Am I jumping the gun? I am writing this blog as it is snowing outside. YUK! But, I am also looking at the calendar. I have to be realistic and realize that the spring equinox is only about a month away. The changing of the sun coming up earlier and going down later is going to change rapidly in the next few weeks, and I’m excited.

I will confess that I am not a big fan of winter. If it snows, and snows right, it covers the trees and bushes and ground with a beautiful covering that makes winter absolutely beautiful, and I put on my winter garb and go out and take my usual take of good winter photos, I think.

But, I really don’t like being cold, and I don’t like putting on all the extra clothing and trying to protect my camera from all the snow falling on it’s lens, etc. So, now you know all my dislikes of winter.

But, when spring comes out, COLOR EVERYWHERE starts to happen! And a renewal of my spirits comes out. And the camera comes out a lot more as well. Close-ups of flowers, bugs, and the excitement of spring just gets me going and even the mix of winter and spring is amazing as well.

There are some really interesting photos that I like to do of when the early spring flowers come out, and when you get another snow storm or two. That is also amazing:

But, there are many tricks to remember in taking spring photos. I found this amazing article about taking photos in the spring. I would like to share that as well:

USEFUL TIPS FOR SPRING PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KALYAN KUMAR

Spring is one of the best seasons for capturing the beauty of your natural surroundings. The flowers are in full bloom and the weather is just perfect – not too hot and not too cold. Perfect for practicing landscape photography.

For those who are still learning new skills, you can use certain techniques to ensure you get the best images. As with any type of photography, light is very important. Be particular about the light when you’re shooting outdoors. When it comes to the time of day to capture a dramatic scene, early morning and late afternoon or early evening are the best times. If you’re shooting in the morning, you can focus on the fog or mist. A great location to shoot is the woodland where you can make trees at a distance appear as if they’re fading in the background. This creates a sense of mystery in your photos.

Make use of the foreground as well and shoot using a wide angle lens. You might be surprised to know that this is one of the oldest techniques. The reason is that a wide angle lens creates a greater depth of field. In this aspect, you can actually use contrast between your subject and background.

Don’t forget to capture the beauty of flowers during this lovely season, after all, what can be more beautiful than photographing a bed of flowers? Keep in mind that it’s during this time when the daisies, bluebells and dandelions are showing their best asset, so find a good location such as a field or woodland. For closeup shots, use a macro lens.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your shots as well. For example you’re in a woodland and you’re wondering what angle to use to capture the tallness of the trees. The answer? Do a vertical shot. To do this, you just need to point your lens 90 degrees upwards to have that so-called converging verticals effect. When you shoot this way, the trees will appear as if they’re close together or converged. And you’re also creating a great mix of colors with the contrast of the green leaves of trees and the blue sky. Now, that is purely nature’s beauty.

Finally, be wary of the white light that may creep in when you’re capturing your subjects. Remember that it can become a distraction so if you can, do get rid of it by cropping right there and then. When you’re taking an image of trees for instance, it’s okay to crop the top portion to eliminate the sky. Or consider taking a few bracketed shots and combining them so both the sky and the trees are well exposed, but that is an advanced topic to discuss another day.

Take advantage of the spring season. It’s great for picture taking.

Let’s just take a look, now at some more great spring photos: