There’s nothing quite as fun as capturing the world around you via a plethora of methods. After all, humans have been inspired by this approach for millennia, ever since the first cave paintings demonstrating fauna were applied to their walls.
Today, we use more sophisticated methods such as paints, poetry, and of course, the humble camera. If you’re a budding photographer, there’s hardly a better way to flex your creativity and enjoy looking at the world than through your lens. Moreover, you don’t have to get involved with the hyper-advanced equipment until you’re ready, just a basic understanding of camera techniques can help you go far.
You may have already nailed the basics such as the rule of thirds, letting enough light into your camera through its ISO settings, and setting the white balance for color accuracy before you begin. However, summer provides a distinct opportunity to both fall further in love with your photography habit, and to get better at it.
In this post, we’ll help you achieve the latter so that deepening passion provides you real joy. That’s what summer’s for, right? Without further ado, let’s consider some advice to help you take your summer photography to the next level:
1. Find New Subjects To Shoot
The summer provides a whole new set of subjects to take pictures of, from the excellent blooming flowers or trees shimmering with healthy leaves to the social events you take part in with your friends, having fun and enjoying the outdoors is a perfect venue for your photographs.
It’s always good to challenge yourself. So, if you’re used to shooting subjects, try to opt for nature photography this summer and push the boat out, making sure that the framing is well-applied, you manage your ISO light level appropriately, and play with focus to ensure the definition of the image is how you like it.
If you’re used to shooting winter landscapes, then try those same areas when in full bloom, or this time try shooting subjects when surrounded by such beautiful nature. You might even ask your friend to do a fashion shoot in a sunflower field or to show off your floral prints and tie-dyes in nature. There’s genuinely never a better time to play with light and exposure in photography than during the summertime, when shadow and light constantly chase each other depending on the time of day.
2. Volunteer For Event Coverage
Summer often means one thing – bountiful summer events. This can be a great time to practice your photography, but of course, turning up to cover events without permission is hardly a good idea. That’s why it can be worthwhile to volunteer as someone practicing their coverage so that you’re free to make mistakes without consequence, and you can also get a feel for planning this event properly.
It may be that your local town is running a folk festival, and you can ask to cover that. Being part of the official coverage, although in this case unpaid as a helper instead of a licensed photographer, can give you the access you need. If you’re not that interested in covering official events, you may go for those closer to home, like a friend’s child’s birthday party, or perhaps the wedding of a cousin.
Make it very clear that you’re trying to get experience and will be happy to share any edited photos for free if they turn out well, and odds are, they’ll welcome you. Just make sure that if volunteering for a public event that your photographs are covered by the essential and necessary event forms for proper management.
3. Snap Your Vacations
This may sound obvious, but bringing your camera along on your vacation can be a great way to snap new experiences and document your journey. Of course, you may feel a little apprehensive bringing your camera while abroad, but carry bags and hard-shell cases can help you keep it protected while you’re not using it, and hotel safes can be helpful for this reason, too.
Snapping your vacations may be as simple as snapping your hiking route, taking pictures of the local town, or (carefully) taking pictures while on the beach. Covering your friends, the routes you take, and particularly stunning vistas can help you implement a collage you might share on social media, or simply give you a reason to practice your snaps in a brand-new environment. We’re sure you’ll have a blast of a time with this process.
4. Start Experimenting With Video
It may seem strange to suggest learning video skills in a photography guide, but the two disciplines are entirely related and can help inform the other. That’s why they name the main cinematography on film shoots the “Director of Photography,” because ultimately, moving images are just very many still images comprised together, in that case 24 frames in a second.
You can learn a great deal about light and how it moves, coverage from different angles, and moving focus in line with your subject by experimenting with video, and certainly in the summer where lighting conditions can be ideal and won’t require an extra lighting team following you around.
Moreover, if you’re interested in landscape photography, then time-lapses and motion shots are certainly the next step up. Invest in a drone like the DJI Matrice 350 RTK, and you’ll be amazed at the above-ground stable and sweeping motion shots you can gain, providing coverage on another level.
Even if you have no intention to be a videographer or to shoot short films, learning some of the skills involved with this discipline can be wonderful. It will also help you avoid getting into the “perfect shot” mindset that prevents you from being dynamic with photographing your subjects or wider landscapes.
5. Consider Using Different Lenses
It’s fun to use additional lenses during the summertime because the lighting level can justify capturing subjects in a range of different ways. A wide-angle lens is your best bet, especially if you hope to cover landscapes, because that can help cover so much more in the frame, and is especially good for group shots if you wish to capture them.
On top of this, a telephoto zoom lens between 70-300mm can be a great helper if hoping to capture candid wildlife or outdoor activities where necessary. You might not hide under a small canopy in at 5am in the morning shooting tigers and lions with your camera just yet, but at least familiarity with lenses like this can be a great place to start.
6. Editing With Bountiful Colors
Finally, no matter what photographs you take and whatever time of year it is, the editing suite can help you touch up your snaps and present them in the right format for printing or social media.
Of course, summer is generally more colorful than winter. Colorful fashion, blooming flowers, vibrant sunlight, it gives you a great palette of color you can work with and learn plenty about in the edit. This way, when you come to color grade, you get an idea of how to ensure color accuracy and how exposure can sometimes cause images to look too rich.
No matter what changes you implement (most are stylistic choices, after all), you’ll learn a great deal from working with certain hex codes, measuring the white balance, and using IPS screens that help accurately present the colors taken in the photograph.
These are the wonderful starting steps from beginner to intermediate-level photography, and challenging yourself to completely switch up the color range of certain snaps can inform you of how to be a better photographer in the field. If anything, this kind of editing is just more fun and vibrant during the summer time.
With this advice, you’re sure to take your summer photography to the next level. Before anything else – be sure to have fun!
