Shooting at the Beach

In this “How To” tutorial, photographer Mike Larson gives us tips on the basics of shooting on the beach while on location at beautiful Zingst beach in Germany.

One of the methods Larson uses while shooting couples with a long lens at the beach is a Bluetooth device used to communicate via speaker cell phone with models at a distance. There is no need to shout at your models or carry walkie-talkies. This is definitely a useful tool when shooting at the beach.

Another important tip demonstrated by Larson is how to interact, motivate and direct models. Often models will become bored when a photographer tells them to just “smile.” Larson remedies that from happening in that he creates a little scene for his model to think about before beginning the shot. For instance, he tells his model Sarah to think about being on the catwalk with all eyes on her as she struts her stuff, walking toward the camera. And without a doubt the quirkiest highlight is when he tells her to “Do a 360.” Priceless! And the natural movement captured in the shot is a perfect example of shooting risky to get a great shot. This is definitely a great video for every type of photography style.