Learn To Photograph Tide Pools

Shhh - don't tell anyone.  One of my favorite things to do on a west coast trip to go find a tide pool at low tide.  Lots of great colours, new surprises and a bit of a challenge to frame.

The first challenge is finding a good tide pool.  There are some superstar beaches but you would be surprised what you can find at pretty much any beach at low tide.  An ideal tide pool beach is flat, mostly rock, and is exposed to current when the tide changes.

The most alien things are generally found underwater in the shallow pools of water left behind when the tide receeds.  Spend some time looking but when you want to take your photo, watch the glare on the surface of the water. 

Above the water, you will find animals that like to be under water that happen to be out of the water.  These animals can survive out of water for a few hours but they do their best to minimize their exposure to the hot sun and prolonged dry.  If you do turn over kelp to find animals, be sure to return the cover. 

These animals are pretty alien (no arms or legs) and the details can be just as alien as their overall shape.  If you can focus on the smaller detail, you can make some strong compositions.

Because the tidepools are generally wet and have lots of crags and cover.  When the sun is out, the contrast between the bright glare spots and the dark shaded areas challenge any camera.  Be careful how you compose and make shade if it helps bright the constract under control.