5 Things To Photograph Before Summer Starts
Well, summer is just around the corner. 21st June, to be precise. And yes, whilst it’s very exciting, no photographer worth their salt should be wishing spring away.
Out of every season, spring technically brings the most photograph opportunities. At this very moment, chipmunks up and down the country are dipping in and out of their holes. Yes, no, yes, no. It is not hot yet, but it’s not freezing either. Indeed, everything is starting to look like summer, but there are remnants of the winter that remain. Bad for a chipmunk. Great for us photographers; as this gives us so many juxtapositions, contrasts and blends to really take advantage of with our photography.
But why exactly should you take advantage before summer starts? Well, at My Social Book, we have made thousands of photo books in our time. We’ve written a fair few blogs too. In many of those blogs, we talk about telling a story with your photo book.
With spring photography, however, no story is needed. This is all about simply capturing the world around you and letting the photographs do the talking. You can pretty much make a photo book in 2 clicks, and a great one, at that. With this in mind, here are seven things you should photograph to really test your skills and create the perfect spring photo book.
Colourful Water
Rain! As photographers, we love it, and in springtime, a rainy day can offer the best photography opportunities. This is due to the juxtaposition of colours on display. The days are not quite as dark as they were in the winter, so we often get a merger of bright days, wet weather, rainbows, as well as colourful umbrellas and bright rain boots. There’s so much to capture and take advantage of – just make sure you know how to take photographs in the rain. You don’t want a broken smartphone for your troubles!
Red, Green, Yellow, Orange… Variety!
Speaking of colour, try to capture those distinct spring colours before summer arrives. Apparently, the “official” springtime colours are red, green, yellow and orange. A smattering of photographs with this palette can easily give your photo book a distinct personality. On the other hand, it’s a good idea to use the difference in these colours to add some variety. While summer photo books are great fun, most of them do end up being filled with similar colours and scenery. Sunny beaches, sand, stark blues, bright greens, etcetera? With spring, however, every photograph can be different, so make sure to plunge into the depths of your creativity!
The New Lease Of Life
Spring is all about new life. It’s the time our wildlife gets back into its groove (including some over-eager chipmunks), the flowers start reaching for the light and the trees start blooming all over again. With this in mind, make sure that you capture the beauty of this rejuvenation and always go for new, new, new! Also, if you did want to include a story in this photo book, then this is a great way to do it. Find a tree that you like in your garden (or in your local park). At the beginning of January, start taking a photo every week. If you do this, then you can watch the tree change over time and then layer those photographs throughout your photo book, ending with the tree in full bloom and the beginning of summer officially called in!
Props And Subjects
Every photo works better with some props or subjects in the frame. Spring gives you a great opportunity to take advantage of this, especially when it comes to the holidays. Easter, for instance, is great for arts and crafts. If you have children, get them painting some eggs or creating their own easter-themed bunting. If it’s a nice day, take them out into the garden and get some beautiful close up shots, utilising the natural lighting around you. As well as this, try to take advantage of spring fashion. There are sure to be a number of 2023 spring fashion trends that are on show in the streets, so get out there and find your next photograph subjects!
Testing Your Skills
Spring is also the time of year that bees start buzzing back into our lives. Everyone knows that, by pollinating our flowers, bees are quite literally keeping us alive – so the least you can do is honour them with some flattering portraits! This time of year is a great period to test out your skills and push your abilities. Micro-photography, in particular, is a fun and rewarding challenge for any photographer. Try to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures whilst they are doing their good work, and don’t lose your confidence if you make a few mistakes! As we said before, you get to choose the photos you take to a photo book maker. Don’t be afraid to take some bad photographs because, amongst all the rubbish, you might just find a little gem that is your best photograph yet!
