Get Set For Spring!
Set your alarm clocks for early morning with Ross Hoddinott, as he shows you how to photograph the luscious spring season
Make this a spring to remember with our pro guide
We’ve now had over a year of lockdowns, tiers, bubbles and restrictions. This has been a challenging and unsettling time. Not only has our health, stability, finances and freedom been affected, but our photography has, naturally, suffered too. Photo trips, adventures and projects have been put on the back-burner, and winter weather has confined us even further. But it is time to put the spring back into your step. The days are noticeably drawing out and the temperature is rising.
Our countryside, woodland and gardens are looking vibrant and resplendent. Spring has officially sprung!
This is the season of renewal and new life and, with the vaccine rollout well underway and the promise of happier, healthier times ahead, it is time to regain our positivity. Nature stops for no one – regardless of what is going on, it just carries on. Being outdoors with your camera, enjoying breathing space and reconnecting with nature is great for our wellbeing. And regardless of whether you can travel, or have to stay close to home due to restrictions, there are endless photo opportunities at this time of year, wherever you go.
Woodland, parks, gardens and coastal clifftops are among the best places to be during spring. Big vistas, tiny insects, colourful blooms and dramatic weather are among the seasonal subjects you can photograph during the months of March, April and May. If you’re not itching to dust off your camera, our guide to springtime will soon get you in the mood to get out there with your Nikon.
LANDSCAPES WITH MOOD
What is the key ingredient to all successful landscape images? Composition, creativity, timing and exposure are all vital cogs, but mood is the thing that will ultimately make your shots stand out from the crowd. But how do you create a genuine feeling of awe? Well, a variety of things can produce mood, but Mother Nature is often the biggest contributor. The light and weather conditions can be the difference between a good picture and a great photograph. For example, rays of golden light, a crimson sky, or wisps of mist are practically guaranteed to add atmosphere to your landscapes. Thankfully, spring is a season that delivers weather and changeable conditions by the truckload.
Study the forecast
Sadly, the light and weather are something we have absolutely no control over, but you can maximize your chances of being in the right place at the right time by doing some forward planning. Throughout spring, regularly monitor the forecast. Many weather sites and apps provide good detail, with satellite views showing cloud cover, predicted windspeeds, and when atmospheric conditions like fog and mist are likely. Some apps, like Skycandy, even predict the likelihood of there being a colourful sunset. Use this technology to help you decide when to go out and where exactly you should be. That said, British weather is particularly hard to predict, so luck does still play its part. Be prepared to take a chance on the forecast – sometimes all it takes is the tiniest gap in a cloudy sky to create extraordinary conditions. You know what they say – the harder you work, the luckier you get!
The ‘golden hours’, just after sunrise and prior to the sun setting, typically provide the richest light quality
Magical spring conditions
Atmosphere is often short lived. Misty conditions are not uncommon during spring, but will disappear quickly. You ideally want to be on location before daybreak, so be prepared to set your alarm early. Mist is most likely to appear in valleys and over wetland or large bodies of water. It will cloak the atmosphere to create eerie and irresistibly photogenic conditions. Elevated viewpoints can work well, or consider venturing into woodland – fog combined with trees and spring flowers, like bluebells, make an irresistible combination. Mist can fool metering systems into underexposure,
though, so keep an eye on histograms and apply positive exposure composition when required.
Light is a photographer’s language – the element that allows us to convey mood and depth. The light’s warmth and clarity during spring can be magical, particularly following an April shower. The ‘golden hours’, just after sunrise and prior to the sun setting, typically provide the richest light quality. Therefore, it is important that you plan ahead and get yourself on location in time to locate the best composition in advance of the best conditions. The sun is more diffused at dawn and dusk
and, with its intensity reduced by its low position, consider including it within the frame. By doing so, you may be able to capture a sunburst effect by using a narrow aperture, in the region of f/16 or even f/22. This will add further drama and mood to your shots. Given the right cloud and conditions, at sunrise and sunset, colour can radiate all around – so remember to look in all directions, not just towards the sun itself. And don’t miss the afterglow by packing up your camera gear too soon.
APRIL SHOWERS
Spring is renowned for April showers or changeable conditions. But rather than shelter indoors when the weather report predicts a downpour, grab your waterproofs, pop a rain sleeve over your camera, and head outdoors – you might be surprised at the photo opportunities wet weather can provide.
We’ve already touched upon the weather’s influence on our photos, but don’t overlook socalled bad weather. While I’m not suggesting you expose your camera to heavy rainfall for any prolonged period, most modern cameras are well weather sealed and can withstand a few raindrops.
Stormy, rain-laden skies can look dark and menacing and give images a sense of wilderness or isolation, particularly when you are shooting coastlines, moorlands or mountain peaks. All you need is one small break in the cloud to allow a ray or two of light to kiss the landscape, bringing it to life.
