STORY | NOORDWIJK

Barefoot at Sunset on Noordwijk Beach

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 3 November 2026

Couple kissing at the waterline at sunset on Noordwijk beach, her foot kicked up, the low sun reflected in the wet sand

Ama and Kofi flew in from Ghana for their first trip to the Netherlands. On their last evening, they wanted the sea. So in mid-July, we met for a sunset on Noordwijk beach, and they were barefoot from the very first minute.

Evenings like this are part of my photoshoots across the Netherlands: one wide beach, the two of them and the North Sea. I guided the hour, and they simply enjoyed it.

Sunset on Noordwijk Beach

The sky over the beaches of Noordwijk stayed gray that evening, with heavy clouds over the sea. Just above the horizon, though, the sun broke through and laid a strip of gold across the wet sand. Ama and Kofi walked straight into the shallow water, hand in hand.

Couple walking hand in hand through shallow water toward the camera, her long brown dress swinging, the sun low behind them — The sun breaking through low over the North Sea

I let them walk for a while, then asked them to stop and lean in. Ama rested her head on Kofi’s shoulder and laughed.

Woman in a long brown dress resting her head on her partner's shoulder on the beach, the sunset glittering on the sea

Lifted Off the Wet Sand

After that, Kofi needed very little guiding. He scooped Ama up and carried her through a shallow puddle full of light, and she kicked her feet as he kissed her. In between, they kept looking at each other and laughing.

Man carrying his partner in his arms and kissing her as she kicks her bare feet, a shallow puddle of warm light beneath them

Close portrait of a couple laughing face to face, he in a pale blue shirt and she in brown, the sun a soft dot behind them

Then he lifted her into a hug, her bare heel kicked up, with the low sun right above them.

Man lifting his partner into a hug at sunset on the beach, her bare heel kicked up behind her and the sun just above them

As the wind picked up, they walked on along the waterline. Ama’s hair blew out behind her, and for a moment, the sun lit the water at their feet.

Wind in Her Hair

Next, each of them had a few minutes alone. For Kofi’s portrait, I kept Ama close to my lens, soft and out of focus, so she still belongs in his photo.

Man in a pale blue shirt smiling on the beach, sharp in the distance, while his partner laughs soft and blurred up close

Ama soon stopped fighting the wind and started to enjoy it. It caught her dress and her ponytail, and she turned toward the sea with a smile.

Woman in a long brown dress laughing barefoot on wet sand, the wind lifting her skirt, a gray sky over the sea behind her

Smiling man with his hands in the pockets of beige trousers and a loose pale blue shirt, on Noordwijk beach under gray clouds

Kofi just stood on the sand with his hands in his pockets, completely at ease. His pale blue shirt and beige trousers matched the colors of the sky and the sand.

Hands and Bare Feet in the Water

Some frames are only about the small things: her fingers wrapped around his, a ring on her hand, the cuff of his shirt. Their bare feet stood in the shallow water, mirrored in the wet sand.

Close-up of two hands holding on, a ring on her finger and the cuff of his pale blue shirt, against a soft gray sky

Bare feet of a couple standing hand in hand in shallow water, his beige trousers and her brown dress reflected below

Dancing on the Beach After Sunset

Then the sun sank behind the clouds, and a soft glow stayed on the horizon. Ama ran toward Kofi across the sand, arms wide open.

Woman running barefoot across the beach toward her partner with open arms, a warm band of light after sunset over the sea — After sunset, a warm band of light over the sea

Kofi caught her hands, and they started to dance, barefoot and a little wild.

Couple dancing on the sand, holding hands as he swings one arm out wide, rolling waves and a glowing horizon behind them

He spun her under his arm on the wet sand. So the two of them appeared twice: once on the beach, once in its reflection.

Man spinning his partner under his arm on the wet sand of Noordwijk beach, both figures mirrored in the shallow water

Between dances, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she laughed with her eyes closed.

Man hugging his partner from behind, both laughing with their eyes half closed, a calm gray sea and soft evening light behind

For the last frame, they stood facing each other, holding hands, their heads bowed close. That quiet minute is how I remember their sunset on Noordwijk beach.

Couple facing each other and holding hands on the beach after sunset, heads bowed close under a wide sky of gray clouds

Dreaming of the sea for your own session? My guide to a beach photoshoot near Amsterdam compares the beaches and dunes I know best.

Planning a trip to the Netherlands together? See how my photoshoots across the Netherlands work.