Beach and other tips

[sid369]

Hi guys, I got my first dslr last week and I am super excited!!!

I need some tips from the pros (you guys) so that I can get better at photography. I am going to the beach this weekend and would like to know some tips of how to shoot at the beach. Also other suggestions regarding using a dslr would be great.

[eddie_dane]

one of the best things to do on a sunny day at the beach is to use your flash for fill, it seems counter-intuitive but it gives a great effect.

[herc182]

try to avoid taking photos at mid day...too bright :)

the flash fill is for portraits BTW

[sid369]

What aperture would be best with the kit lens.

[TheWengler]

You should be thinking about your settings for every shot (or set of shots). You shouldn't be looking for one aperture to use for the whole day. What kind of beach pictures are you planning on taking? What time of day are you planning on going to the beach?

[K1W1]

Don't drop the camera into either the sand or the water. :)

[KevinMelody.net]

Don't drop the camera into either the sand or the water. :)

And be ultra-careful if you want to change lenses - sand gets into every available crevice.

[KenRC51]

If you use flash then your highest shutter speed would be 200. At the shutter speed, it would take too much light in and you have to set your f stop to about 10 or maybe a little higher depending on what time of the day. You would need a nd8 filter so you can use a higher aperture and not get all the details on the background.

[gsusmaniac]

I usually shoot with a circular polarizer and no flash. But I am also usually shooting skimmers or surfers so a flash would be irrelevant.

The best thing to do is go and practice. Its challenging at first but you will get the hang of it. Just have fun!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Think about your composition. As Lukas taught me it's more interesting if you have something in the foreground, midground and background.

Shooting along the beach (at least for deserted Australian beaches) is more interesting with a telephoto lens so the distance is compressed.

[rr1santos]

sorry to steal this thread topic but had a quick question.
I'm going to the beach with my girlfriend her toddler cousin..was curious if i should shoot in the child mode setting or stick with manual?

I'll lost likely use the kit less but will bring my 18-200mm just in case. He's not camera shy or anything so getting close without him feeling nervous isn't a problem.

thanks guys.

will also be bringing my sb800...will i really need it?

[fionndruinne]

Child mode will not improve your pictures of children on the beach. Basically it's like a portrait mode (wider aperture), with more than likely an increased ISO for capturing fast kids indoors or in less than high-noon lighting. You won't need that at the beach, except around evening, and it could degrade the quality of your images. Stick with a portrait mode, or better yet, A mode with a fairly large aperture and base ISO unless it's not giving you fast, blur-free shots. If so, up the ISO a little.

[rr1santos]

thanks fionndruinne

[fionndruinne]

No prob. In regards to the flash, will you be there at evening? If so, experiment with fill flash portraits and the like. You'll want a fairly low flash setting, and need a steady spot like a tripod, since even though the flash will be firing, the camera holds open the shutter longer to expose the background. A diffuser is also good to have, so the subject will not be harshly illuminated.

[jcon]

I didnt even know there was a child mode! Most of them are pointless anyway!

[rr1santos]

lol...when i first got my d40x i straight went to Manual and fiddled with it...so never really got to know all the modes..ijust knew they were there to help "cheat" haha

[jcon]

Stick with manual then if you are familiar with it. Having full control is a huge benefit!

[tim11]

If you can use manual mode why bother with other modes? Just make sure you understand the settings and their effect.
I know a guy who used Manual mode. The settings was ISO400, S 1/15, A: F8 to take photos of my kids. I asked him why he selected such settings he said someone told him it's best to shoot in manual mode. ??

[fionndruinne]

I would actually say, DON'T shoot in manual mode unless you know WHY you're doing it. That's as good a rule of thumb as the one that states "learn your camera and get out of full auto mode". Basically, you need control over certain aspects for certain situations. Unless you need a very precise shutter speed, I like to use A mode. If shutter is more important than aperture, use S. If you need quick control over both aspects, use M. ISO is one of the easier things to learn through practice, I'd recommend getting to know when to use base ISO and when to bump it up, and how far, in diverse situations.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Unless you know what you're doing and are prepared to stuff the exposure on a percentage of shots then A mode and matrix metering.

If someone's asking will I need the flash then M is not the mode to suggest when they're looking to impress the girlfriend with beautiful shots of a moving target. Save the manual mode for when you're taking posed shots and can re-shoot it if the exposures wrong.