Night beach photography: stars, waves and bioluminescence
Beaches at night offer stars over the sea, moonlit waves and, occasionally, glowing plankton. Settings and safety tips.
Away from town lights, Yucatán’s beaches offer dark skies over the Gulf, with the sound of waves and sometimes the glow of bioluminescent plankton.
Stars over the sea
Use a wide lens at f/1.8 to f/2.8, ISO 3200 and 15 to 20-second exposures. A pier, palm tree or boat adds a foreground.
Moonlit seascapes
On full moon nights, exposures of 10 to 30 seconds at ISO 400 make the sea look silky under silver light.
Bioluminescence
Glowing plankton appears in some lagoons and coastal waters on dark, warm nights. It is faint and unpredictable:
- ISO 6400 or higher
- Widest aperture
- 10 to 25-second exposures
- No moon and no artificial lights nearby
Protect gear
Salt spray and sand are worse at night when you cannot see them. Keep equipment covered between shots.
Safety
Go with a companion, check tides, use a red headlamp and tell someone where you are.
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