Pool Photography: How to Take Memorable Snaps of Your Pool

Good quality and user-friendly devices make pool photography more receptive than before. Get to know the skills and considerations needed.

Technology gives no room for mediocre photography.

To start with, cameras are currently accessible, cost-friendly and convenient to use. What’s more, with drone technology more affordable to a majority, intriguing angle points are now attainable.

Second, with the increased popularity of the internet and social media, pool photography has become more significant. You may not require having all your pool constructions snapped professionally. It is, however, ideal for taking a snap and posting it on the platform of your choice.

In this article, pool photography experts give their advice on how to attain pictures that define your work, in your desired way. While there is no alternative for the experience and knowledge a professional can offer, these tips will assist you better your photographing skills.

Preparation

It may not appear essential, but it is important to take a couple of minutes arranging for the shoot. Know what you intend to capture. Figure out the type of background you’d like to exhibit.

Look around to understand how and when do the structures around toss their shadows over the swimming pool. Figure out if you’d like the shadows captured or not. Use the same approach for reflections and water glares. When is it appropriate, and when is it excessive?

Try out various angles for water features and other details you’d love to incorporate. Do not take the snaps straight-on, as the foreground and the background clashes and flattens onto the other.

Working from an angle gives you a 3-dimensional view. According to Shannon Henry, of San Diego-based Studio Carre Photographie, you can view the foreground as well as the background of the subject.

Don’t only focus on featuring normal elements such as waterfalls and vanishing edges. Focus on the pool lines as well.

Discover points in which the stronger lines will attract the eye to your desired focus. Henry uses the pool edges in this manner. He notes that the photo appears in a different way instead of it being flat.

In case of a competition, ensure you capture all necessary details needed in limited pictures.

Light and shadow

Light is the basis of pool photography. Juan Diego Ucros, president of Miami-based Hawk Vision Studios, urges that before taking any picture, ensure lighting is consistent. It should not be too bright or dull. Avoid snapping in the early afternoon, when there is high contrast between the light and shadow.

Boisclair adds that you should avoid snapping in cloudy conditions. The dim sky reflects on the pool, this makes the water seem unwelcoming, and the picture looks dull.

He further advises abstaining from snapping when the sun is behind you. A practical example is when taking a mountain shot, and the sun is facing your back. The snap taken will have no feel. It is important that you find a period during the day when the sun rays focus on the subject.

To minimize issues on glare and shadows during pool photography, you can have your shoot at nightfall as most of Boisclair’s clients love them. There’s something enchanting about it, and the snap is exceptional.

Alternatively, you can get a comparative quality by shooting at sunrise with some warm light. This moment is short-lived; therefore ensure to take your snap before it is gone.

A touch of expertise

For professional pool pictures, take your time to organize the shot. Survey the yard furniture to figure out what looks great and what doesn’t. Make vignettes with the alluring pieces, or even use nursery plants to enhance the frame appearance.

Furthermore, check if you’d need any color additions. Cushions, towels and pillows can be useful decors. Boisclair introduces nursery plants and places them in front of the camera to add some pomp to the image.

Consider what sort of water surface will be more appealing. Are there water features you’d prefer to see streaming?

Boisclair loves the inclusion of water disturbance for an extra feel and shimmer as well as an indication of hidden drains. If there is no such feature, he creates it himself and waits for the water to settle a bit before taking his snap.

According to Henry, this is not the best strategy. For contemporary, smooth designs, he takes the snap when the water is still, for better insight into the pool’s quality. In addition, this will give a clear view of the tiles and any other vital details. In case the focus is a water feature, he takes the shot when the pool is still and then another when the water is running.

Steady impact

Regardless of whether you’re taking the pictures with a phone camera, consider having a tripod during pool photography, Boisclair further adds. A tripod prevents blurry pictures when the photographer moves mistakenly. It’s also convenient in low lights as it can hold the camera for a longer time as you wait to get a clear focus.

Tripods likewise make it simpler to create the ideal shot. After taking a shot, survey it on your device and improve the piece with minor alterations, for example, a minor shift of the Equipment to the preferred side. This makes it easier to work on your errors earlier, as Boisclair recommends.