“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.”

~ Van Morrison ~

Okay, okay… my Aquarius origins dictate I’m a child of winter. Born in late January, I often yearn for the slopes of some distant ski field. The wide open spaces affords a spiritual reckoning and the lack of color this time of year (some say life), provides a palate any photographer would adore.

This isn’t to say I don’t like summer. Quite the contrary… I LOVE summer! What’s not to like? Long days, warm nights, summer vacations, BBQ’s and the sound of the ocean are all good for the soul. It’s a photographic wonderland with an abundant amount of daylight for capturing images.

So, regardless of your level of expertise… or what type of camera you may use… here are 7 hot tips to improve your photography this summer.

1. Life is a Beach… There’s nothing that defines summer more than the ocean. Get to the nearest beach and soak up the energy. I completely understand you’ll want to dig your toes into the sand and sit for a while. A good book is a great idea as well, but when the urge to take photos hits you, there are an endless amount of subjects to photograph: seagulls, lifeguard stands, surfers and colorful umbrellas to name a few. Using the Hipstamatic app on your iPhone can add a unique rendition as well.

2. Silhouettes… The contrast of light & dark can be a thing of beauty. A dark shape and outline of a person or object against a lighter background can make for a wonderful image. These are often some of my favorite shots.

3. Early to bed, Early to Rise… The peacefulness of early morning is undeniable. Set your alarm for 5:00am or so and get out and capture the magic. If early mornings aren’t your thing, you’ll be surprised to learn how alive the world is at this time of day. It’s worth your while.

4. Chase the Light… More people take sunset than sunrise images. Sad, but true. Should you be in this group, you already know the 30 minutes just before sunset is called the golden hour. The sun transforms into a delightful light source and casts its warm hues for all to admire.

5. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone… Dare to be different. Experiment. Try something new. Panning an image with a slow shutter speed doesn’t have to be East/West endeavor… try going North/South. Anything goes when it comes to creativity. Even trees take on an artistry of their own. For mobile phone users, check out the Slow Shutter app for motion effects.

6. Flower Power… I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you to shoot the rainbow of colors found in every flower bed. Isolate a flower or two and perhaps blur the background to allow the viewer to focus on the main subject. Summer is the antithesis of winter and here’s your opportunity to join the seasonal celebration.

#7 Have Some Flare… We often avoid sunlight hitting the front element of our lens as it’s hard to control the end result. Lens flare as it’s often called can be fantastic and screams summer is here! Experiment with/without the sun in the frame as well. This effect also works really well on portraits. Give it a shot.

Summer officially starts on June 20th this year.

Until next time…

Cheers.