Summer is a wonderful time to get outside and explore nature’s beauty. From your local parks to national parks, sandy beaches to mountain trails, there are so many opportunities to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. That means it’s an ideal time to capture your summer adventures with your camera!

Family Fun

Whether it’s a backyard BBQ or a picnic in the park, family fun can be a great time to get some candid group photos outdoors. Bring your tripod and a flashgun for shady spots where informal groupings naturally happen. Use the timer feature on your camera to make sure you’re included in your family photos.

Sun and Surf at the Beach

The beach is a great spot to capture the natural landscape, the water, the wildlife, or frolicking human life. If you’re looking for that pristine, smooth sand appearance, head out just after high tide. Think about the kind of images you want to capture and bring the right lenses: telephoto optic for distance shots or a wide-angle lens to capture a sense of space.

Fun with Fireworks

We’ve all seen the blurry images amateur photographers share during fireworks celebrations. Here are some professional tips from LifeHacker.com to get that perfect shot:

1. Turn off the flash.
2. Enable HDR mode: The camera quickly takes three different photos at different exposures: normal exposure, darker exposure, and brighter exposure. Then, it combines all three into a single image that appears more vivid and detailed, which is useful in low light situations (like fireworks).
3. Use Focus and Exposure Lock: Point your camera at the fireworks, then tap the subject on your iPhone’s screen and hold your finger there. A yellow square should appear, then “AE/AF Lock”, which means you’ve locked the exposure and focus for what you’re shooting.
4. Shoot In Burst Mode: Aim for a pretty explosion, then hold down the big white shutter button. You’ll take a lot of photos really fast and you can sort through them later for the best shot. Remember to hold still while you shoot!
5. Shoot a video: you can screenshot a good frame later.

Things to Try

Sun Flare: Keep in mind a flare can create a unique impact in your summer photos. You can try including the sun in the frame or having the sun shine across the front lens element to see if it adds the right look to your image.

Experiment: A polarizer can bring out white clouds in a clear blue sky, cut down on reflections on the water, and boost saturation.

Travel light: Leave your tripod and extra lenses at home. You may be able to wander into areas that would be challenging with extra gear, expanding your photo opportunities.

Shoot monochrome: Blue skies and summer flowers make colorful summer photos, but the contrast between the bright sun and deep shadows make interesting monochrome images, especially in cities.

Let your summer time photos inspire you and others to get outside and enjoy nature. Share your favorite summer photo and tell us your favorite tip for capturing the perfect photo.