Ten Things You Will Want to Practice Shooting in Summer

By Mike Panic on 29 Jul 2010 in Shooting[ 2 Comments ]

Summer is here! The northern part of the world is in summer right now, which means good times with friends and family, outdoor activities and vacations. It’s also a great time to practice shooting different and new subject matters. Here’s ten things you will want to practice shooting this summer that will make you a better, more well rounded photographer.

Blue Hour

Photo by Torley

The blue hour refers to the small window of time that occurs just before sunrise each day and just after sunset. It can provide some of the most stunning landscape photos you’ve ever taken, but some careful planning is required. Check out this blue hour website to see what time the window is open in your part of the world, get your tripod and go shooting!

Macro

Photo by Aussiegall

Blooming flowers make for some of the best subject matter for macro photography, so take advantage of the vibrant and fun colors as different varieties change through the summer season.

Texture

Photo by Visualpanic

Shots like the one of this pool show how important texture is to photography. Look for subtle details like how light reflects and refracts off and through the water for impressive photos like this one.

Architectural Details

Photo by Klearchos Kapoutsis

So many of us travel during the summer, often to different countries where common place things like a bright blue door are new and inspiring to us, like in this photo. Stark white building with a bright blue door and yellow steps is probably something different from what you see at home daily, so take a minute and frame out the shot capture that moment. Beautiful colors and even some harsh shadows make this otherwise boring subject a really nice architectural detailed shot.

Rainbows

Photo by Kansas Poetry (Patrick)

Perfect case for always taking a camera with you wherever you go, rainbows can often come at the most unplanned times. You might even get lucky and find a pot of gold while you’re out shooting!

Carnivals

Photo by Joiseyshowaa

Carnivals travel throughout the country during the summer months and with them come great fun and good eats. They are also a great source for photography buffs, as is the case of this great long exposure shot of a whirling people machine. Bright lights, fast action and lots of fun are a great subjects and will help further your memories of the trip.

Waterfalls

Photo by Miyukiutada

Hiking in the summer is how many people enjoy the outdoors. Often along the hikes are beautiful waterfalls, as shown here. Another case to bring the tripod along, a few ND filters and work on some beautiful waterfall or moving water shots.

Silhouettes

Photo by Broma

We focus so much attention on subjects that sometimes using them as filler for the photograph is overlooked. Here’s a great photo of how silhouetting the children playing in the foreground creates a very dramatic photograph. Perfect to do on those long summer nights.

Grilling

Photo by Woodleywonderworks

Grilling is something most everyone enjoys doing, or the by-product of grilling, the food. Beautiful colors and great memories can be had photographing food, while it’s cooking or during plating. Think of how great these vibrant photos would look framed in your kitchen.

Underwater

Photo by Jon Hanson

Underwater cases for DSLR cameras, water tight bags and a new breed of waterproof point and shoot cameras now enable us to capture stunning photos where we never would have before, at a fraction of the price. Long gone are the days of horrible waterproof disposable film cameras with mediocre photographs. Get out there, get wet and go capture some great photos in the water!

Summer is one of the most beautiful times of the year, anywhere you live or travel to, and hopefully these 10 things will help you further your photography and keep shooting. Share in the comments what you’ve captured this summer already!

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2 Comments

What I’ve Been Reading | iffles.com:

[...] For a lot of us, it’s now summer time – a great time to get outdoors and shoot before the weather turns cold again. Not sure what to shoot? Check out this list of 10 things to practice shooting in summer. [...]

August 1, 2010 at 10:13 amReply
Beardy Git:

Erm, you do know that “blue hour” pic is a screen shot from second life, don’t you? Nothing wrong with the recommendation, but maybe not the best example :-)

August 7, 2010 at 10:42 amReply