People flock to the beach during summer because beach is summer. If you can time your life with your photo albums, you can see that all your summer days are spent at the beach year after year. Seeing pictures of moments you wanted to immortalize might be cringe-worthy or less pleasurable. If you wanted to improve your photography skills or become a good photojournalist, heed the advice given by Magnum Photo Agency and their experts. They’re a world-class photojournalism organization and if it’s a skill in photography you wanted to develop, they’re the organization you should believe in.
1. Look for Quiet Humor and Common Stories – Martin Parr. This photographer is an expert in contemporary photography. His photography mostly focuses on the humorous. Parr suggests to keep your camera up most of the time and look for stories as told by the different sun worshipers that lounge at the beach. Shortly after, you’ll spot incongruous comedy.
2. Don’t forget late-day light – Constantine Manos. This South Carolina photographer dwells in the warm color and long shadows of the setting sun. When the sun finally sets, the bright colors of beach huts, of cafe walls, and the golden sand will serve as the beautiful backdrop. His tip: always take pictures with the sun at your back and use its red light so you can add depth and texture to your subject. If you’re using a wide angle frame, be mindful of your own shadow.
3. Black and white has its place – Ian Berry. Black and white may not be ideal to novice photographers for a warm summer day at the beach, but Berry uses black and white to add timelessness to an image. It also allows more focus on the form and concentration on the image without the flares and dramas of contrasting colors.
4. Walk away from the crowd – Denis Stock. Usual beach photography always involves a pack of people in their swimming outfits. If you want to tell a different story, get away from the crowd and look for a subjects that tells a story of isolation.
5. It’s not about the deck chairs – Peter Marlow. The beach may be filled with people lounging on their lazy deck chairs that’s why it’s ideal to look for stories of beach activities that do not involve the deck chair.
