Sunset Beach family photo sessions are becoming a very popular photography niche thanks to the majestic effect of the golden sunlight on photos. A lot of families and couples are now requesting sunset beach photoshoots. Therefore, as a professional family or portrait photographer, it is very important to equip yourself with the right knowledge for sunset photography. With several years of experience in this captivating niche, I’m glad to share some of my best beach sunset photography tips and ideas with you. So, let’s get started with…
How you can capture beautiful family photos at sunset
If you’ve ever attempted photography at night, you’ll agree that getting sharp, bright pictures in low-light conditions can be difficult. When taking pictures in low light, you must strike a balance between your camera settings, subjects, and environment. Sunset Beach family photography is no exception; balance is key. That said, here are some top tips you can rely on to get the perfect family portraits at sunset:
1. Find the perfect beach
While there may be many beautiful beaches in your region, not all are ideal for a sunset family photo session. In my opinion, beaches with natural elements like cliffs, rocks, trees, and picturesque landscapes are the best for family sunset photography.
These natural elements will help make the photographs more interesting and visually appealing, and you can also use them to compose the images. Hence, my preference for beaches featuring these elements.
One such beach in the USA is Ruby Beach, located in Olympic National Park in Washington State. This beach is known for its rocks, cliffs, sea stacks, and rugged coastline, making it a popular destination for family outdoor photography.
Bonus: For a comprehensive list of all beaches in the United States and their respective states, click here.
2. Arrive at your chosen beach before sunset
If you are in the United States of America or planning to travel to any US city with a beach for a sunset family photo shoot, you should note that the average duration of sunset in the US is 34 minutes, according to information from worlddata.info.
Of course, this duration is not sufficient for a family photoshoot. You may spend around 30 minutes setting up your equipment and another 20 minutes getting the kids to cooperate. Hence, to get the perfect sunset family portraits, I’d highly recommend you arrive at your chosen beach at least an hour before sunset.
In fact, the best time for sunset family photography at the beach is an hour or two before the sunset, not during the sunset. This is because the light is softer and more golden during this time, and you will also have a good amount of time to prepare and get everyone to cooperate.
3. Rightly optimize your camera settings for sunset beach photography
While there are no specific worldwide camera settings for sunset beach family photos, your regular camera settings for normal outdoor family photo shoots may not produce the best results. Taking pictures during sunset is almost equivalent to shooting in low light.
Therefore, you’ll need to optimize your camera settings like you would when taking pictures at night. If you are just getting started with sunset photography or low light photography, in general, here’s a quick camera setting you can begin with:
- ISO – between 100 to 200.
- Aperture – between f/11 to f/16.
- Shutter speed – between 1/30th to 1/60th.
- White balance – Daylight
For a detailed explanation of this quick camera setting for beach sunset photography, please click on the link below:
Beach Photography Settings. Shooting In Daylight, Sunrise, And Sunset
4. Use filters
Although photographic filters are not a must-have tool for beach sunset photo shoots, they can help enhance your beach-themed family portraits.
A polarizing filter, for instance, can help reduce reflections and enhance the colors in the sky and water, while a graduated ND filter, on the other hand, can help balance the exposure between the bright sky and the darker foreground.
As I mentioned earlier, filters are not essential tools for this niche, yet they can help improve the overall quality of your photographs.
5. Don’t forget to compose the images
Composition is an integral aspect of beach and portrait photography. Composition in photography refers to how elements within a photograph are arranged and combined to create a visually pleasing and impactful image.
So it’s essential to incorporate interesting foreground elements, like rocks, shells, or driftwood, into the photos. This will help create depth and context in your pictures. If you’re new to outdoor photography, some easy composition techniques to consider for outdoor family portraits are the rule of thirds, the rule of odds, and leading lines.
You can click the link below to learn more about these techniques:
Photography Composition Rules To Follow Every Time You Click A Photo
Aside from composing your shots, I also recommend taking the time to shoot from different angles and with different focal lengths. Feel free to experiment.
Sunset Beach Family Photo Ideas
Having provided a comprehensive guide on how you can capture the best beach-themed family portraits at sunset, here are some creative photo ideas you can try during your next session:
1. Family silhouette
Pose the subjects (family members) against the setting sun to capture a stunning family silhouette portrait at the beach. You can have the subjects jump up or simply stand still for the shot.
2. Candid beach walk
For a candid portrait, you can tell the whole family members to take a leisurely stroll along the shoreline while you take the pictures right opposite the sunset.
3. Running into the waves
Alternatively, you can have them run into the waves together as the sun sets for a more candid group portrait. You can capture the picture with a slow shutter speed to freeze the waves and make it look more interesting and artistic.
4. Playing beach games
The beach is a beautiful place for different sports activities. You can divide the family into two equal teams and have them engage in a game of volleyball, soccer (football), or any other fun activity. Then, capture candid pictures of the team and each member as they run, jump, and enjoy themselves.
5. Enjoy the moment!
Lastly, encourage your subjects to enjoy the moment by letting go of every worry and negative thought. Encourage them to have fun, tell jokes, laugh, and take artistic sunset beach family photos from a close range and a reasonable distance.