IN THIS ISSUE
Tips For Taking Beautiful Pictures on the Beach

How To Best Display Your Summer Vacation Pictures

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QUICK LINKS FOR ONLINE ORDERS

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Are you planning to do some beach photography this summer?

My son, David, took these pictures during a family vacation on Florida's gulf coast.

I'll be using David's beautiful photos to offer some suggestions you can use in your own photography.

Want to add more impact to your pictures? Consider ordering our European-style 6" x 9" proofs instead of 3.5" or 5" or 4" x 6" standard sizes. Bigger prints are perfect for both family shots & scenics.

I hope you'll find these tips useful.


Best regards,
Dale

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Idea #1: Combine Geometric Shapes With Vivid Colors


Use Opposing Colors:

Complimentary (opposite) blues and yellows make this lifeguard station really stand out.

There are also shapes within shapes, giving the viewer a lot of satisfying "eye candy."





Use Simple Colors:

David shot just two colors to produce a pleasing contrast.

The diagonal beam in the lower right holds the composition together.

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Idea #2: Use Narrow Depth of Field To Isolate Subtle Colors & Objects

Leica S2 w/70mm 1/3000th of a sec. @ f/2.5
A wide f/stop separated the blades of grass from the background colors for an attractive composition.

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Idea #3: Capture Your Child At Play

David had a willing model in four-year-old Sophia (my granddaughter).

Shoot the Big Picture:


Freeze Your Child's Motion...

Fast shutter speed: 1/1000th @ f/5.6

Emotion...

Fast shutter speed: 1/1000th @ f/5.6

...and Joy of Discovery

Leica S2 70mm, 1/180th @ f/4
Why this sunset picture works:
  • Exposure as a semi-silhouette gives just enough detail to show this is a child. The teddy bear provides story interest and works a part of the composition.
  • Narrow depth of field keeps the foreground sharp, accentuating Sophia and the interesting shapes she's finding on the beach.
  • The strong horizontal line of the incoming water holds the lower portion of the picture together. The ocean becomes just the backdrop.
  • Note Sophia's position. The top of her head is just at the center point of the picture. There's a lot of space in front of her...full of detail...to show her forward movement. (If her body was perfectly centered, rather than to the right, the picture would lose it's impact.)
  • Brilliant colors and reflections make the picture visually interesting.
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Idea #4: Tell A Day's Story in a Single Frame






Toys in the sand, an abandoned sand castle and the family taking one last swim all combine to tell the story of a glorious day in the sun.





Why this picture works:
  • It utilizes the "Rule of Thirds" -  The toys and sand castle are in the bottom third of the picture, the family is in the upper third and the reflections of the water and sand comprise the center third.
  • Narrow depth of field keeps the foreground sharp, with the family just slightly out of focus in the distance.
  • The delineating lines in the water separate the thirds while connecting the picture elements.
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Idea #5: Use Groupings of Similar Pictures

You don't always have to tell a complete story with a single photograph. Sometimes a series of more than one picture can add interest to your tale. 

Here are two similar, yet complimentary photographs:

Leica S2 with 70mm, 1 sec @ f/13, ISO 160, tripod
Leica S2 with 70mm, 0.7 sec @ f/13, ISO 160, tripod
Why these pictures work together:
  • Both pictures use the Rule of Thirds.
    •  The top photo uses the horizon line and sky for the upper third, the in-focus water in the distance for the middle third and the moving ocean in the foreground for the lower third.
    • The bottom image utilizes the lines in the water to delineate the thirds.
  • A long shutter speed ... with the use of a tripod ... shows movement in the water.
  • The images are a natural set because of similar color and theme.

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Idea #6: Capture the Night

Most beach pictures are taken in daylight. Consider expanding your shooting sessions. You may get your best pictures at sunset or late at night!

Leica S2 with 70mm, 1/250th of sec @ f/4 ISO 32

Why this picture works:
  • This photo of the lifeguard station utilizes the Rule of Thirds fairly subtly.
  • The "story" of the people on the quiet beach is just below the horizon line. All the visual elements bring the viewer's eye to the people.
  • The diagonal, colored cloud positioned relative to the life guard station frames the image and guides the eye downward.

Leica S2 with 70mm, 24 sec @ f/13, ISO 160, tripod

Why this picture works:
  • It utilizes the "Rule of Thirds" in a Very Unusual Way - The horizontal pier comprises the top third. But, the bottom two thirds are diagonals. The blue foreground detail is the bottom third and the reflections on the water and beach the middle third.
  • Wide depth of field from a closed down aperture keeps everything from the foreground to the background in sharp focus.
  • The details and tonality "make" the picture a true work of art.
  • The yellow light from the building reflects off the wet sand and "points" to the two subtle objects in the foreground sand.

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Idea #7: Consider Making Larger Proofs

Standard 4" x 6" prints are nice. But, for sheer impact they just can't compare to our super-sized 6" x 9" proofs.

Relative Size of a 4" x 6" Print

See the size difference for yourself:

Draw both a 4" x 6" and a 6" x 9" box on a sheet of paper. Cut them out. Compare the two...and imagine the difference this can make to your prints.

Comparative Size of a 6" x 9" Print










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Idea #8: Organize Your Best Pictures Into Photo Books or Portfolios

Photo Books -

Our photo books are printed on professional Kodak photographic paper...not the plain copy paper offered by other companies.

8" x 8" Books have 10 - 28 pages,
with multiple pictures on pages.

Create Your Pages With Easy-to-Use Design Templates
To place an online order for your photo books please click here.

Prices:
10 Pages - $18.95
16 Pages - $27.95
Shipping (up to 4 books) - $6.50
Shipping (5 or more) - Free
 
Portfolios -

Itoya portfolio binders allow you to slip prints into and out of archival plastic pages. They're a versatile way to store, protect and display your proofs & enlargements!

Display 4 Up - 6" x 9" Prints in the 9" x 12" Itoya Portfolio

The 24 page Itoya Portfolio will hold 48 - 6" x 9" proofs or 24 - 9" x 12" prints.
$12.50* in our Florida store. We also carry smaller photo albums for 4" x 6" prints.

*Photographers in other states: I suggest you purchase Itoya portfolios at your local art supply store to save shipping expenses.

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If You Don't Live In Florida:
Orders sent to you from our laboratory via U.S. First Class and Priority Mail will usually arrive at your home in 2 - 4 days ... no matter where you live in the U.S. (Not much longer for Canada.)

Digital In - Mail Out ... For the Best Enlargements In America

Lab turn-around times for online digital proofing & enlarging orders (M - F if received by 3:00 PM EDT):
  • iPrints.com - Same day printing & shipping.
  • iPrintsPro.com (ROES) -
    • Economy - Uncorrected (where you do your own color corrections) - 1 to 2 hours
    • Premium - Laboratory Corrected (where we correct your color) - 1 to 2 days
    • Mounting - Add 1 day
Expedited Shipping Via UPS Is Also Available
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Summer is the easiest, most comfortable time of the year to take memorable pictures.

Trust our caring technicians to make your prints as good as they can be. We'll treat your pictures as we would our own.

You snap the pictures ... we'll do the rest!
Best wishes,
Dale
Dale Farkas
President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com
(Online services of Dale Laboratories)

Questions? Call (800) 327-1776. We're here to help!
 
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