Summer is one of the most magical times of year to photograph. The landscape is lush and vibrant, wildlife abounds and the weather makes it easy to be outdoors almost all the time. As a photographer, you also get a major variety of opportunities to make incredible imagery. In summer, different landscapes provide for different opportunities. Let’s explore a few of my favorites:
Coastlines & Oceans
Who doesn’t love the beach during the summer? One of the best ways to get great images is thankfully also one of the best ways to relax. Kicking off shoes and walking to a beach to explore is a great way to unwind and get the creative juices flowing. One of my earliest memories of a classic composition was created exactly this way. I was with friends and decided to take a walk down the beach, looking for colorful shells or anything else that may have washed up and could make a great foreground to an ocean landscape photo. I came across an entire section of beach covered in beautiful, white sand dollars. I knew these would make for a great composition although sand dollars can be extremely challenging to capture! Since they are flat and often somewhat buried in sand, they really require you to “work the scene.”
Looking to take your own outdoor summer photography to the next level? Join renowned instructor Ian Shive for The Complete Guide to Outdoor Photography and Motion.
Working the scene is important to making great images. You don’t want to just settle on a single perspective, you want to try and capture as many different angles and components of the shot as possible. This is because you often get back to the studio and realize that you either didn’t get enough shots, a shot is slightly out of focus or you “wish you had just moved a little further to the left.” How often have you said that to yourself!?
Don’t regret missing a great opportunity and make sure you capture every possible angle, focal length and lighting situation possible, especially when a moment strikes you as special. Otherwise, by limiting yourself in the field, you are essentially editing in the field. My number one rule is to ‘never edit in the field!’ Editing should not be done in the camera or while shooting. It should not be done until you are done with your day, either at home or working on your laptop in your tent. How you feel in the moment is often very different from how you feel much later when you are editing. Later, you’ll remove any emotional energy of the moment and can thus be more constructive about the kind of final photograph you’d like.
This applies whether you are photographing in the mountains or walking on the beach. Slow your process down, photograph every angle and don’t decide what your best shot is until you get home and begin reviewing all your shots!
Mountains
Places like North Cascades National Park, Washington, are idyllic for summer photography. In the earlier months of summer (and depending on where you are, maybe all summer long) the mountains are still accented with snow while the lower regions are green and teaming with life. This juxtaposition of snow-capped peaks and summery valleys offer a great way to begin thinking about your compositions. For instance, if you know you want a summer feel in the foreground and snow-capped mountains the distance, you can immediately begin looking for areas that will feature such natural visuals.
During the summer-time, the mountains will also generate a broad range of weather, which gives a photographer ample opportunities to create dramatic images. Foreboding skies, summer snow and passing thunderstorms with preceding rainbows all add that extra element of surprise to a photographic composition. Great compositions are about more than just f-stops and shutter speeds, but about capturing unique moments that not just anyone can drive up and see.
Looking to take your own outdoor summer photography to the next level? Join renowned instructor Ian Shive for The Complete Guide to Outdoor Photography and Motion.