Woman Popping Champagne


stoney beach

Stoney Beach


beach surf on stones

Beach Surf On Stones


kite surfing at beach

Kite Surfing At Beach


sitting behind a wicker beach bag on rockys by the beach

Sitting Behind A Wicker Beach Bag On Rockys By The Beach


a boat with clothing on it on the shore

A Boat With Clothing On It On The Shore


ocean swimmers on vacation

Ocean Swimmers On Vacation


baby sea turtle escapes

Baby Sea Turtle Escapes


steps down to the beach at sunrise

Steps Down To The Beach At Sunrise


close up of woman spreading arms in autumn breeze

Close Up Of Woman Spreading Arms In Autumn Breeze


motorcycle on wet beach sands

Motorcycle On Wet Beach Sands


tropical beach below cliff

Tropical Beach Below Cliff


boardwalk bike

Boardwalk Bike


wrapped in happy

Wrapped In Happy


painted campfire

Painted Campfire


waves crash on feet

Waves Crash On Feet


palm frond over deserted beach

Palm Frond Over Deserted Beach


view from the beach

View From The Beach


walking in ocean waves

Walking In Ocean Waves


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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.