Online photography courses teach you that there’s never a wrong time to be taking photos. But some times are just prettier than others, and that’s true for springtime photography!
Spring is all about new beginnings. It’s starting to get warmer, flowers are budding and blooming, and color is coming back to the world after the starkness of winter! For photographers, there’s no better time to grab the camera and get creative.
Here’s everything you should know about taking amazing photographs in the new, fresh season. Whether you’re just starting with a new camera or wanting to get into smartphone photography online, spring is the perfect time to work on your skills!
Camera or Smartphone Photography
You can take amazing photos whether you’re using a fancy camera or a smartphone. Most smartphones these days come with spectacular cameras—even sporting macro lenses!
Even if you have a camera, it’s a good idea to get familiar with your smartphone’s camera features. You never know when you’re going to be caught without your camera and spot an amazing photo opportunity!
It’s also easier to post smartphone photography online straight from your phone, but ultimately, it comes down to your personal preference as to which one you use most of the time.
Springtime Photography Settings
If you’re unfamiliar with camera settings, the best place to start is with your camera or phone’s landscape setting for wider shots and the close-up/flower setting for more detailed, close-up shots.
For those a little more well-versed in manual settings, use Aperture Priority mode (Av) on f/16 for landscapes and with smaller f/numbers for other pictures.
Play around with the saturation and brightness settings to achieve the ideal color for your pictures. Remember, spring is about brightness and different shades, but you may need to experiment a little to find the most natural-looking color.
Springtime Photography Tips and Ideas
Ready to start taking amazing springtime photos? Here are some of our top tips to snap the best photos you’ve ever taken!
Fill the Frame
Landscape photography is beautiful, but don’t miss the opportunities to get up close and personal! Fill the frame with your subject for a detailed close-up view. The small details sometimes make for the most beautiful photos.
If your camera has a macro function, now is the time to experiment with it! The good news is that many smartphone cameras also include macro functions these days—just don’t forget to switch back when you go to take pics of the landscape!
Go for Symmetry
Another amazing thing about going close up is that you can find amazing opportunities for symmetry. Symmetry makes for pleasing aesthetics, so the more you can use it, the better!
Another amazing way to create beautiful symmetry is to look for reflections. If you live near water, it’s the ideal place to practice. It doesn’t need to be perfect—check out the pictures below for some inspiration!
Don’t Forget the Rule of Thirds!
Use the rule of thirds to make your pictures shine! On most phones and cameras you can set it to show the grid in your viewfinder or on your screen as you’re shooting. This can be hugely helpful for structuring your photos, and it’s a staple of all in-person or online photography courses.
The rule of thirds might seem like it’s about your subject, but it’s mostly about using “negative space”. By placing your subject on one of the lines or intersections, the eye gets drawn there naturally, making your subject pop.
But it also emphasizes the surroundings much more noticeably than if the subject is just in the middle of the frame. So you should be using this technique for both landscape photography and close-up pictures.
Focus on Fauna & Flora
Don’t forget about the wildlife that comes out in spring! Flowers and landscapes are beautiful, but look closer and you’ll spot bugs, birds, and many more! Capture some of the spring creatures in your photos too.
If you want to capture birds on the wing, shutter speed priority mode (Tv) is the way to go for sharp, freeze-frame pictures. If you want a bit of blur, you can play around with your Av mode instead.
Look for Small Details
One of the best things to photograph in spring is the small details nobody else sees. The texture on a tree trunk. The dew on a blade of grass. Or, like the photo below, tiny, brightly-colored eggs in a nest.
To really get the most amazing spring photos, you need to look where nobody else looks. Spring is stunning, but some of the prettiest elements of it are hidden away!
Bring Spring Indoors
You don’t need to constantly be outdoors in order to get pretty spring pictures. You can bring the spring atmosphere right into your home. Not only will it feel fresh and lovely, but you won’t even need to leave the house to take beautiful snaps!
Find a few sprigs of blossoms or fresh spring flowers to place in a vase in your house. Look for natural wood furniture, indoor plants, and natural lighting inside the house. You can get quite creative here—have fun with colors, flowers, and natural elements!
Get Your Friends Involved
Photography doesn’t have to be a solitary thing! Even if you’re doing online photography courses, you don’t need to head out to play with your camera alone. Get your friends involved in your pictures!
If you’re a sociable person, you can have a lot of fun setting up spring photoshoots with your friends group. Choose bright, light clothing, go barefoot, add flowers, color, and find new ways to add freshness to each snap.
Join Our Online Photography Classes!
Whether your goal for online photography classes is to learn how to use your camera properly or if you want to start posting your smartphone photography online, join us!
Spring photography is just one of the types of photography we cover. Whatever you want to shoot, we’ve got the knowledge to help you get there. All you need is a camera or smartphone and enthusiasm—everything else can be taught along the way!
