Four more creative techniques

Photography is all about light. In summer there’s much more light – both in intensity and duration – than any other season. With this in mind, these quickfire shooting options should inspire your creative juices.

The ways to make any style of photography more dynamic include changing the perspective and shooting angle (and height) and experimenting with exposure. While lens flare is usually an unwanted addition in a photo, it’s something that screams ‘summer sunshine’ when you use it in the right way, and it works equally well in portraits or detail shots.

The best way to add flare is to shoot when the sun is low in the sky. If it’s still high at the time you’re shooting, get down to a low angle and point the camera so that the sun beams across the front of the lens barrel.

High-key scene

With no deep shadows, this image has been purposely overexposed, with a look that’s ideal for presenting that warm and bright summer feel.

From the air

This aerial perspective captures a far-ranging green and pleasant summer scene. The low sun generates shadows and the lens flare lends a sense of tranquillity.

Into the sun

Here, shooting into the light gives a dramatic high‑contrast scene, with few midtones between the bright sun and the dark tone of the surfer.

Freelensing

Expand your lens’ creative potential: remove it from the camera, hold it just in front of the mount and rotate it as you shoot manually. A 50mm works well.