Spring Photography Tips

Springtime is here! With a change of season comes the opportunity to photograph memories in a new light. With so many beautiful elements of this season, we’ve put together some smart photo tips and ideas to help you snap your best spring season yet.

Spring Landscapes

Spring landscapes are colorful and the new spring growth looks great against a blue sky. To make the colors more saturated, like the crystal blue sky of spring, use a polarizing filter like the Zeikos 58mm UV Polarizer in this set of 3 from Beachcamera.com.

Break your wide-angle lens out of hibernation and use it to incorporate a foreground view as well as the landscape in the distance. Don’t forget about your depth of field. To get everything in focus, use a higher f number, such as 11 or 22. Look for symmetrical shapes and unusual views, such as rows of strong green vegetation or views through tree blossoms.

Try to frame your landscapes with tree branches, doorways, arches, window frames, etc.

Sunrise, Sunset

Now that the days are getting longer, take advantage of the sunrise.  During this time of year when day and night temperatures vary a lot, the colors will photograph very differently early in the morning than they will late in the afternoon. The fog and mist that spring may bring can also be an extra bonus. Try photographing from the tops of hills or mountains looking down over valleys, which may hold early morning mist and fog like a bowl. A polarizer can be useful here as well. Fog acts like a soft box and can lower the contrast of your surroundings, which can leave you with rather long exposure times, so take a tripod from Beachcamera.com along.

Spring Fever

The sun is still low in the sky during the spring months, and this can create problems with heavily backlit scenes. Instead of photographing your friends and family with their back to the sun, try photographing them with the sun to one side but still slightly behind them, or photograph them in the shade under a tree and use your flash to fill in. Try using a low f-number on your lens to throw the background out of focus.

Spring Flowers

Look for patterns and for the abstract when photographing flowers. Get down low and zoom right into the flower or use a wider angle lens like the Canon USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom and a depth of field of around f/5.6.

Break the rules, too. Flowers look great with the sun behind them. Be careful not to underexpose your image. If you’re looking into the sun, you may have to use your exposure compensation at +1 or +2. Spring paints nature in bright vivid color combinations just waiting to be captured in photos. So get out there and embrace spring and start shooting.