Making the Most of Summer Memories!

Whether you are photographing your summer memories of your family, your kids and their friends, vacations, or simply hanging around the yard/pool/bonfire, I've learned a few tricks to help make the most of the memories I'm trying to capture.

Always Have a Camera Available

Several years ago the boys were simply eating pizza on our
balcony during a cruise. They look at this photo and remember
the cruise, the friends they made playing basketball,
and how they could eat pizza 24 hours a day!

Much to my family's annoyance, my camera is often on the kitchen counter.  I pull it out often, if even just to capture a photo of my dog sleeping on the tile floor, tongue hanging out!  And it doesn't have to be a fancy camera--any camera that is easy to point and shoot will work great!  If you have a pool in your yard, consider keeping a waterproof "throwaway" style camera nearby to capture those moments without the worry of damaging an expensive camera. 

Consider the Location of your Shot
Sometimes the background of your photo tells as much about the memory as the people in it.  If you are on vacation, try to find a spot that shows your location while still allowing you to focus on your family. 

Location tells its own story!

Lighting
You would think a bright sunny day would be the perfect backdrop for summer photos--but sunshine causes shadows, and seeing those faces under a baseball cap can become difficult!  An overcast day is the BEST lighting of all--but as summer provide us with plenty of sunshine, here are a few pointers to consider. 

• If any subjects in your photos are wearing hats, ask them to tilt them back slightly to allow for more light on their faces
• Try to position your subjects so the sun is at their side--not taking photos into the sun, nor making your subjects face the sun and have squinty-eyed faces
• Consider the drama of silhouettes-- photos where the photographer is looking towards the sun and your subjects will appear more as shadows than anything else
• If you are posing your family/friends, consider an inexpensive solution to bringing light to their faces--a reflective sun-shade, the type you would put on the inside of your windshield, can provide the right reflective light to brighten faces when the sun is behind or to the side of your subjects
• In the evening, a flash will help bring light to your photographs--but remember, a flash can only spread light approximately 4-6 feet from the camera.  Anything further will not be very bright
• If trying to photograph around a bonfire, consider NOT using a flash to truly capture the firelight.  WARNING...when not using a flash, many cameras will want to leave the shutter open longer to allow for more light to get in.  This demands that a camera be kept very still...and any amount of hand shaking will blur a photo.  Consider using a monopod or tripod when taking these photos

You never know what you'll capture if you look carefully enough!

Consider the Simplest of Moments
You don't need to have anything important going on to capture a moment of summer.  If you spent many dinners grilling outside, capture that; playing wiffle ball or bean bags out back; walking the dog; gardening; the first summer your child cut the grass; you name it, the simplest of moments often tell the story of your daily life, allowing your family to fill in the blanks when viewing these "everyday" photos.  "Remember when you were picking weeds and you got stung by the bee?" These moments can bring many memories to the forefront of your family's mind!

We all lead very busy lives, and our children are growing up faster than we can think!  Taking the time to capture your summer moments can bring warm memories back when you take the time to view them on a cold winter night!

See you at the fields and rinks!