During spring, sunshine and showers are often forecast and this combination can be a recipe for success. Study the cloud and look for gaps where the sun is likely to break through. Try to anticipate where the light will fall across the landscape so you can be set up and ready for that magic, transient, moment when the sun breaks through and spotlights the landscape. With careful timing, you can capture shots where the rays of light highlight a key part of your scene.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Rain and sun can only mean one thing – a rainbow. Rainbows occur when rain and sunlight combine, with the sun’s rays refracting and reflecting off the moisture in the atmosphere, creating this colourful optical illusion. Rainbows appear opposite to the sun’s position – so if it is raining nearby, but is still sunny, look in the opposite direction to the sun.
With the sun behind you, be aware that your own shadow may be hard to exclude from the frame if you are using a short focal length. Rainbows are frustratingly unpredictable and rarely occur just where and when you want them to. Be prepared to react quickly or improvise when one appears – you will likely need to alter your composition, or go wider to accommodate the rainbow’s arc.
A rainbow will create a stunning frame for the scene below, while part of one will provide colour, interest and impact. Attach a polarizing filter to enhance the rainbow’s vibrancy, but use it with care as the rainbow will diminish if rotated incorrectly.
All that glistens
Flowers, buds, leaves, insects and spiderwebs are among the subjects that can look beautiful adorned with tiny raindrops, so, after rainfall, head into the garden or local woodland with a close-focusing lens.
Water droplets with a splash of spring light will make everything glisten. The best effect is achieved by shooting towards the light. Water droplets won’t just add sparkle to shots, but scale and interest too.
Water droplets with a splash of spring light will make everything glisten. The best effect is achieved by shooting towards the light
In wet weather, it is worthwhile attaching a compatible lens hood to shield the front of your lens from rain and flare. Remember to check the front element of your lens regularly – even a few stray water droplets can be enough to ruin shots – and keep a lens cloth close to hand to whisk away any moisture during April showers.
SPRING FLOWERS
Spring is synonymous with fresh green shoots, delicately unfurling buds and colourful blossom. There is no better season to photograph wildflowers than during springtime. While you shouldn’t overlook the cultivated varieties popping up in your garden either, there is currently an abundance of wild blooms adorning hedgerows, woodland, meadows, coastal clifftops and even churchyards, and they all provide blooming good photographic opportunities for you to capture.
Get blue
Bluebells are the flower we think of when conjuring up visions of spring. The UK is home to roughly half the world’s bluebell population and there are few sights more captivating than a carpet of blue. Early May is peak time for bluebells, when ancient, deciduous woodland is the perfect place to visit.
Carry a range of focal lengths – a wide-angle will capture their expanse, but a medium telephoto is useful to foreshorten perspective and exaggerate their apparent density and colour. A polarizer is a must-have filter for shooting woodland interiors, while a tripod will provide stability and aid composition. Early morning or late evening light will be dramatic, but cloud cover will produce soft, low-contrast light that suits flower photography.
Try getting down low and close and isolate a single, pristine bell. Select a wide aperture to throw the flowers behind attractively out of focus.
Woodland, in general, is a great place to be during springtime. Wood anemone, herb Robert, wood sorrel, violets, wild garlic, lesser celandine and early purple orchids are among the wildflowers you may find. But be responsible – don’t wander off paths and trample over flowers to achieve your shots.
A macro lens is a great choice for flower photography, but not essential for larger blooms. Spring woodland boasts so much colour, structure and contrast – elements that suit creative techniques like multiple exposure, zoom bursts and intentional camera motion (ICM). Tree trunks suit a vertical panning motion, and you can create arty, impressionistic results by experimenting with movement. It is always important to have fun with your camera and innovate.
Blooming marvellous
During springtime you may find cowslips and early flowering orchids in local meadows. A worm’s eye perspective will often produce the most natural, intimate result, so be prepared to get down low – use a groundsheet to keep you and your kit clean.
If you can get to the coast, follow the footpath along the clifftops to achieve an elevated viewpoint. You may find thrift – or sea pinks – carpeting large areas, and possibly sea campion, kidney vetch and bluebells too. When flowers have a good
A worm’s eye perspective will often produce the most natural, intimate result, so be prepared to get down low
backdrop, consider a wider approach using a short focal length. You can then use flowers as foreground interest, placing them in context with their surroundings. This environmental approach can produce results with stunning depth and beauty.
To achieve good front-to-back focus, select a narrow aperture – in the region of f/16 – and focus carefully. In some instances, you may need to focus stack to extend depth of field.
Cultivated crops of tulips, poppies, oilseed rape and lavender can prove just as effective for adding colour impact to your landscape images. Quite simply, flowers of all variety have the ability to add texture, context and a seasonal flavour to your shots.
WILDLIFE IN THE GARDEN
Gardens are a rich habitat, and an essential gateway for all sorts of animals. Even if you only have a modest backyard, it will be home to a variety of creatures. Foxes, hedgehogs, a host of garden birds, frogs, ladybirds, butterflies and bees are among the animals you might expect to find within a stone’s throw of your back door. The restrictions on travel over the past 12 months or so have encouraged us to spend more time close to home and reminded us that our gardens can be a great resource.
