Mastering Summer Photography Despite the Challenges

Many photographers don’t like summer for photography, particularly landscape photography. I heard one photographer recently saying that compared to autumn, and even winter, summer is ‘too green’ with no variety of colour.

You may or may not agree with this view, but summer does pose some legitimate challenges for photography. Harsh light is one problem. As the sun is high in the sky for most of the day in summer it makes colours look flat and washed out. Harsh light also creates dark shadows and the contrast between the bright light and deep shadows can be difficult to photograph.

In summer, plants can look too green and thick to get a good depth, making them look very two dimensional, and skies can either look very blue or hazy, neither of which are great for photography.

‘Golden hour’, the time just after sunrise or just before sunset, occurs very early or very late in summer, times which are not conducive to getting out with a camera.

If you prefer documentary or everyday photography over landscapes, you may find popular locations crowded with people.

Are there any solutions for overcoming the challenges of summer for photography? I think there are.

Overcoming the Challenges

One way I have learned to enjoy summer photography is by approaching it with a positive mindset. For example, summer mornings are not always dominated by bright sunlight. Many bring a mix of cloud and sun, or a hazy brightness that creates soft, gentle morning light. Noticing these conditions helps you avoid assuming that summer light is always harsh and missing opportunities to go out with your camera.

If crowded locations or events make photography difficult, look past the obvious scene and focus on the details others may overlook. At a beach, festival or busy gathering, many people will be doing similar things: watching, taking photographs, relaxing or spending time together. Look instead for interesting clothing, gestures, interactions and everyday summer activities. Treat the location as your canvas, then choose the details that best tell the story through your photographs.

Very blue, cloudless summer skies may be perfect for many activities, but they can make photographs feel flat and uninteresting. Clouds often add mood, drama and depth, while empty skies can leave an image looking plain. One way to avoid this is to compose without the sky and focus instead on closer, more detailed subjects.

The sky did not play a major part in these images.

In many cases it is possible to exclude the sky altogether. The two figures wearing summer clothes and sun hats draw the viewer's attention to the summer theme.

Alternatively, if the sky is a strong blue with a few soft clouds, try converting the image to black and white, where those clouds can become a more striking feature.

The clouds were very thin on this occasion but they do illustrate the idea.

I think the black and white version of this scene is more impactful than colour as the sky was very blue.

A Summer Project

One of the most effective ways I have found to deal with harsh summer light is to embrace it and turn summer itself into the focus of a project. This approach can make your photography more interesting by encouraging you to look for varied opportunities that suit the season, while working with its perceived limitations rather than against them.

A project gives direction and purpose to our photography. I believe that working on a project makes me more deliberate in selecting subjects or scenes and in how I compose them to capture the best possible image. Although summer may present some challenges, it also offers numerous opportunities for photography, and undertaking a specific project enables us to take advantage of these opportunities.

My Personal Project

Last month, I embarked on a personal project centred on various forms of summer photography. My aim is to complete the project by the end of summer and compile my photographs into a self-made book.

No type of photography, location, weather condition, or focal length is restricted. The sole requirement is that the photos must capture an element of summer. Through this project, I aspire to document my daily life this summer—the places I explore, the people I meet, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the memorable moments that stand out, and the quiet instances when nothing seems to happen, yet a photograph beckons to be taken.

The title of my project is Samhradh, the Irish word for summer.

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I hope that some of these ideas will help you to take your camera, go outside and enjoy all the photography that summer offers.