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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overcast sky over beach path

Overcast Sky Over Beach Path


lighthouse and crashing waves

Lighthouse And Crashing Waves


tide rolling to shore under sunset

Tide Rolling To Shore Under Sunset


tide rolls into shore between rocks

Tide Rolls Into Shore Between Rocks


sun sets behind fishermen

Sun Sets Behind Fishermen


woman carrying log on beach in india

Woman Carrying Log On Beach In India


woman carries wood across beach in india

Woman Carries Wood Across Beach In India


a sweeping sunset illuminating a beach

A Sweeping Sunset Illuminating A Beach


people begin to leave the beach

People Begin To Leave The Beach


surfers take to the water

Surfers Take To The Water


sun sets over surfers and beach goers

Sun Sets Over Surfers And Beach Goers


the tide rolls in on a sunny beach scene

The Tide Rolls In On A Sunny Beach Scene


sun sets in the distance and shines on the water

Sun Sets In The Distance And Shines On The Water


beach scene under cloudy sky

Beach Scene Under Cloudy Sky


a church sits atop colorful beach

A Church Sits Atop Colorful Beach


beach view framed by ruins

Beach View Framed By Ruins


sunny coastline below distant mountains

Sunny Coastline Below Distant Mountains


beachfront buildings nestled at the base of a cliff

Beachfront Buildings Nestled At The Base Of A Cliff


empty lifeguard chair at the beach

Empty Lifeguard Chair At The Beach


rocky seashore

Rocky Seashore


beach ballerina

Beach Ballerina


couple ready to surf

Couple Ready To Surf


seashells down by the seashore

Seashells Down By The Seashore


straw parasols on a beach in greece

Straw Parasols On A Beach In Greece


straw parasols on a sandy beach

Straw Parasols On A Sandy Beach


Aerial photography: umbrella shadows on the sand

Straw Parasols On A Beach


lonely lighthouse

Lonely Lighthouse


beach day at coney island

Beach Day At Coney Island


woman in sari on beach

Woman In Sari On Beach


man in black on the beach

Man In Black On The Beach


footprints in the sand

Footprints In The Sand


gray ripples

Gray Ripples


sunset beach tides

Sunset Beach Tides


lifeguard on duty

Lifeguard On Duty


a woman standing in the sand

A Woman Standing In The Sand


windy seaside walk

Windy Seaside Walk


birch trees looking out to water

Birch Trees Looking Out To Water


white waves tracing the shore line

White Waves Tracing The Shore Line


winding coastline on a sunny day

Winding Coastline On A Sunny Day


sun soaked rocky beach

Sun Soaked Rocky Beach


wintery sunny beach

Wintery Sunny Beach


beach chair with an untold story

Beach Chair With An Untold Story


sandy seaweed

Sandy Seaweed


tides goes out on rural beach

Tides Goes Out On Rural Beach


low flying gull

Low Flying Gull


beach grass

Beach Grass


yellow and brown seaweed

Yellow And Brown Seaweed


yellow seaweed by rock pool

Yellow Seaweed By Rock Pool


flowers view

Flowers View


broken beach

Broken Beach


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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.