Seascapes have always been one of my favorite photography subjects. On most of my travels, I’ve visited and photographed at least one breathtaking coastline, and in this article I share the five most photogenic beaches I’ve photographed so far.
I know that the title of this article can be a bit wordy. After all, I haven’t visited every beach in the world. That is not possible. The list I share below is personal only and it may even change in the future as I explore more coastlines during my travels. But, I’m sure you’ll get some inspiration from it.
The most photogenic beaches
Let me first distinguish between photogenic and spectacular. The beaches I share below are not the most spectacular I’ve visited so far. There are certainly more impressive coastlines around the world.
But not every spectacular beach or coastline is photogenic. I often find myself in places that look great. But for many people, creating a photograph that captures their raw beauty is difficult. There may not be a good foreground, or the shape of the coastline may not allow for a balanced composition, for example.
With the beaches below, there is no shortage of photo opportunities. If you decide to visit, you still need to plan in time for scouting and looking for the best vantage points. But it won’t be too hard to find those.
Praia Da Adraga in Europe
I have visited Praia da Adraga many times during my three visits to Portugal over the past 11 years. I can’t understand enough. The reason for that is not only the majestic cliffs and breathtaking beaches that line the length of this beach. What draws me back is its changing nature.
If you visit this beach during the winter months, it might look different every day. In 2011, on my first visit, the beach lost more than a meter of altitude during the week I was in the area. At first, it was a sandbar with only the largest sea blocks sticking out of the sand. By the end of the week, wind and water had spotted rocks everywhere.
Therefore, it is possible to give slightly different compositions on most visits.
The best time to visit, in my opinion, is between late fall and early spring. With dynamic weather along the coast of Portugal, there’s a good chance of getting a dramatic glow at sunset. Plus, you’ll also get lots of waves, which makes this beach photography fun.
For the tides, I like to shoot Praia da Adraga at low tide, starting at half tide.
Whiskey Bay in Australia
In 2016, I traveled along the east coast of Australia in a camping van for six weeks. I visited many spectacular coastlines along the way, including the Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road. But the beach I find the most photogenic is Whiskey Bay in Wilson’s Promontory Park.
I have a video is available, in which I explain my plan to capture the sunset at Whiskey Bay. In it, you can see the countless images that I created in just one hour of photography in the breathtaking sunset there.
The fact that I was able to find so much work in such a short amount of time speaks to the photogenic nature of this beach.
If you want to photograph it, I recommend staying at the nearby Tidal River Campground. From there, it’s just a short drive to Whiskey Bay. You’ll also want to make sure your visit coincides with low tide. Otherwise you cannot explore the rocks on the right side of the beach.
Uvita Beach in Costa Rica
If your goal is to photograph a tropical beach with hundreds, if not thousands, of palm trees, then Uvita Beach is the right place to be. When we were planning our trip through Costa Rica, I had doubts about its photographic potential. Unlike Praia da Adraga or Whiskey Bay, it has no rocks and no sea.
But the beauty of Uvita beach lies in its mirror-like sand. At low tide, you can create amazing reflections along this beach. If you take a closer look, you’ll find small details to use as points of interest ahead.
I could also make a photo there, which I envisioned for years. One evening, I took a large panorama of the beach, in which the beach was like an island. In this photo you can see how vast Uvita beach is.
Since it is part of Marino Ballena National Park, you have to pay a $6 fee to enter the beach and have opening hours. If you buy a ticket the day before, you can arrive as early as 6am the next morning. It gives you enough time to watch the sunrise. But the best time to capture it is at sunset.
I have a detail articles about Uvita available on my homepage. There, I explain how to get there, where to stay, and what else to photograph in the area.
Bandon Beach in America
Unfortunately, I was only able to spend one evening at this magnificent beach in Oregon during my visit to the US in 2013. An evening is too short to do this beach justice. It was filled with sea stacks of different sizes and shapes. That’s an absolutely endless number of topics.
One of the picturesque beaches is a formation that looks like a sorcerer’s hat. To take photos properly, you must choose the right time for your photo session. I was there at low tide, allowing me to explore the many rocks that dot the beach. But for more drama, I think an incoming tide would be better.
The best time to photograph this west coast beach, similar to the others in this article, is at sunset. Depending on the weather, you should avoid the translucent sea that you will often encounter in the summer. It can kill any chance of a colorful sunset. For Praia da Adraga, the time between late autumn and early spring should be the most active weather.
Source Anse D’Argent on Seychelles
To end this article, I have a paradise beach for you. It’s not without reason that Anse Source D’Argent has been the setting of the famous Bacardi since 1991. With granite boulders jutting out of crystal clear waters and palm trees lining the shore, it’s not just a dream come true. photographers.
However, storms are affecting this and other Seychelles beaches. I visited twice over a period of several years, and many of the palm trees you see in the older pictures are long gone. Therefore, the best object is granite, of which there are many.
To get the most out of this beach visually, go there at low and medium tide. High tide will make it difficult to find the foreground, while at low tide you can explore around the rocks for captivating views.
Since the beach faces west, sunset is the best time to take pictures. By then, most of the day the visitors are already gone, and if you catch the low tide, don’t leave too many footprints.
Similar to Uvita beach, the current entrance fee is around $8.
Now that I’ve shared my favorite beaches, let’s hear about yours in the comments.
