Steve

The hour after sunrise, and the hour before sunset are the best times to shoot at the beach, or anywhere outside. The light is amazing during those times. Do bring a tripod and use it.. try backlighting.. and also shooting away from the sun.. the reflected light is wonderful on the beach, take full advantage of the light. Use a fill flash if you are shooting into the sun, trying to get the sunset in the background.

I suppose props all depends upon the time of year you are shooting.. will she be in a bathing suit, then you may want to bring along a beach towel, umbrella and other “beachy” type things.

Tomas

step away from teh beach… SAND scraps cameras faster than dropping it off a 5 story building… and hoping it bounces.

do it by all means, but, dont say you havent been warned.

Armando

If you have a wireless flash use it, you will get some great results.

If im shooting on a beach or on location I usually under expoae the back ground a stop or two then use a little flash, looks really good on a cloudy day when the sky is bright blue.

Check out the strobist site for tips on flash

Jamir

I’m not sure what kind of camera you have (compact or SLR), so some of my answers may not make sense.

*Morning and afternoon are good times to go, although it can get pretty cold.

*Especially if shooting during the day, be sure to use fill in flash (bright beach light can create harsh shadows on people’s faces, especially under the eyes). You can also increase the exposure. If it’s an overcast day then this is not as much of an issue

*If it is a pale or white sand beach and you are taking a panoramic shot, you should increase the exposure by 1 stop (or the sand may come out grayish instead of brilliant white).

*Be sure to use a lens hood when you are taking photos so that you don’t get sunlight shining into the lens (”lens flare”)

*If there is a lot of time in between snapping photos, put the lens cap back on (the wind from the beach creates a haze on the lens over time, which you’ll have to wipe away with a cloth).

Keep sand and moisture away from your camera (don’t drop your camera!). If it’s a waterproof camera this is less of an issue (but make sure there is no sand on the lens or they’ll come out in your pictures).