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.

Are you looking to launch your online business? Try Shopify for free!

sunny beach selfie

Sunny Beach Selfie


ocean waves on rocks and sand

Ocean Waves On Rocks And Sand


south african shore

South African Shore


beach chairs seaside

Beach Chairs Seaside


woman holding sunglasses

Woman Holding Sunglasses


woman on hammock at beach

Woman On Hammock At Beach


a surfer contemplates the water's edge

A Surfer Contemplates The Water's Edge


romantic horseback riding by ocean

Romantic Horseback Riding By Ocean


grassy beach shade

Grassy Beach Shade


bubbly water on rocky shore

Bubbly Water On Rocky Shore


rocky cliffs crumble into pacific ocean under summer sunset

Rocky Cliffs Crumble Into Pacific Ocean Under Summer Sunset


board walking

Board Walking


ocean waves kites surfing

Ocean Waves Kites Surfing


friendship to the rescue

Friendship To The Rescue


wicker beach bag and sandals on a white sandy beach

Wicker Beach Bag And Sandals On A White Sandy Beach


woman and dog play on the beach

Woman And Dog Play On The Beach


bright beach tide

Bright Beach Tide


bubbly water on stoney shore

Bubbly Water On Stoney Shore


man raking beach at sunset

Man Raking Beach At Sunset


kite surfer in action

Kite Surfer In Action


beach umbrella view

Beach Umbrella View


two people in formal wear dance on the beach

Two People In Formal Wear Dance On The Beach


shells in sand

Shells In Sand


ocean under cloudy sky

Ocean Under Cloudy Sky


women arm in arm raise their hands in peace sign on beach

Women Arm In Arm Raise Their Hands In Peace Sign On Beach


beach volleyball courts

Beach Volleyball Courts


blue water red shore green land

Blue Water Red Shore Green Land


blue and gold sunset sky

Blue And Gold Sunset Sky


dusty sky with palm sihouettes on beach at sunset

Dusty Sky With Palm Sihouettes On Beach At Sunset


photo of a person stretching with a smart watch on

Photo Of A Person Stretching With A Smart Watch On


coral reef surrounding tropical beach

Coral Reef Surrounding Tropical Beach


three people have fun on a beach

Three People Have Fun On A Beach


modern venus

Modern Venus


private beach

Private Beach


cactus on beach

Cactus On Beach


beach goers swim in ocean

Beach Goers Swim In Ocean


sandy beach holiday

Sandy Beach Holiday


blue water bay with busy beach

Blue Water Bay With Busy Beach


aerial view of sea rolling into a rocky shore

Aerial View Of Sea Rolling Into A Rocky Shore


seashells by the seashore

Seashells By The Seashore


man carrying surfboard emerges from ocean waves

Man Carrying Surfboard Emerges From Ocean Waves


three people jump high on a wet sandy beach

Three People Jump High On A Wet Sandy Beach


sunset creates orange hue along the beach

Sunset Creates Orange Hue Along The Beach


white kittens sleeping soundly on the concrete outside

White Kittens Sleeping Soundly On The Concrete Outside


two women strike a yoga pose on the beach

Two Women Strike A Yoga Pose On The Beach


beach fishing

Beach Fishing


sandy beach with sandals sunglasses and a beach bag

Sandy Beach With Sandals Sunglasses And A Beach Bag


looking out to sea

Looking Out To Sea


beach resort vacation

Beach Resort Vacation


umbrella & swimming

Umbrella & Swimming


Start a business

Most everything you need to get started — photos, suppliers, and more

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.