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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white buildings with red roofs

White Buildings With Red Roofs


the sun sets through a thick evening fog

The Sun Sets Through A Thick Evening Fog


two young people share a happy moment on a beach

Two Young People Share A Happy Moment On A Beach


tropical sandy beach surrounded by red cliffs

Tropical Sandy Beach Surrounded By Red Cliffs


a lifeguard sits in raised white stand

A Lifeguard Sits In Raised White Stand


green trees surround a sandy beach on a misty day

Green Trees Surround A Sandy Beach On A Misty Day


still beach at sunset with person crouching

Still Beach At Sunset With Person Crouching


person stands on white sandy hill looking out to the ocean

Person Stands On White Sandy Hill Looking Out To The Ocean


view of a busy beach through branches of a tree

View Of A Busy Beach Through Branches Of A Tree


silhouettes of two people splashing on the beach

Silhouettes Of Two People Splashing On The Beach


wooden pegs lead into aqua blue water

Wooden Pegs Lead Into Aqua Blue Water


calm water laps the shoreline

Calm Water Laps The Shoreline


lighthouse on rocks overlooks water

Lighthouse On Rocks Overlooks Water


person opens bottle on a beach

Person Opens Bottle On A Beach


wine and cheese picnic on the beach

Wine And Cheese Picnic On The Beach


large mountains with a small busy beach

Large Mountains With A Small Busy Beach


view of crystal clear lake and colorful trees

View Of Crystal Clear Lake And Colorful Trees


two people run into the water on a beach in winter

Two People Run Into The Water On A Beach In Winter


cliff over sandy winter beach and colorful homes

Cliff Over Sandy Winter Beach And Colorful Homes


sunrise over wavy ocean on sandy beach

Sunrise Over Wavy Ocean On Sandy Beach


drone image of person on white sandy beach

Drone Image Of Person On White Sandy Beach


lifeguard chair on an empty beach

Lifeguard Chair On An Empty Beach


two people walking along the beach at sunset

Two People Walking Along The Beach At Sunset


notebook sunhat and sunglasses on pineapple table cloth

Notebook Sunhat And Sunglasses On Pineapple Table Cloth


blue hour over the horizon from beach

Blue Hour Over The Horizon From Beach


sandy beach and large cliffs

Sandy Beach And Large Cliffs


keywhole cliff

Keywhole Cliff


sunset on open water

Sunset On Open Water


person sitting on beach looking out

Person Sitting On Beach Looking Out


hand holds up a bright beach ball

Hand Holds Up A Bright Beach Ball


a restaurant by the water

A Restaurant By The Water


wooden fence on sandy beach

Wooden Fence On Sandy Beach


feet walk into the water

Feet Walk Into The Water


crystal clear water on the beach

Crystal Clear Water On The Beach


waves on the shore with hills in distance

Waves On The Shore With Hills In Distance


seaweed washes ashore on the beach

Seaweed Washes Ashore On The Beach


lifeguard stands on sandy beach

Lifeguard Stands On Sandy Beach


a lifeguard tower at twilight

A Lifeguard Tower At Twilight


palm frond over deserted beach

Palm Frond Over Deserted Beach


water crashes at rocky island shore

Water Crashes At Rocky Island Shore


palm frond hangs over white sandy beach

Palm Frond Hangs Over White Sandy Beach


leaning palms on a sandy beach

Leaning Palms On A Sandy Beach


rocky cliffs stand over sandy beach

Rocky Cliffs Stand Over Sandy Beach


waves crash on rocky coastline

Waves Crash On Rocky Coastline


shoreline meets trees in fall colors

Shoreline Meets Trees In Fall Colors


waves crash under morning sun

Waves Crash Under Morning Sun


cliffs form shadows by the sea

Cliffs Form Shadows By The Sea


doggo on a beach walk

Doggo On A Beach Walk


sunlight ducks below the horizon

Sunlight Ducks Below The Horizon


tide rushes into shore on hazy morning

Tide Rushes Into Shore On Hazy Morning


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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.