Beach photography tips

Recently, Joanne and her family enjoyed a trip to Great Yarmouth, and I couldn't resist a photoshoot. You can read about their adventures here:

While shooting the photos, I discovered a few problems, but also some useful tips which I decided to share with you today.

1. Critters sink in dry sand!
Obviously, you want to photograph your little darlings in dry sand, to protect their fur- it just brushes off their feet and clothes. However, they tend to sink, which I discovered with my barbeque.
To prevent this, I used the flat plastic box lid of my carry container, and put the thinnest possible layer of sand on top to cover it. This way, the BBQ rested mainly on the flat plastic, and was concealed enough to look natural.
This tip is also handy to get a level surface.

2. Cleaning after
I buried a couple of figures for shots, but made sure to remove their clothes. After, I blew as much sand off as I could, and then used my air pump when I got home to completely clean them. No critters were harmed in the making of this!

3. Watch out for passers-by!
I was lucky to have such a quiet beach, however, this shot was a problem! To prevent this, shoot up close to the figure, and minimise the background, which is a shame.

4. Seagulls!
I was unlucky to have my lunch pecked at by these, and in England, we have them everywhere. I was a little nervous about my critters being snatched, so kept them covered at all times in a box. This also made containing the removed clothes and props much easier.

5. Rocks and scenery
I created my own little scenery using simple rocks and driftwood, and found them very effective. This allows a variety of poses for your critters, and allowed me to show their personalities more easily.

Favourite shot of the day!

6. Decide beforehand!
This must be one of the trickiest photoshoots I've done-
usually, I'm inside with my whole empire of accessories and figures to choose from. I decided on the BBQ scene beforehand, and selected my props very carefully. This way, you don't waste time or risk losing things by taking too many accessories. I'd advise against tiny things such as the sweets from the sweet cart, as the sand can cover them easily. When I next shoot on the beach, I plan to take a towel just for my critters- probably white so they show up easily!

7. Packing list:
Towel
Carry box- I use an IKEA container, but any waterproof container will do. Try and keep this clean and sand free.
Hand sanitiser.
Air pump or compressed air.
Flat top of box- if you are taking a chopping board to the beach for food, this makes a huge surface!
Camera/iPhone.
Critters and props- I listed everything in advance to check before I packed up.

Good luck! I'd love to see your beach photos.
Fox xx