Composing Great Photos at the Beach or a National Park

by David Peterson

How do you get the best shots when you're out and about? Here are some secrets for taking shots at the beach and inside National Parks.

Taking Photos At The Beach

The beach is a fantastic place to not only photograph your family and friends having fun, but you can get some good landscape photography of the beaches or hills as well.
· When taking photos of sandcastles, drop down to the same level as the sandcastle and ensure your family is at the same level
· The summer sun will usually be very bright and harsh. The best light will usually be in the late afternoon or early morning.
· Take your telephoto lens if you have one. Pictures of surfers work really well in closeup.
· Watch for beach animals such as crabs and photograph them using your Macro function.
· Try standing in the water, keeping your camera close to the water and shooting towards the beach for an unusual shot.
· Keep the flash on. This will "fill in" the shadows on their faces (particularly if your subjects are wearing hats)
· Be careful with your camera, as sand and salt water are very harmful substances to get inside your camera!

Taking Photos At National Parks

Natural wonders abound in National Parks. There's so much to photograph: The Animals, Scenery, Your Family!
· When photographing wondrous scenery like waterfalls, focus on that subject but don't make it the only thing in your photograph. Include some sky, or a person for scale.
· Again, keep the flash on to help with shadows on your subject's faces.
· Take advantage of the scenery. When photographing your family and friends, include something of the surrounding area in the photograph as well.
· Try different angles to see if you can make the shot more interesting. Eg shooting upwards from ground level.