So it would seem that summer is finally here – the days are beautiful, the skies blue and sunny and we are all thinking about holidays and relaxing for a while.
But what about our photography?
Summer can be challenging. For a start sunrise is half way through the night and a 3am start is always unappreciated at the time (although can often yield great results so is worth trying at least once! ) Blue sky days are also difficult – harsh light and contrasty conditions can make the whole process of image making feel like a waste of time.
But persevere and you can get some lovely images.
For me June has been a busy month which began with my first Suffolk residential workshop. I had a lovely group of wonderful people and we spent 4 days exploring the Suffolk coastline. The weather conditions were definitely challenging and at the start of the week you could have been forgiven for thinking that winter had returned. Decked out in woolly hats, fleeces and warm coats we braved the wind and chilly conditions at Sizewell, Aldeburgh, Southwold and Walberswick. As the days passed and the weather improved we turned our attention to the river estuaries and tackled long exposures at Pin Mill followed by flowers and shingle at Shingle Street and Bawdsey. We also visited the magical woodland at Staverton to have a break from coastal photography.
Despite the challenges the group gelled really well and we all had a great time.
The weather hasn’t been my only nemesis this month. I have been without my 24-70mm lens for most of this month after an accident and as it has been with Fixation for repair. They have been brilliant and I would highly recommend them for any camera / lens repairs or issues you may have.
Unfortunately my car hasn’t been so lucky and was diagnosed with several engine issues which proved to be beyond economic repair.
Despite all this I have manage to get out with my 70-200mm lens and spent a lovely morning this week on the beach at Aldeburgh proving to myself that summer photography is definitely worth it. The flowers looked lovely, the colours fresh and vibrant and the warmth and sunshine definitely helped my summer creativity flow. 
If you are looking to get out and are feeling uninspired try these quick tips:
Look for smaller scenes instead of wide open landscapes.
Be creative with your composition and look for an unusual angle or viewpoint. If the light isn’t amazing make the composition eye-catching.
Look for colour and work with it to capture the essence of summer.
Try shooting at wider apertures to blur the background.
Shoot into the light to create some soft and dreamy bokeh.
Shoot images to display in a grid like the one above. You will find that several images displayed together can convey more about a location than any one image. Use an app like Pic Collage to combine all your shots into one Jpeg. This is a great challenge and will teach you a lot about colour, tone and finding images that work well together.