There’s more light in the day and the world takes on a different color scheme. Your routine may stay the same but capture those moments during the summer that you don’t have during the other months in the year.
Then scroll down to learn how to safeguard and share your summer memories for generations to come.
Summer Photography Tips
Use a Selfie Stick or Tripod
Most of us use the cameras on our phones and selfie sticks may seem indulgent. But if you’re going to be snapping away then check the best selfie sticks to use for the best angles. Your arms are only so long anyway and using a selfie stick, a monopod, or tripod can help you achieve a memorable shot.
Leverage the Light
Summer’s known for longer days of light so make use of it as much as you can. And not just outside. Look for early evening rays streaming through a window and see what types of effects you get.
Make sure your subjects aren’t washed out by the full sun or hidden in the shade, so check how the light is filtering especially if you’re trying to get memorable shots.
Aim for a Late Evening
Take a later evening or early nighttime stroll and see what you can capture with a small amount of daylight still showing. If you’re camping, then you can have a nice mix of light if a fire is glowing while the sun is setting.
Use Caution Around Water
If you’re at the beach, be careful that sand and the salt water doesn’t get inside your phone or your digital camera if you use one.
Attend Local Concerts
Outdoor summer concert series are in abundance. Schedule in one or two—or chronicle the ones you normally attend. Wide shots of the crowds are nice but capture a candid close-up with the band in the background.
Capture a Cookout
Nothing says summer like grilling a favorite recipe or trying new ones. Frame shots with the grill in the foreground and people in the back and then try one with people visible and the grill in the back.
Remember Your Why
We take pictures because something in the moment inspires us and we want to capture the memory. But taking photos isn’t just for us in the here and now. It’s easier than ever to safeguard our photos and memories with permanent, digital storage that’s guaranteed safe into the next century and beyond.
I’ve been a photo coach for 27 years and I show my clients how to use services through FOREVER® to:
- Digitize older media files like VHS tapes, 8mm films and more
- Create digital photo books and gifts
- Journal photos by describing the scene
As you take pictures this summer, remember that you’re not just taking them for now but for your enjoyment in the future and for future generations.
FOREVER® has tremendous organizing and preservation capabilities that simply aren’t possible with traditional scrapbook albums.
Organizing is Essential
Taking pictures is only the first step in enjoying your memories. Having a safe place to store them is essential but organizing them so you know which photos to delete and which ones to keep is key.
FOREVER® is structured using digital habits that most of us have already developed so it’s easy to learn and begin using.
See all your files in your Library, just like you’d walk into a physical library housing books and magazines.
Albums organize the photos according to specific topics. Think of it like your virtual bookshelf. You might have albums titled Vacations and then inside that specify Family Vacations with the years taken. See below how I titled an album Travel Memories and then vacation photos and videos are uploaded based on the years.
Family is important so you might title another album Family Tree since FOREVER® makes it possible to research your family history. Within that album you could “nest” albums titled Mother’s Side and Father’s Side.
Tag your photos so they’re easy to track and locate.
Turn Summer Pics into Mementos and Gifts
Once your media files are organized then you can create photo books as “thinking of you” or holiday gifts. Got that one, great picture worth showing off at home? Print and frame a pic for the perfect wall décor.
I’ll gladly answer any questions on how I conveniently digitized several dozen albums belonging to me and my mother—and how I’ve organized those digitally using FOREVER®.
Your photos, videos, slide shows, and more are treasures—moments in time that can never be relived but with some care and the right tools, you can safeguard them for now and for future generations.
Let’s Visit
Contact me and I’ll gladly answer your questions about organizing in your traditional scrapbook albums and digital photo books.
Consider writing your family’s story. Check my Events page to join friends of mine who share their tips on journaling as they uncover facts and stories about their photos and family members past and present.
You’re invited to try FOREVER® for free with 2GB of free storage. See how easy it is to upload and organize photos and all of your media files.
If you want to know what it’s like being a photo coach, I’ll be glad to share my experience or direct you to people I work with across the country.