First in a series of posts showcasing my favourite shots from my own work. I’m starting with some oldies from my Gran Canaria days….these were all shot between 2006 & 2008, so my style has evolved quite a bit since then!

Sooo many people asked me if we used a trampoline for this shot! Abigail’s on top of a sand dune, & I’m slightly downhill from her so she looks higher than she is. A lot of girls wanted to copy this shot, but you really need a dancer’s poise to pull it off. & it took a *lot* of attempts to get this one shot!

 

Possibly my favourite beach shot. The sky behind Rachel is such an amazing shade of blue (a polarising filter helped with that), the sea looks gorgeous, & the palm trees in silhouette really finish it off. Oh & Rachel looks pretty awesome too!

 

Susan Gossage was one of the first fashion models I shot, & it was great to have someone posing in a different way from what I was used to, it gave a very different vibe to the shots. Taken around sunset to get those fabulous shadows & ripples across the dunes.

 

 

 

 

 

Another very early shot from 2006 of Kayliegh Page. She’s a dancer, which meant she could hold this great body shape for just long enough to get this shot. It’s another one that the next 20 girls who came out all wanted their own version of, which led to much hilarity & falling over #neveraseasyasitlooks.

 

 

This shot of Kayleigh Pearson was taken at sunrise. It’s really only worth trying the beach shots at sunrise & sunset, certainly Gran Canaria. You can get away with the light till around 10am, then it’s just too fierce (& the beach is full of tourists). In the afternoon there’s a heat haze which makes the colours feel washed out, so I used to go out an hour or so before sunset & find a nice shady spot, & then hit the beach for the spectacular sunset…

 

 

…& Gran Canaria does have some spectacular sunsets. Love the reflection in the water here & the palm trees against the orange sky. It’s actually pretty cold at 9.30pm when you’re wet & mostly naked, Carrie Spencer did a grand job fighting off the goosebumps!

Another shot of Carrie, on the same beach much earlier in the day. There were tourists all around us, I’ve had to retouch a few background swimmers out, plus a breakwater that took up the whole right side of the photo.

This may have been the day I realised that black & white arty nude shots were what really inspired me. This one’s still on my living room wall today.

 

 

This shot of Gemma was taken near sunset on top of a sand dune. Tricky but important things to get right in this type of shot are the hair, which really needs someone adjusting it every time she moves, & the arching. All photos need a bit of arching, it makes for great curves & is really flattering.

 

A shot of a boy to finish, everything seemed to work about this picture, the bronzed skin, the blue sky, the turquoise sea & I love the glint of sunlight on his breast bone.

 

 

Which is your favourite?

More beach shots here

That’s it for the beach, more favourites categories coming soon x

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