Summertime Photos

Summertime screams “photo op” and you should absolutely take advantage of the sunshine, carefree attitude, warm weather, and fun summer activities to capture the memories for yourself and the kiddos. Here are a couple of things to try out as you’re documenting the lazy (ha!) days of summer:

1. Rock the light.

Most people think that the best time of day to get pictures in the summer (especially at the beach) is an hour or two before sunset. That is a good rule of thumb, however, you can truly make any time of day work as long as your kids are having fun and comfortable. Yes, the light is gorgeous at sunset, but you can also get AMAZING light at sunrise. Plus it’s cooler and beaches tend to be less crowded. I took this shot of my son a few years ago just as the sun was coming up over the water:

Of course, getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t always conducive to summer relaxation. You can also get great images when the sun is blaring in the sky. Just crank up your aperture and try to position your subject so the shadows from the full sun aren’t totally blocking the face:

2. Just add water.

Be it the backyard baby pool or even just a hose and some swimsuits, it’s impossible for your pictures to be boring when you’ve got water in the mix.

If you’re nervous about getting your gear wet, you might want to pick up this awesome waterproof/kidproof camera:

It’s a point and shoot, yes, so the speed isn’t wonderful and the image quality is okay, buuuuuut, you can actually shoot under water (I took the pic at the beginning of this article with this cam; oh, and you’ll need goggles to see properly while shooting) and even more importantly, your kids can share in the picture taking fun with no risk to the camera. Have you seen their video series? Here’s one from an ice cream party at a daycare. I will admit that I was watching the videos standing in line at a camera store and ended up buying one that day. My kids LOVE having this camera!

3. Summertime treats.

Speaking of ice cream, the obligatory cool-down treats of summer make for great snaps. Think watermelon, ice cream, snow cones, popsicles – basically we’re going for lots of color, lots of mess, and lots of fun!

4. Now, do something with your photos!

Don’t just leave all of these cool summer pics sitting on a CD or hard drive…use them the in a way that your kiddos can appreciate. I’ve been wanting to try out these custom-printed board books for a while and I think they would be the perfect canvas for a story about summertime, especially in the dead of winter. This year, I’m definitely planning to make these books for my kiddos from our beach trip pics. Can’t wait to let them add their own artwork to the pictures, too!

About Michele

Michele is a former marketing guru turned child and family photographer in Austin, TX. She is surrounded by three energetic kids at home and a husband who works tirelessly to keep them all educated and fed. Much like her life, Michele's work is chameleon-like... always changing with her mood and inspiration. Her mind is constantly abuzz with new concepts, but thankfully, she is regularly reminded by her kids to slow down and enjoy life's simplest moments. Michele is the owner and photographer of Pinkle Toes Photography and she also provides resources and templates for photographers all over the world via Pinkle Toes 4 Photographers.

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