Create a feeding station
You don’t have to go further than your backyard to take great nature shots this spring. As long as your garden provides food, water and shelter, nature will be abundant. The surest way to entice subjects close to your camera is by using food. If you already have a bird table with seed or nut feeders, you have effectively already created a feeding station. If not, simply buy some mealworms, sunflower seeds or fat balls, and place them in a good position for
Cultivated crops of tulips, poppies, oilseed rape and lavender can prove just as effective for adding colour impact to your landscape images
photography - i.e., one that receives good light and boasts a clean, uncluttered, background.
Your setup can be as simple as a single pole in the ground with a feeder or two attached. However, for natural looking results, you will want to exclude the feeders from the frame. Instead, attach an attractive, photogenic perch to the pole using twine or a set of spring clamps. Try using a seasonal looking prop – for example, a branch boasting rich blossom. Visiting birds will momentarily land on your perch before hopping onto the feeder, giving you an opportunity to capture beautiful portraits.
It’s best to disguise your whereabouts and movements, so shoot from a house window, shed door, or use a pop-up hide. A focal length in the region of 300-400mm is recommended. Prefocus on your perch and select your Nikon’s continuous
burst mode, so that you can shoot a series of frames. When shooting small garden birds, like tits and finches, its best to opt for a fast shutter upwards of 1/500 sec – increase ISO sensitivity if required.
Bountiful bugs
In spring, many back gardens are bursting with colour. Nectar-rich plants will attract spring butterflies, like green-veined whites, orange tips, brimstones and holly blues. Your flower beds may also be home to moths, bumblebees, hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewings, not to mention snails and spiders. Get down on your hands and knees and take a closer look – you may be surprised at how much life you find.
A macro lens is best for invertebrates, but if you don’t own one, use a close-up filter instead.
These inexpensive filters reduce a lens’s minimum focusing distance, thus increasing its magnification.
One of the advantages of working so close to home is that you can react to the light or weather, popping into your garden when the conditions are right at a moment’s notice. During spring, the best light and opportunities will often occur soon after sunrise. This can require an early alarm call, but when you are travelling no further than your own garden, getting up doesn’t feel quite so daunting!
BY THE WATER’S EDGE
Water is key to life and wetlands are a particularly rich habitat for nature… and nature photographers. Visit a local lake, river, canal, pond or wetland during spring and you are guaranteed to discover a whole host of subjects, from swans, grebes, kingfishers and dippers to delicate dragonflies, damselflies and mayflies.
Water and wetland-loving plants, like iris, water lilies, lady’s smock, marsh marigold and carnivorous sundew more than justify a closer look, too. With so many potential subjects, carry a good variety of focal lengths, ideally including a macro lens and a telephoto upward of 300mm – or a shorter telephoto coupled with a 1.4x or 2x extender.
Reflections
Not only is water home to a huge wealth and variety of photogenic subjects, but it also provides many creative opportunities. Still water can provide a vibrant, clean backdrop and mirror-like reflections, while moving water will add texture and motion to nature shots. Boats and buildings can provide very colourful and abstract reflections on urban waterways – just wait for subjects to swim through them. During spring, wisps of mist will form over larger bodies of water, adding atmosphere to telephoto shots of waterfowl.
Unless you have access to a bird hide, it is best to visit wetland areas that are well visited – urban canals or parks, for instance – as animals will be more accustomed to people and be approachable on foot. Herons, mute swans, coots, moorhens and ducks are common sights and hugely photogenic.
When shooting birds bobbing on the water, a low, natural viewpoint often works best. If your subject is reflected, include the reflection and place emphasis on symmetry. A degree of negative space, placed in front of your subject, will create a more stimulating composition than a frame-filling close-up.
Water supports so much life at this time of year that you will never be short of photo opportunities when you are by the water’s edge
New life
Spring is a time of new life and many wetland birds will now have young. Young animals are hugely appealing, and photos of fluffy ducklings, cygnets
and goslings will have oodles of ‘ahhh’ factor. Low sunlight will add a golden glow to subjects, particularly when backlit, so always consider the sun’s position before approaching. Always keep a responsible distance from young animals, though.
Elements of behaviour will help nature shots standout. For example, try to capture interaction, courtship, squabbles and territorial displays. Action is often brief, so be prepared to wait, and use a fast shutter, continuous AF and a high frame rate to capture the decisive moment.
During spring, wetland habitats come alive with colourful insects. Dragonflies and damselflies are the most obvious and photogenic of these. During daytime, insects will be busy and active, making them easier to locate, but harder to shoot. Many dragonflies are territorial and will often return to the same perch again and again. Observe behaviour and, once you identify a favourite branch or reed, wait close by, camera ready, so you can move into a picture-taking position when they next return.
In the morning and evening, insects will be less active due to the cooler temperatures and may roost on reeds and grasses close to the water’s edge. Get up early or stay out late and carefully search for subjects. After clear, cool nights, insects may glisten with dew. Set up your tripod, being careful not to disturb surrounding vegetation. Gently flatten or remove distracting vegetation from around your subject to achieve a clean frame.
Water supports so much life at this time of year that you will never be short of photo opportunities when you are by the water’s edge.