Finding the right location and light for portraits can transform a photo shoot. Coastal settings, with their natural backdrops and dynamic lighting, are especially versatile. Knowing how to work with these elements effectively ensures your images feel both natural and romantic.
Coming to you from Karl Taylor with Visual Education, this practical video demonstrates how to capture couple portraits in a picturesque coastal setting. Taylor starts by scouting locations, emphasizing paths, boulders, and sandy beaches as ideal spots for romantic imagery. He highlights the importance of timing, waiting for the late afternoon light to soften for that perfect golden hour glow. Taylor uses a long telephoto lens to compress the background and add intimacy to the frame. He shoots through grasses for a soft, layered foreground, enhancing depth and texture.
Taylor explains the challenges of maintaining consistent lighting. He uses a reflector to bounce warm light onto the couple, ensuring their faces are evenly lit despite the strong side light. For dynamic poses, he advises playful interactions, such as walking hand-in-hand or mock tug-of-war movements. To maintain focus, he sets autofocus to manual after locking the focal point, minimizing the risk of losing sharpness during repetitive actions.
In another segment, Taylor switches to a 50mm f/1.2 lens to achieve a shallow depth of field. He demonstrates how foreground elements like grass can frame the couple while keeping attention on them. He also discusses the importance of wardrobe choices—neutral tones like white tops and blue jeans ensure the focus remains on the couple rather than their clothing. By adjusting the aperture slightly, Taylor avoids having one person in sharp focus while the other falls out of it.
Background management is a recurring theme. Taylor stresses how vital it is to choose unobtrusive backgrounds that don’t detract from the subject. He emphasizes clean compositions, whether by adjusting angles, holding foreground elements in place, or repositioning the couple. As the golden hour light fades, he points out how softer, cloud-covered lighting can still work, albeit with less vibrancy. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Taylor.
