Most Stunning Beaches to Take Photos in Western Canada

From the West Coast to the scenic lakes sprinkled across Western Canada, there are plenty of stunning beaches to visit on your summer adventures. Our LDExperts in the Photolab have curated a list of the best beaches in Western Canada to photograph, featuring images captured by some truly talented Canadian photographers. Just keep on scrolling below to see them all! Once you know which of these beaches you want to visit this summer, head on over to our blog post on Summer Photography Tips for Capturing Beautiful Beach Views, to get some pointers for achieving even better photos.

Cox Bay Beach, Tofino BC

Where Vancouver Island meets the Pacific Ocean. Cox Bay is a stunning spot to take in the naturally majestic views of the West Coast. If you’re looking for some subjects to photograph from the beach, there’s always plenty of surfers catching a wave! Or you can perch high above the beach, like photographer Jonah Ferguson did here, to get a great shot of Cox Bay from a different perspective.

English Bay, Vancouver BC

Nestled right at the edge of downtown Vancouver, there’s no doubt English Bay has one of the best sunset beach views in the city. Meander along the scenic Sea Wall which passes through the area, or simply have a seat on one of the many logs perched on the beach to enjoy the view. We love how Vancouver-based photographer Chris van Edig used some nearby rocks as a focal point in this stunning sunset shot.

Devonshire Beach, Slave Lake AB

Devonshire beach sits on Lesser Slave Lake, in Slave Lake National Park. Considered one of the few naturally occurring beaches in Alberta, Devonshire Beach features a 1.5km of white sandy beach with shallow waters. If you’re looking for a unique photo op, the beach also hosts an annual sand castle building competition! For a panoramic view from above, check out the Marten Mountain Viewpoint, which is 983 metres high.

Good Spirit Lake, Canora SK

Good Spirit Lake National Park is home to one of the best beaches in Saskatchewan, on Good Spirit Lake. Sandy beaches, and clear shallow water make this spot a favourite for families. The sand dunes on the south end of the lake also offer a unique place to snap some photos – some are as high as 50 feet! Regina-based photographer Herry captured this great shot of the Canada Day fireworks on the beach.

Lower Fishing Lake, Smeaton SK

Backing on a beautiful jack pine forest, Lower Fishing Lake in Narrow Hills Provincial Park is a perfect spot to set up camp and get some great scenic photos. The beach on Lower Fishing Lake is well-maintained and has plenty of sand for fun in the sun. For photographer Jocelyn de Moissac, it made for the perfect photo op with her son!

Grand Beach, Grand Marais MB

Grand Beach and Provincial Park stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg – Canada’s sixth largest lake. The beach features 3kms of powdery white sand and sand dunes up to 12 metres high that line the edge of the beach. When the tide is out, the pools of water make for some great reflection photos. Add a subject and a beautiful sunset, and you’ve got a great snapshot like the one Riley Anderson captured above.

Winnipeg Beach, MB

Winnipeg Beach also sits along the edge of Lake Winnipeg, and is a part of the Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park. Its long stretch of fine white sand beach is an excellent spot to enjoy the sun and snap some summer photos. Lake Winnipeg is so large, that the other side of the lake isn’t visible from the beach – making it look like an ocean rather than a lake. This can give your photos a unique perspective, considering Manitoba is land-locked! The beach also has a picturesque red and white lighthouse perched right by the water, that would make a great focal point for your photos!

 

Are any of these beaches on your must-visit list this summer? After you’ve snapped some great shots at the beach, our Photolab can help you preserve and share those summer memories. Order prints or enlargements of your favourite shots, or turn them into wall décor with our canvas gallery wraps, aluminum metal panels, and posters and collages.  We can even print your beach photos on a beach bag, beach blanket, or water bottle. To make it as convenient as possible, you can order through our Photolab online, London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android, or at our in-store kiosks.

We’d love to see your best beach photos too! Share them with us on Instagram using the hashtag #LDPhotolab, and your photo could be featured on our page.

 

Share Your Summer Travel Memories on Instagram…and IRL

Summer is the season of camping trips, beach vacations, hiking adventures and most importantly, making memories. With the extra-long days, there’s time to squeeze in even more outdoor activities. Whether you’re spending your summer being a tourist in your own town, or jet-setting to somewhere entirely new, you’re likely planning to snap a lot of photos along the way. After all, summer is fleeting, and the best way to preserve those memories is with photos.

Of course, part of preserving those memories is sharing them. We snap hundreds of photos while on vacation, but how many of them never end up seeing the light of day? Some of them get posted online to Facebook or Instagram, but there are plenty more that end up sitting on memory cards and hard drives unseen. Make the most out of your photos by printing them. There are endless ways to showcase your summer travels, from square Instagram Books and Book-Its, to photo DIYs if you’re feeling crafty.

 

Book-It Mini Books

Your photos tell a story of where you’ve been, what you’ve experienced, and what you’ve learned. It may feel bittersweet to arrive home after an incredible vacation, but it’s always fun to relive the best moments while journaling your trip in a photo book, like the 6×4 Book-It Mini Book. Pick a colourful, graphical theme and customize the layout and text to tell your story.

Instagram Books

Instagrammers rejoice, even your square photos can be turned into a photo book. Compile your Instagram-worthy shots into a 4×4 square Instagram photo book that’s wire-bound and printed on quality glossy or pearl photo paper. When family or friends ask how your summer vacation was, you can pull out your handy brag book to show them all the awesome places you explored this summer.

 

Photo Print DIYs

Start off with some good old 4×6 photo prints, and let your creativity do the rest! Collect ticket stubs and other small souvenirs throughout the summer, and use your photo prints to create a fun collage. Or make a Summer 2017 timeline to hang on the wall: pick a photo of each summer excursion, and use wooden pegs to hang them chronologically along a string.

If a traditional photo album is more your style, add your printed photos to a Pioneer Canada 150 Photo Album to showcase your favourite moments from #Canada150.

 

Don’t forget: great prints start with a great camera. If you have a vacation planned for later this summer, plan ahead and upgrade your camera so you can capture your summer memories in the best quality possible. It might be a matter of upgrading your smartphone, point-and-shoot or DSLR, or even switching up your camera’s lens to something new. You’ll appreciate the boost in quality when you go to print your photos!