Quick Tip from the BEACH - Tips for taking photos on the beach
I just landed from my trip to Ft Lauderdale Florida where I got to spend some time on the beach. While I was out there sitting on the beach getting stressed out that I was just sitting around, I decided to make a video.
The Quick Tip I decided to focus on was taking pictures on the beach and a few do’s and dont’s. Now I know I only gave a few tips but I think they are tips that should be kept in your mind for when you may have to shoot on the beach.
The first tip has to do with when to shoot and when not to. There are times where the spray from the ocean is thick and is sticking to everything. This is not the best time to take your gear out as the misty wet sand will end up not only on your lenses but possibly in your camera. If you really need to shoot in this type of environment my suggestion would be to use one of those ThinkTank Photo Hydrophobias and to put a UV or CP filter on your lens.
The Hydrophobia will protect your camera from the fine sand particles and sticky mist that is flying around. The UV or CP filter will protect the front element of your lens and take the brunt of the sticky sand for you. The idea is to protect your camera and lenses at all costs on the beach.
I personally do not use a UV filter on any of my lenses. But in a situation where there is a chance of something happening to my lens, I rather risk a $75 filter over a $2,000 Lens.
Another tip I brought up was to use a circular polarizer when you are on the beach. This will make the sky and water really pop before you ever take your images into the computer. Remember this if you have a UV filter on your lens and you want to use the CP be sure to remove the UV first. It is never a good thing to stack filters as it will start to one cut down on light and two cut down on the quality of your images.
The last quick tip form the video is for those who go from a very cold climate right outside into a humid hot day. What is going to happen is you will get instant condensation on your lens and possibly inside your camera. There is no way to stop this once it starts, your lens will fog up and its possible that your camera will as well.
My recommendation is you leave your camera and lenses outside to acclimated to the outside temperate. You want to leave yourself enough time for this equalization to occur because you will not be able to shoot images with a foggy camera or lens. Do not attempt to wipe away the condensation as it will just come right back until it matches the outside temperature.
One final though is if you do end up getting sand on your lens you want to be very careful how you clean it. You will not want to try and rub a lens cloth across the front element as there is a possibility that the fine particles of sand will scratch your lens. I think the best think to do is use a rocket air once the same dries. This way you will remove all the particles before you try to physically wipe the lens.
All and all be very careful on the beach, sand and sea water are a killer even in small doses. Be sure to clean your gear after being on the beach so it does not have a chance to eat away at it.
