Joe, Even if you want flat sand on the edge of your beach, I'd suggest dropping a "terrain" mesh on the ground plane and flattening, stretching it until it fills a great portion of the scene. Add sky. Add your sky and land textures (I never use anything straight out of the package, but fiddle with it a bit). Position the camera low near the middle, facing a nice section of sky. (In Bryce, you can go into the editor and position the sun or moon with numerical precision.) Add water. The water's edge ought to be irregular since you have an irregular terrain mesh. You now have a nice landscape waiting for subject matter. You can import people, add rocks or plants, put a boat or sea serpent on the horizon, whatever. You have a warm lovely image here. With cast shadows on a textured ground, the scene will start to pull together. Carolly