An Exercise in Learning

Hey, Internet! James here. I recently went on my first landscape-priority shooting exercise in Greenwich, Connecticut and I wanted to share a few things I learned and realized while I was out there. Some may be obvious and others not, but for my first experience focusing on landscape compositions (and specifically seascapes), it turned out better than I expected! Without further ado, let's start with the more obvious things!

The Easy Stuff

So! What kind of things do you need to bring with you when you go to the beach? And specifically, to spend a fixed amount of time at the beach dedicated to photographing the natural landscape or wildlife? Well, for starters, you're gonna need;

A set time and objective
- This should be a time that you pick and feel most comfortable with. For me, I was specifically looking to capture seascapes just before, and right at, sunset. I chose to arrive about 2 hours before sunset, which I had to look up on Google for my area! I also love open skies mixed with clouds so I checked my forecast, as well, to make sure that I'd have at least a little cloud coverage. I often find it helpful to pick a goal for the day that I can focus on. For this particular day of shooting, I was looking to capture seascapes around sunset-time from several different perspectives; primarily with large stones in the foreground. Don't feel pressured to make the same choices that I've made, however. It's all up to your preferences and shooting styles!
Sunscreen
- Now, this one seems really, REALLY obvious, but I feel that it's always better to err on the side of caution and apply a solid layer of sunblock before going out shooting. Pick a brand that works well for you and stick with it! It's important to stay protected since you'll probably be out shooting in different areas and positions for hours!
Bug spray
- I haven't gone to the beach since last Summer, but boy oh boy, did I realize what a mistake it was to not apply bug spray on my latest visit. Since I was shooting in a very nature-heavy area during the cool hours of the late afternoon/evening, I was constantly pestered by gnats and mosquitoes during my entire visit. The annoyance, pain, distraction, and frustration involved with these little suckers is pretty bad. Next time, I'll be prepared, though!
Water
- This one is an often overlooked point for many people and it can be dangerous! Always stay hydrated, people! I'm shooting in the middle of Summer, so it's going to be a bit worse than at other points during the year, but even cooler temperatures are no excuse to forego bringing any kind of water bottle. Pick a big one and fill it up before you leave. It also helps to know, beforehand, if there are any food or cafe services at your beach. They can definitely come in handy if you suddenly find yourself running dry!
Snacks
- Depending on how you operate your schedule or your diet, this one may not be as important to you, but don't be like me and skip lunch before going out shooting and hiking for several hours! The feeling of walking back to the beach entrance, hungry and light-headed, is not one that I would like to get again. Stay energized and keep some light snacks in your backpack to keep you going during your day out. Also, please be careful about litter and clean up after yourself. We're all out here shooting to capture these beautiful landscapes and it'd be a shame to see it go to waste.

The Not-As-Easy Stuff

Good shoes or boots!
- I sort of winged it on this trip; I wore leather sneakers, worn jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt. I should have thought more ahead about what kind of attire best suits the environment you'll be working in. If I was shooting street scenes in New York City, then maybe my outfit would be more appropriate, but walking around muddy, sandy shorelines in my denim jeans definitely hampered more than it helped. And the shoes I was wearing weren't exactly ideal for marching in the sand. On my next visit, I plan to purchase a high-quality pair of hiking boots or shoes to help me get around a bit more easily. I'll also most likely bring a pair of shorts and a rain jacket, just in case the weather takes a turn. You never know what might happen!
A neutral density or polarizing filter
- I had left my house with the intention of getting at least several slightly-long exposure seascapes (1/4 - 1/20 of a second exposure time) I could be proud of for my first exercise, but one thing I hadn't taken into account was how bright it actually is outside. It was a fairly sunny day and my camera has a minimum ISO of 100. The lens I was using has a minimum effective aperture of f22. Even at 1/60 of a second exposure time, I was struggling to get a properly exposed image. What I was missing was a way to reduce the light coming into the camera to capture that light over a longer period of time. In my case, a neutral density filter (a filter which helps reduce the amount of light coming through the lens) would have allowed me to use a longer exposure time and capture my compositions in the way that I wanted. I was able to make due at a slightly faster shutter speed, but my results were, in my opinion, sub-optimal. Next time, I'll be a bit more prepared with my technique and equipment!
A solid tripod
- You may not think it's the absolute most important thing in the world, but having the right tripod can make or break your long exposure/HDR shots. Even the slightest bit of movement will register on the sensor and you'll have to retake the shot with the hopes of better wind. Pick something that is comfortable to carry, holds sturdy on its own, and is easy to move around. I would also recommend purchasing a cheap remote trigger to help reduce camera movement even further! AmazonBasics sells a very nice and inexpensive one which I enjoy using quite a bit. I recently purchased a Manfrotto tripod from B&H Photo Video after handling and playing with a bunch of them in their NYC store and I have to say that quality and price really do make the difference. It felt great to be able to smoothly change my composition and I am excited to use this new tripod for all aspects of my photography moving forward. If you're interested, I'll link all of the equipment I used at the beach at the bottom of this post.
Patience
- Now, this is the final and potentially most important part of shooting landscape photography; patience. You need to be patient and respectful of the environment around you. When I went to the beach, there were dozens of people passing me (and through my frame) all throughout the day. It's a public beach/park, there's not really much that you can do. There was a number of shots that I just had to give up on because people were just in the way. It's okay, though, thankfully the beach is huge and scenes are aplenty! Towards the evening, I noticed that there were fewer and fewer people as families and sunbathers began heading home and it became easier to build compositions without people in the frame. Also, in regards to timing and patience; as sunset approaches, you'll notice that the light shifts very rapidly and without too much notice, you might find your composition dead in the water. Shadows and reflections might suddenly change or disappear entirely. It's okay. It's part of the experience and difficulty of photographing nature. My best advice would be to shoot away, even if you don't have the perfect settings. In those precious minutes, you may lose all of the magic in your shot and even if your exposure is off by a little bit, it's better than missing the shot completely. This is the digital age, people! We have Lightroom and Photoshop to help correct some of those minor errors. (Apologies to those who shoot using film)

The Outcome

Now that I've talked a bit about what to bring and expect when you head out, I'd like to share just a few of the shots that I walked away fairly happy about. Feel free to analyze or review them in any way you wish!

My Gear

And as promised, here is the equipment that I brought to the beach to take these shots! Enjoy!

Camera body: Nikon D5500
Camera lens: AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II
Tripod: Manfrotto Element Carbon Fiber Big Traveler Tripod

In Conclusion

I think it was a pretty successful exercise, all things considered! I'm definitely excited to take what I learned on this most recent visit to my next one. I'm more well-prepared and I'm determined to take some more excellent photos! I suppose I should end with a question to you guys, as well; What kind of landscapes do you enjoy? Do you have any particular techniques or styles that you aim for when shooting seascapes vs. other landscapes? Let me know in the comments and have a wonderful time shooting!