9 photography tips to make your spring snaps stand out

The days are getting longer, the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air and you can finally leave the house without wearing five layers (most of the time). If you’ve been hibernating all winter, now’s the perfect time to dust off your camera or phone and start snapping. From spontaneous family picnics to golden hour walks with friends, this season is packed with moments waiting to be photographed. Here are our top tips to get you started:

1. Chase the colours

There’s nothing quite like noticing the arrival of a new season – especially when it brings a whole new palette of colours with it. Lush green grass, pastel pink cherry blossoms and sunshine yellow daffodils that just seem to pop out of nowhere, spring really is the season of colour. How many can you capture?

Our tips:
• Get up close and use your phone’s macro mode to snap the details of flower petals, fresh buds or a bee hard at work.
• Spot colour contrasts when you’re out and about – perhaps a red tulip in a green field or pink blossom against a brick wall.
• Search for colour in unexpected places like market stalls selling fresh produce or Easter eggs in a basket.

2. Find movement in the moments

Ever found yourself a teeny bit annoyed when your perfect shot just didn’t quite work out? Maybe the kids couldn’t stay still or your dog found something more interesting to look at. Classic. For this tip we want you to lean into the movement and try to snap it in your frame.

Our tips:
• Use burst mode – hold down the shutter button to take multiple shots to grab quick moments like your child mid-run or someone jumping in a puddle.
• Try motion blur and set your phone to slow shutter mode to capture movement like water ripples or a tree blowing in the wind.
• Follow the action by moving your phone to pan around your subject (e.g. a running dog or cyclist) for a snap that blurs the background but keeps your main focus nice and sharp.

3. Make rain your new best friend (yep, we said it)

Hear us out… We know spring showers can put a damper on things, especially when you forget your umbrella (again). But did you know that the rain can make for pretty spectacular photo moments?

Our tips:
• Look for reflections – puddles act as mirrors, so try taking a step back and focusing on the buildings, trees, or even your own silhouette that appear in them.
• Zoom in on raindrops and use portrait or macro mode to snap water droplets on windows, leaves or your coat sleeve.
• Bright colours stand out in the rain. A yellow raincoat or a pair of red wellies against grey, moody skies? Chef‘s Photographer’s kiss.

4. Search for the smaller details

We love spring for its wide-angle scenic shots, like fields of bluebells and those mystic and eerie (in a good way) misty mornings. But make sure to snap the small moments of the season too. The new flower buds that suddenly appear, the frost that still lingers on fresh grass early in the morning or your cat stretching in that sunny patch on the rug.

Our tips:
• Use portrait mode to softly blur the background and make something small in front of you stand out.
• Highlight textures – use zoom (or macro mode) to really catch the tiny details of things like the texture of a tree bark or those muddy foot (or paw) prints.
• Look for the hidden moments and try not to just shoot the obvious. For example, a cup of steaming coffee on a park bench might say ‘spring’ more than a shot of the whole park.

5. Go wild for wildlife

Cute baby lambs, bobtail bunny rabbits and fluffy little ducklings that make you say ‘awww’ no matter how old you get – we can’t talk about spring without mentioning the wildlife it brings. And the best part? You don’t have to be David Attenborough to snap the best photos – you’ll be amazed how much wildlife you can find in your local woodlands, parks, ponds or beaches.

Our tips:
• Animals move fast, so use burst mode to take a series of snaps and pick the best one later.
• If you can, focus on their eyes. Whether it’s a bird, cat, or a friend’s dog, a sharp focus on the eyes can make a picture even more engaging.
• Most importantly, be patient and don’t interrupt them. Wildlife won’t pose for you, so crouch down or sit quietly while you wait for that perfect photo opportunity.

6. Change up your angles

Perspective is everything, isn’t it? The same is true for photography. Try switching up your angles when taking photos to create depth in your snaps. For example, getting lower on the ground and shooting upwards, or using nature itself to frame your picture instead.

Our tips:
• Crouch down to capture your dog or kid at their level – low-angles like this make shots feel more personal (and your subjects even bigger).
• Shoot through objects like tree branches or doorways to create a soft and layered effect.

7. Tell a spring story with your snaps

The change of seasons from winter to spring is visually obvious. Leaves suddenly fill branches that have been bare for months, and the usually grey skies turn a colour of blue that fills the soul (tell us we’re not the only ones). Why not try to capture this transformation in photos?

Our tips:
• Take ‘before and after’ shots – the same tree at the start of March will look very different in full bloom in April.
• Follow a day in the life. From your morning cuppa outside, a walk through a park, finished with sunset from your window, a photo series tells a bigger story than just one snap.
• Look for seasonal moments – like a hand holding a sunflower, a pair of muddy boots after a hike or a book left open on a picnic blanket.

8. The golden rule? Shoot at golden hour

Spring lighting just hits different. Whether it’s those blue sky sunny days we dream of (did we mention them already?), or the misty days that make us feel like we’re creeping back into winter, spring weather provides the perfect backdrop for loads of different photo styles.

• Golden hour portraits are the one. That soft, warm glow you find just after sunrise or before sunset is lighting perfection.
• Put the sun behind your subject for a natural halo glow in the background.
• Silhouettes always work. A person, tree, or bike against a sunset is a sure winner.
• Look out for sun flares. They don’t always appear, but when they do they make even the most simple shots feel ethereal.
• If the weather’s not great, don’t worry – overcast and cloudy skies actually make a really soft background, ideal for taking photos.
• Rainbows. This one needs no explanation.

9. Print your favourites (obviously)

Now you’ve got a photo collection that’d impress even the most successful nature photographers, there’s only one thing left to do – print them. And we’ve got loads of ways to help you do just that…

• Photo books – taken so many a-mazing photos that you can’t decide which ones to print? We know the feeling. That’s why our photo books are perfect for keeping them all together in once place. You can even choose one of our themed photo books to go with the spring vibe of your collection.
• Wall art – take your favourite scenic shots and hang them up around your home. Choose a format and frame to suit your chosen photos and you’re guaranteed to get the appreciation of guests when they pop round.
• Prints – our photo prints are a great way to print of those single shots that we want to keep close-by. Perfect for sticking on your fridge or even sending to loved ones.
• Cards – if you’ve got a a stand-out scenic shot that would look great on a greetings cards – well, you can create those too. Order a pack of your own and have them on hand for the times you want to send a little note (or forget their birthday card…)

Feel ready to capture spring’s finest moments? We hope so. While we’ve given you lots of tips and tricks to get started, the most important thing is that you have fun. You can try one or all of these, and who knows, maybe you’ll find your own ways of snapping the season’s best bits. If you share any on your socials, make sure to tag us @PhotoboxUK so we can see what you’ve been exploring.