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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lifeguard tower on beach

Lifeguard Tower On Beach


neon sunset

Neon Sunset


two people sit on a beach throwing a ball for two dogs

Two People Sit On A Beach Throwing A Ball For Two Dogs


floating pebbles & stones

Floating Pebbles & Stones


people sit around a bonfire on the beach

People Sit Around A Bonfire On The Beach


young woman in sunglasses holding camera facing beach

Young Woman In Sunglasses Holding Camera Facing Beach


the sun drops below the watery horizon

The Sun Drops Below The Watery Horizon


tall mountains look over ocean and sandy beach

Tall Mountains Look Over Ocean And Sandy Beach


holding a beach bag and takes out their sunglasses

Holding A Beach Bag And Takes Out Their Sunglasses


sunset skyscrapers by the sea

Sunset Skyscrapers By The Sea


woman strikes a tree pose on the beach

Woman Strikes A Tree Pose On The Beach


tropical hammock on the beach

Tropical Hammock On The Beach


blank chalkboard sticks out of the sand at the beach

Blank Chalkboard Sticks Out Of The Sand At The Beach


person in a white dress stands on the beach at sunset

Person In A White Dress Stands On The Beach At Sunset


person in a swimsuit sits on a wet sandy beach

Person In A Swimsuit Sits On A Wet Sandy Beach


a few stones on a beach lead into the sea

A Few Stones On A Beach Lead Into The Sea


a flag and people on a beach in black and white

A Flag And People On A Beach In Black And White


person riding their bike at sunset along the beach

Person Riding Their Bike At Sunset Along The Beach


young woman holding drink cup with straw on sandy beach

Young Woman Holding Drink Cup With Straw On Sandy Beach


tall grass near sandy beach

Tall Grass Near Sandy Beach


young man sits on the beach

Young Man Sits On The Beach


dry grass beach umbrellas

Dry Grass Beach Umbrellas


woman laughing by aqua blue ocean water

Woman Laughing By Aqua Blue Ocean Water


rocky seaside beach

Rocky Seaside Beach


winding road on california coast

Winding Road On California Coast


white sand beach from

White Sand Beach From


young woman spreading her arms in autumn breeze

Young Woman Spreading Her Arms In Autumn Breeze


wintery sunny beach

Wintery Sunny Beach


person in a floral dress stands on a beach facing the water

Person In A Floral Dress Stands On A Beach Facing The Water


beach resort holiday

Beach Resort Holiday


waves roll up to the sandy beach on a overcast day

Waves Roll Up To The Sandy Beach On A Overcast Day


a woman by the sea with patterned shawl draped through arms

A Woman By The Sea With Patterned Shawl Draped Through Arms


foggy golden gate

Foggy Golden Gate


a woman on a beach opens her sarong at the rolling waves

A Woman On A Beach Opens Her Sarong At The Rolling Waves


sandy feet

Sandy Feet


blue sun shades and deck chairs on a golden sandy beach

Blue Sun Shades And Deck Chairs On A Golden Sandy Beach


person faces the water and holds their shoes in hand

Person Faces The Water And Holds Their Shoes In Hand


persons silhouetted profile by a beach sunset

Persons Silhouetted Profile By A Beach Sunset


canon beach haystack

Canon Beach Haystack


water hitting rocks

Water Hitting Rocks


distant city sunset

Distant City Sunset


low flying gull

Low Flying Gull


portrait of young woman spreading her arms

Portrait Of Young Woman Spreading Her Arms


woman in bikini walks along sandy beach

Woman In Bikini Walks Along Sandy Beach


beach tractor trailer

Beach Tractor Trailer


three people running towards the ocean

Three People Running Towards The Ocean


riding horseback

Riding Horseback


person opens bottle on a beach

Person Opens Bottle On A Beach


black and white people playing basketball near beach

Black And White People Playing Basketball Near Beach


black and white look to the trees

Black And White Look To The Trees


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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.