As a photographer I absolutely love summer-time.  The world around us is bright and filled with vivid color, especially so in the summer months.   The quality of the light, with longer daylight hours, makes  it ideal for taking beautiful photos of family, friends, and places of interest.

There’s so much to learn about photography and how to use [your] camera, but a huge part of it is about telling a story; capturing moments that will be looked back upon and relished.

The feeling and mood of each and every photo snapped can be changed with the use of composition and angles.  It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you use, either.   Some of my favorite photos have been taken with my cell phone.

The best thing about summer is that you can be spontaneous with your photography.   Everyone’s relaxed, having fun, and enjoying the wonders around them.

One thing to remember  is the magic hours—two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.  These are some of the best times to produce awesome summer photos.

“Well, Hello Sunshine” by Lotus Carroll

Photo Tip:  Follow the “SUNNY 16 RULE”

1. Gauge Your Light
   For this rule to work you need a sunny day, of course. The rule can be applied to other daylight conditions, though.
2. Set The F-stop
   Set your f-stop to f/16. (Refer to the following list for the other conditions and corresponding f-stop numbers)
3. Set The Shutter Speed
   Take the ISO  (let’s call it “s”) and set your shutter speed to 1/s. So at ISO 400, you’d use a shutter speed of 1/400 seconds.
4. Adjustments
   When using different shutter speeds or f-numbers simply adjust one, and remember to adjust the other accordingly. Opening up by one full f-stop requires cutting your shutter speed in half (visa versa).

VARIATIONS ON SUNNY 16

• f/16 for Sunny
• f/11 for Slight Overcast
• f/8 for Overcast
• f/5.6 for Heavy Overcast
• f/4 for Sunset

Have any questions?  Ask away, and if you have a shot you are particularly proud of, share it, we’d love to see what summer is through your eyes!