Welcome from Hannah
Hey! I’m Hannah —so happy you’re here. If the beach has ever felt chaotic (wind, bright sun, flyaway hair, toddlers doing toddler things), you’re in the right place. In this short welcome, I share how I turned the beach from my biggest fear into my favorite studio and how my S.E.A. Method helps you read light fast, set your camera with confidence, and guide families with ease. Press play and let’s get you loving beach sessions.
Hey, I’m Hannah Ruth — a Myrtle Beach photographer and lifelong chaser of natural light. For over 12 years, I’ve been photographing families, weddings, and seniors up and down the Carolina coast. Beaches can be unpredictable — wind, bright sun, shifting tides, but they’ve become my favorite place to create. When you understand how to read the light and flow with the conditions, the beach turns into the easiest and most inspiring “studio” you’ll ever use.
Early on, I was guessing like everyone else. So I started paying attention to what actually worked in real sessions: how the light shifts minute by minute, which angles clean up skin tones, when to move, and how to keep families relaxed. That curiosity turned into my S.E.A. Method - See the Light, Easy Settings, Adjust & Guide - a simple way to stay calm, make quick decisions, and get those bright, natural, airy portraits without perfect conditions.
Around here you’ll find the same approach I use on real shoots: friendly guidance, practical steps. If you’re ready to feel confident from sunrise to midday to sunset, I’d love to show you how I do it.
The Beach Photography Secrets
A simple, real-world way to get bright, natural portraits on any beach day. Pick where you want to start and let’s go.
Master Light & Airy Beach Photos in 30 Minutes
One-Time Payment: $97
If you want a fast win, start here. I’ll show you the S.E.A. Method in action so you can read the light, lock simple settings, guide your families with ease, and try a quick “edit with me” for that clean, airy finish with the camera you already use and a clear, repeatable plan.Finish in under 30 minutes and take the printable beach cheat sheet to your next shoot.
Mastering Beach Portrait Photography
One-Time Payment: $497
Ready for the whole system? This is my complete beach workflow—scouting and choosing locations, timing and light, simple manual baselines, posing and session flow, weather pivots, client communication, safety/legal must-knows, and clean, consistent edits. Watch real sessions, follow step-by-step lessons, and use the templates and checklists I rely on every week.
Not ready to enroll yet?
Start here and get it for free.
Mastering Beach Portraits:
5 Simple Steps for Stunning Photos
By Hannah Ruth
Grab my quick-start guide and bring it to your next shoot. I’ll show you how to read beach light fast, set simple manual settings that actually work, and use easy prompts so families look natural. It’s short, practical, and built for real beach days.
What you will learn:
Mastering Beach Light
Natural Posing Prompts
Confident Camera Settings
Avoid Common Mistakes
Weather-Proof Your Session
Does any of this
sound familiar?
At noon the sky blows out and faces fall into shadow.
Skin tones turn flat or orange even when the background looks fine.
Wind pushes hair across faces and everyone squints.
Lenses fog, humidity creeps in, and sand makes everything harder.
Crowds and tides shift fast, and your angle stops working.
You spend extra time in post trying to rescue files.
Posing feels stiff, kids melt down, and expressions fade.
The session flow unravels and you lose your shot order.
There is a beach-specific method for each of these. I teach it step by step so you can handle real conditions with confidence.
The S.E.A. Method
This is the three-step approach I use on real beaches. It helps you read the scene, set your camera with confidence, and lead families with ease.
You identify direction and quality, choose backlight or sidelight on purpose, and use natural reflectors like sand, water, and nearby structures. You place your subjects where skin tones stay clean and shadows stay open.
You set a simple manual baseline and adjust in seconds for solos, couples, and families. You balance aperture, shutter, and ISO for movement and expression, not just exposure.
You respond to wind, clouds, and tides with small position shifts. You give clear prompts, keep the pace steady, and protect natural expressions.
How this looks on real beaches
Three common situations and the choices I make at the moment.
MIDDAY SUN, NO SHADE
I shift to intentional sidelight so faces stay open and the sky keeps detail. I raise the shutter speed for movement and place my subjects so the brightest sky sits behind them at a clean angle. I use small micro-poses to turn chins and soften under-eye shadow.
WIND AT SUNSET
(GOLDEN HOUR)
I use natural wind blocks, dunes, buildings, or the pier and angle so hair flows back, not across faces. I keep prompts short between gusts and watch for clean edges around the head while maintaining backlight for the glow.
CROWDED PIER
NEAR SUNSET
I choose tighter frames or a longer lens to clear the background. I set a steady rhythm, pose, step, shoot so we move through pockets of space without losing light. I anchor the family to one clean line and rotate angles for variety.
Before & after on real beaches
See how small choices change the frame angle, light, and a quick adjustment. Each pair shows the decision that made the image work.
Midday sidelight:
rotate 30° to open faces and hold sky detail; fast shutter to keep movement crisp.
Backlight at sunset:
shift feet to clear flare, lower chin, and lift exposure one stop for clean skin.
Wind on the dune path:
turn shoulders with the breeze so hair flows back; prompt a slow walk for natural expression.
Crowded pier:
step left to remove distractions; longer focal length to compress the background.
Cloud break:
wait for the soft edge of light, then angle for catchlights and lift shadows slightly.
Family group:
widen stance, anchor a clean line, and cue micro-movements to keep eyes bright.
What photographers say
I absolutely love Mastering Beach Portraits with Hannah Ruth. This course is incredible, it's dynamic. It's so informative, and she teaches you how to use beach lighting in any setting, in any time of day. It will transform the way you do business, and help you not get stuck in just using sunset lighting. She's so good at showing you how to take pictures at the beach all day long in any setting, at any location so it's well worthy investment so you're not limited with your clientele about taking photoshoots during the day. It's so perfect, love it, well worthy investment!!!
Watch a few short clips and read notes from students who applied these steps on real beach sessions.
Why this matters
Beach conditions change by the minute. This approach gives you clear choices at every step so your images stay clean and consistent.
You learn how to read light, choose an angle on purpose, and set your camera with intent. The decisions are repeatable from sunrise to midday to sunset.
Consistency across conditions
You practice specific adjustments for wind, cloud breaks, and crowds. You know where to place your subjects and how to move when the scene shifts.
Ready for real beaches
You leave the beach with balanced exposures, accurate color, and open shadows. Editing becomes finishing work, not rescue work.
Cleaner files, faster edits
You lead sessions with a steady pace and simple prompts. Families relax, expressions stay natural, and the experience matches the final images.
Confidence your
clients can feel
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions or support?
If you have a question about the courses, access, or whether this is the right fit for your beach sessions, send me a message below and I’ll get back to you.
Walk onto the beach knowing what to do.
Choose where to start, watch the lesson, and take it straight to your next session. I’ll guide you through the exact light, settings, and direction so your portraits feel clean, bright, and confident, no matter the conditions.
Mastering Beach Portraits by Hannah Ruth
