Trails
Magic of the Coast

Magic of the Coast
by Adrian Hendroff

” The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.”
– Robert Wyland
1. Check The Tides
When it comes to planning a coastal photoshoot, the tide state and height are one of the first things I’d check. A stretch of coastline looks totally different at low, mid and high tide, so local knowledge is important prior to a shoot. Use the My Tide Times App or sites such as tide-forecast.com

2. Get Close To The Water
You’ll need a pair of wellies and it goes without saying that only approach the water as long as you feel safe. Check the wind direction using websites like yr.no. If it is coming directly off the sea at more than 25km/h (15mph), you are almost guaranteed that your camera and gear will become coated with sea-spray and wave splashes. Ideally, you’ll want the wind to blow from any other direction than off the sea. Alternatively, you can also opt to stand further away and use a longer lens.

3. Fill The Sky With Colours
Plan to be at a location well ahead of time – I often arrive a full hour before sunrise or well over an hour before sunset. Tools such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris or PhotoPills are useful to plan the direction of light. There’s also no harm researching the internet, stock libraries or photo-sharing sites such as Instagram, 500px or Flickr to see what others have done. Finally, check the weather forecast and cloud cover using websites such as yr.no. I will soon be running an online Zoom course on how to increase your hit-rate when it comes to photographing the golden hour. To register your interest, email fabulousviewpoints@gmail.com
4. Fill Your Foreground

5. Get Creative

6. Less Is More
7. Go Mono

8. Scout The Cliff Tops
