I remember my first time photographing the ocean. My shots were bland, I struggled with composition, I wasn’t able to keep salt off my lens, and I felt overwhelmed. I simply wasn’t prepared. Fast forward, and I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to take quality images of seascapes, things I wish I would have known my first time on the coast.

I think preparing yourself for what it takes to photograph seascapes, makes your life a lot easier once you’re actually out there. And, there’s a greater chance of you coming away with really good images.

These tips are relevant for all coastal scenes, but they especially relate to what I’ve experienced photographing the rugged coastline from California to Alaska.

Prepare to Get Wet
Sometimes photographers have a thing where they don’t want to get wet. I’ve been there, for sure. Whether it’s the coast or waterfalls…no one wants to get their pants, footwear, socks, etc. wet. We like to be comfortable and I understand that.

When it comes to photographing seascapes, you have to prepare yourself to get wet though. By doing so, you’ll open yourself up to so many more compositions, and the types of compositions that are much more dynamic than the ones you find sitting back.

You’ll allow yourself to capture breaking waves, the tide coming in and out, and more. Your images will be better if you are open to getting wet. We can still be comfortable though if we prepare.

When I’m shooting the coast, I always bring a few essential pieces of gear. I always carry my lightweight waders, neoprene socks, and some type of footwear that I’m OK with getting wet. For me, these are usually sandals or water shoes.

Sometimes I wear my waders to stay totally dry and sometimes I just wear my neoprene socks to keep my feet dry.

Use the Flow of Water
This relates to getting wet and ‘getting in the action’. The ocean tides alone provide endless compositions. Each day, the seas rise and fall due to gravity and the rotation of the earth. As photographers, we can start by thinking of tides in a very simple form – seawater flowing in and out.

It’s a great way to approach composition. Think about this, if you are focused on a sea stack as your main composition element then you can target them in and outwards flow of water to draw the eye right to the sea stack. Water is such a great element because it’s a natural leading line.

When I approach a coastal scene I’m almost always looking for this type of movement for my composition. I’m trying to find good water flow coming in and out that I can use to ‘suck’ the eye into whatever my focal point is.

The flow of water, especially in the PNW, can be quite unforgiving as well. In certain spots and at certain times, like high tide, that in and outflow will be much more than water lazily coming in and out. It’ll be waves crashing and splashing.

I target the waves and those crashes too. Pairing them with your focal point will create drama and depth in your final image. But, they are more difficult to capture and more precarious.

Start small, look for water flow you can use as a leading line, and then maybe progress to targeting waves and splashes if you’re up to it. I do both.