Spring Photo Ideas

Blossoming trees and Spring flowers

Spring the best time of year to get shots of trees covered in colorful blossom. Especially look out for rows of blossoming trees. To make the trees appear closer together, so the trees in the background still fill quite a bit of the frame, then use a longer focal length to compress the perspective.

Spring at the Waterfront by Ian Sane on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

As well as photos of the whole trees, take some of the blossom laden branches, and some close-ups of the blossoms themselves. If you get a sunny day when the blossoms are out, it is a good idea to take advantage of it. The blossom often doesn't last for long and can easily be washed away in the strong Spring rains.

Row of Cherry Blossom Trees by mrhayata on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)

There are many flowers that come out in Spring as well. Don't forget to try and get some nice shots of these before they go over.

In woodland look for areas where spring flowers create a carpet of color across the woodland floor.

Blue Carpet by KNLphotos2010 on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)

Make the most of the rain

The fact that there are often showers in Spring may put you off going out to take some photos. But you shouldn't let it, as the rain can make for some great photo opportunities.

In the town or city you can capture great street photos of people running for cover from a sudden downpour. Or on a drizzly day, capture commuters with their umbrellas up.

Flowers covered with raindrops after a shower can look fantastic. If you have a macro lens try getting up really close and focusing on just a few drops as well.

This caught my eye by Nina Matthews Photography on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Surfaces can change their appearance considerably when wet. A road going through green fields will appear much darker when wet, giving a greater contrast against the fields.

Wet surfaces tend to be more reflective as well. This is especially noticeable at night, when you can capture reflections of city lights on the wet pavement.

Lost Schoolgirl by Jonathan Kos-Read on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)

Document the Spring growth

Take a series of shots over a period of time, showing the stages of Spring. For example, the different stages of a flower bud opening, or a leaf bud opening and uncurling.

The life of a daffodil by f_shields on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

You probably could get all the shots for a series in one session, since often different plants (or even different parts of the same plant) are at different stages at the same time. But if you focus on taking a photo of the same part of a plant over a few days, it will be more authentic, and give you more practice.

Sunrises and Sunsets

Spring time can offer a happy medium between the freezing cold sunrises of winter days, and the very early sunrises of summer. You do have to be up quite a bit earlier than in the winter, but it is more of a manageable time for most people. And it may still be a bit cold in the early morning, but the temperature can be quite balmy compared to the winter.

Fustes Sunrise (3) by James Whitesmith on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)

The clouds that bring the rain during Spring can also make for some nice sunrise and sunset scenes. The warm light of the low sun contrasts nicely against deep moody clouds. If you're lucky, you might be able to capture a rainbow after rain clouds have passed over as well.

Baby animals

There are lots of cute baby animals you can photograph during Spring. Ducklings, Lambs, Calves, Foals, rabbits, young birds, etc. all make great subjects for photos. Often they will be more inquisitive and less afraid than older animals, allowing you to get closer. For larger animals just make sure their parents don't mind you getting too close.

Mama and Ducklings by Liz St. Jean Photography on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)

Look out for the playful behavior of young animals, and capture this in your shots. Also look out for shots of the parents caring for their young.