Creating casual beach portraits in the fall or winter

Just because it’s no longer summer doesn’t mean you can’t capture some gorgeous beach portraits. Don’t let the cooler weather put you off from going to the beach. Pass on the bikini and grab a lovely warm wool jumper and jeans for a casual fall or winter beach photoshoot. There are so many great reasons why now might just be a perfect time.

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Benefits to the colder weather

Well apart from the obvious fresh air and vitamin D (although that may be minimal), there are fewer crowds, and the sun is not so harsh. The light is usually softer at this time of year, making for beautiful even light. Clouds, well they can be your friend too. It’s like having a giant diffuser over your model. You can get some dramatic and moody skies that can add impact too.

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Pitfalls

Well, wind and rain, we were lucky and kept checking the weather reports and we ended up picking the perfect day. No rain, and no wind. Frequently on the coast, there is a sea breeze, which might be nice in summer, but can make things cold and miserable in winter. So make sure you check the weather forecast for the beach you plan on going to.

What to take

As there is room to move, I opted for my Sony 85mm. I adore the soft blur on this lens, just perfect for portraits. But you could opt for a 50mm price or 24-70mm zoom. A longer focal length will give more blur and compression, depending on how close you stand to your model and them to the background.

I took a Godox AD200 and a small softbox, but didn’t end up using it (but it is good to be prepared in case light is too dull). Just be careful with softboxes and umbrellas, as they can become airborne on very windy days. I did use a silver reflector to bounce some light back into Emily’s face.

I had Emily dress casually in blue jeans and sneakers and a lovely woollen jumper in neutral tones. Makeup and hair were kept super light and casual too. The only prop we used was some daisies growing nearby. And our beautiful backdrop, Brighton Beach in Melbourne.

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Where to go

My model Emily did a bit of scouting around. She often walks along these beaches as it is quite close to her home. I said I wanted water and sand, some lovely beach grasses and something not too far to walk. A car park would be handy too.

She took some mobile phone shots a few days before and we picked a couple of spots and chose this one, but it is a good idea to have some backups in case of crowds or wind. A sheltered beach is often a great choice. If you wish to get some details in the water, a circular polarizer filter might be helpful too.

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Look for interesting backgrounds, or at least something pleasing and not too disruptive. We had Melbourne city visible in some shots and the iconic Brighton Beach bathing boxes in some of the others. Although to be honest shooting mostly at f/2.8 the background is such a complete blur it is difficult to see very much detail at all.

Settings

I used my Sony a7R III, my 85mm GM lens. I shot with Aperture Priority mode between f/2.8 and f/4.0, Auto ISO and a minimum shutter speed of 1/125s.

I kept it simple. I looked for areas with minimal distractions, that still had a beach ‘feel.’ Sat in the sand, walked along the water’s edge, sat near the grasses, etc. The sky wasn’t pretty — rather grey and boring — so I went for more of the water, which was as still as glass that day. Just beautiful.

Watch a little video behind the scenes of where we shot and the gear we used.

Model: Emily Reinhard