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!

person in a warm jacket looks out to the ocean

Person In A Warm Jacket Looks Out To The Ocean


deep blue water rolling into the shore

Deep Blue Water Rolling Into The Shore


holiday on tropical resort

Holiday On Tropical Resort


people on a sandy beach with city buildings

People On A Sandy Beach With City Buildings


sandy beach surrounded by rocky cliff and jungle

Sandy Beach Surrounded By Rocky Cliff And Jungle


women in activewear take a beachside hike on a sandy path

Women In Activewear Take A Beachside Hike On A Sandy Path


tall grasses by sandy beach

Tall Grasses By Sandy Beach


person resting on their beach towel in black and white

Person Resting On Their Beach Towel In Black And White


people in the water, planes in the sky

People In The Water, Planes In The Sky


white dresses and bare feet

White Dresses And Bare Feet


tides goes out on rural beach

Tides Goes Out On Rural Beach


person carries their blue and white surfboard to the ocean

Person Carries Their Blue And White Surfboard To The Ocean


aerial view of sandy beach scattered with sunbathers

Aerial View Of Sandy Beach Scattered With Sunbathers


person sitting on beach looking out

Person Sitting On Beach Looking Out


black chalkboard sticking out of a white sandy beach

Black Chalkboard Sticking Out Of A White Sandy Beach


a fire dancer draws shapes on a beach at night

A Fire Dancer Draws Shapes On A Beach At Night


person facing wavy water on a sandy beach

Person Facing Wavy Water On A Sandy Beach


a shawl dangles over a woman's feet in black leggings

A Shawl Dangles Over A Woman's Feet In black Leggings


palm frond hangs over white sandy beach

Palm Frond Hangs Over White Sandy Beach


black boots and legs on a sandy beach at sunset

Black Boots And Legs On A Sandy Beach At Sunset


people walk on bright beach

People Walk On Bright Beach


a woman poses with anklet on rocky beach

A Woman Poses WIth Anklet On Rocky Beach


people run towards the water on a sandy beach

People Run Towards The Water On A Sandy Beach


black and white shoreline

Black And White Shoreline


rocky california shore with waves

Rocky California Shore With Waves


person runs on the sandy beach on a overcast day

Person Runs On The Sandy Beach On A Overcast Day


is that a smoking bird or a plane?

Is That A Smoking Bird Or A Plane?


large waves lap the brown sandy shore

Large Waves Lap The Brown Sandy Shore


close up of lapping waves on a sandy beach

Close Up Of Lapping Waves On A Sandy Beach


umbrella studded beach overlooking teal waters

Umbrella Studded Beach Overlooking Teal Waters


women hike up sandy path surrounded by lush greenery

Women Hike Up Sandy Path Surrounded By Lush Greenery


green trees surround a sandy beach on a misty day

Green Trees Surround A Sandy Beach On A Misty Day


people enjoying a day at the beach in summer

People Enjoying A Day At The Beach In Summer


walking beside cool beach waves

Walking Beside Cool Beach Waves


lines of waves in southeast asia

Lines Of Waves In Southeast Asia


beach day with bae

Beach Day With Bae


orange sunrise over beach

Orange Sunrise Over Beach


man thinking on beach at dusk

Man Thinking On Beach At Dusk


spanish beach marina

Spanish Beach Marina


oceanside properties with anchored sailboat

Oceanside Properties With Anchored Sailboat


rocky coast and ocean waters

Rocky Coast And Ocean Waters


white boat with a red stripe on a sandy beach

White Boat With A Red Stripe On A Sandy Beach


macro photo of bubbles on a sandy beach

Macro Photo Of Bubbles On A Sandy Beach


soccer ball in hand at park

Soccer Ball In Hand At Park


a woman with patterned robe throws head back by beach

A Woman With Patterned Robe Throws Head Back By Beach


young woman sitting on a dock looking out to water

Young Woman Sitting On A Dock Looking Out To Water


a tanned women in flowing beach robe walks along the beach

A Tanned Women In Flowing Beach Robe Walks Along the Beach


women on the beach at sunset

Women On The Beach At Sunset


close up of waves and bubbles on the shore at sunset

Close Up Of Waves And Bubbles On The Shore At Sunset


steps leading to the sea

Steps Leading To The Sea


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.