August 17, 2023 Lauren Orcinolo

Insta-Worthy Photo Ideas For Summer

The end of summer may be nearing, but it’s still the perfect time for capturing your favorite summer photos. There are so many awesome summer vibes worth remembering and sharing. Summer photography is all about the fun, beauty, and serenity, of life under the gorgeous sun and nature you only find in the beautiful weather of summertime.

Summer photography provides you with iconic photos that you, your family, and friends will cherish in and love for a long time, but for bloggers and vloggers these special types of seasonal picture ideas are perfect to add to your Instagram feed, TikTok, or other social media networks.

Photography Ideas for Summer

Whether it’s capturing that bucket list vacation, or adding Instagram captions to fun photos of a day shopping with your best friends, your summer should offer plenty of photoshoot ideas that will take your Instagram posts to the next level. Let’s look at a few different social media or Instagram photo ideas that you can DIY along with some easy photography tips to shoot these great photos.

Golden Hour & Nature

Everyone who knows anything about photography knows that during golden hour you will get the most gorgeous effects from the way the sun beams its natural light down on your subject. This dreamy effect is one of the main reason that golden hour works so well for portrait photography shots. The first hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset is called golden hour because of the golden glow that reflects of your subject when captured correctly.

The summer is a beautiful time. Between all the bright colors and nature life, this season can offer you exceptionally immersive pics. Here are some other ideas.

Natural Wonders - Going somewhere exotic? Capture the epic imagery that screams summer fun. This can be anything from dancing in the rain to viewing waterfalls and canyons as well as camping.
Trees - Sometimes even a simple shot of including things like palm trees into your shot. If you decide to get creative, use the deep contrasting shadows from the sun to your advantage and enhance the artistic nature of your shots.
Beach - There is nothing that portrays summertime than some iconic photos of you and your besties on the beach. To make your images more interesting, use things like sand, water, and your beach accessories (like chair or umbrella) as props. Draw in the sand or get live action shots splashing water playfully, there are a million ways you can execute this.

Vacations & Road Trips

Have a vacation, road trip or camping outing planned this summer? These events will give you awesome Instagram picture ideas for your social media.

Places - This includes historical architecture and sightseeing - Your viewers will love the story you portray of the places you visit. Add captions explaining what your sharing and maybe even some fun history facts behind it. Make sure to take some selfies including the sites in your frame too.
People & Culture - This is all about culture. Whether you’re a foodie experiencing interesting and exotic foods or just love to be social and imbibe in the community culture you’re visiting, these types of photos can have a strong and lasting impression on your audience.
Road Trips - Road trips are fun and we all take them. There’s a good chance you’re taking a road trip somewhere fun this summer and are going to want to capture it. Take enough pictures that you will be able to present a timeline of your journey. Include cool shots from the car. If you see something cool along the way, take a quick pit stop for some pictures taking. Don’t let the driving stop you from shooting. There are lots of things to capture while driving and you can get creative by leveraging rear view mirrors for some artistic shots too.

Classic or Candid

Everyone always asks which is better. Well, let’s just say both. Classic photos and candid photos both have their qualities and should not be compared. Your viewers will love the style and perfection of your classics, but will relate more with your candid photos. Summer offers you amazing opportunities for both. Fix your outfit and hairstyle for the perfect shot over a sunsetting background that portrays your artistic and beautiful self, but don’t feel shy about getting silly for a few shots that your viewers will adore.

Camera & Shooting Tips

Getting your camera just right for a shot can be tricky. Using the right camera can be very beneficial in this regard, especially when shooting difficult lighting conditions or from odd angles. Beginners will enjoy all the automatic presets that better DSLR & mirrorless cameras offer, while pros will appreciate the power and capabilities of their better sensors, processors, and lenses. Here are some general tips for better photo shooting.

Always shoot in the rule of 3 to ensure symmetrical compositions.
Pay attention to your cameras ISO, shutter speed, and aperture for the perfect focus and exposure. Double check your shutter speed when shooting live action or any movement for desired or unwanted streaks depending on the artistic nature of the shot. adjusting your aperture can effect the focus between your subject, the foreground, and background. While ISO will help you with brightness, white balance, and color.
Take more than one photo. Shoot from different angles. Even when you find a shot you love, take a couple extra just in case. You don’t have to use them but also can provide you with samples to edit for new ideas.
Edit your Images - Don’t be afraid of using software like photoshop or lightroom to enhance your images. Even the pros do this and can also be a fun way for you to work with and sort your photos.

Insta-Worthy Cameras

You can capture some fun selfies with your smartphone but ultimately you’re going to need a good camera that supports your photography lifestyle. Let’s have a quick look at some of the best choices for vloggers, bloggers, and everyone in between.

Sony Alpha ZV-E1 Full-frame Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless Vlog Camera

This is the perfect camera for an aspiring or already successful social media sensation. From the Full-frame image sensor with extraordinary sensitivity to its wide dynamic range, the ZV-E1 captures expressive, and cinematic imagery. Innovative AI powered functions enable you to capture footage that would otherwise require a separate camera operator. This camera is perfect for all types of photoshoots and photographers of all skill levels.

Full-frame 12.1MP Exmor R sensor, optimized for 4K, sensitivity and speed
5-Axis in body image stabilization and framing stabilizer with AI based auto framing
Flexible exposure and focusing settings with powerful auto functions

High-Quality Live Streaming with intelligent 3 capsule internal mics
Simplified, Intuitive touch operations on LCD panel with simple smartphone connectivity

DJI Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo Camera

This is by far one of the coolest live action cameras on the market today. If you’re the exciting type who frequently enjoys thrills than this is the perfect gadget for you. Now you can capture your adventures “hands free” with a powerful tool that captures stunningly high quality images. The DJI Action 2 offers an innovative magnetic design lets you effortlessly swap out accessories or attach the camera to interesting positions such as on your helmet or the side of a moving car. It also features 4K/120fps, provides ultra wide field of views, has an AI Editor, and is waterproof up to 10m. This is perfect for hands off video recording and image capturing.

Fujifilm Instax

This lovely little fun instant camera gives you physical photos on the spot to share and enjoy with your friends. The Instax brings the photobooth with you wherever you go. Its small enough to easily carry in your pocket or handbag while also being a good price for what it is. This is a fun camera that should be used fun photoshoots. It’s not a serious camera, it’s a fun one and you cannot put a price on the fun times you and your friends will have with the Instax.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone

Sometimes the best camera for your photoshoot won’t be your standard type of camera. Believe it or not, drones can capture some of the most amazing scenes and produce the most immersive imagery. Besides for the pure entertainment of piloting one of these, it takes you to vantage points where you would never be able to shoot from otherwise, thus getting you one of a kind pictures.

The DJI mini 3 Pro is an awesome personal drone for several reasons. Firstly, it offers the right amount of power to capture high quality photos and video. It’s also quite small and would even fit in your pants pocket when folded down. This means that it’s easy for vloggers to setup and get a few shots or short video clips to their social media. These drones also feature awesome aerial phytography modes that will produce interesting shots during flight and even while maneuvering.