Gifts : Tips for taking great photos in summer
We are in summer and we cannot like this time of year more, because we have time to do one of the things we like the most: Travel! Closer or further, the important thing is to be able to go out for a few days to disconnect and, of course, have some nice summer photos to remember. Travel photos do not always look as we would like, and it is possible to fall into the typical photo with a monument. So we are going to give you five little tips to get some amazing photos of your summer.
Ideas to take cool photos in summer
1. be original
Escape the typical photos with the points of interest of all tourists. Change the point of view. Lose yourself in streets that are not the busiest. Look at the atmosphere, the colors, the lights … The photo that everyone has is always boring.
2. Take photos of local people
Come without fear, meet them and ask their permission. The most authentic portraits are in which the link between photographer and “model” is perceived. As Robert Capa said “If your photography is not good enough, it is because you were not close enough”. People are a good memory of the places you visit.
3. Tell your own story
Make your trip a photographic story. Give it a meaning and a chronicity, it will always be better to remember it and it will have a meaning for those who see it.
4. Nice photos of summer landscapes: the composition
Many times we are dazzled by amazing landscapes that we want to capture running on our camera, but we did not succeed. Stop to think a little about a good composition. Not always more information in the photo is better, it plays with perspective and elements.
5. Take photos of you and your travel companions
The postcard photos are great, but sharing a trip and your experiences is the best part of traveling. Capture those moments, because they will make you remember the best anecdotes.
On trips you spend a lot of time waiting, transport … moments that we take advantage of to review and edit our photos. Now we even create our little memory along the way. With the Hofmann App we can compose a smart album with our favorite photos and order it directly from the application.
BY @nachouve
Edited by Hofmann
How to take photos on the beach
Photography and vacations are two concepts that attract each other. Almost the same can be said of vacation and beach. Following the syllogism, the beach and photography should also get along quite well. Therefore today we are going to scrutinize some tricks to improve our photographs on the beach.
The first thing to know is that the beach is a hostile environment for cameras. Salt water, sand, high temperatures and others. This means that you either have an off-road camera or you must be especially careful with it.
But the bad news does not end here. The conditions of the exhibition are also against us: the sun, a very powerful light creating shadows, the high contrast between the sand and the sea, or people disturbing the frame all the time, do not help either.
However, and here comes the good, the photos in this environment can be wonderful. For this there are some simple rules that we can continue to improve the results, or at least not fall into the typical errors. And the best thing is that if in the end we get a good image, we can always be tempted to make a poster or a large print with her.
Print my poster
What to photograph on the beach?
A beach day can go a long way, and capturing all the activities of the day can be fun. The number of situations that we can capture with our camera to tell an attractive story is limited but interesting. From the typical landscapes and sunsets (You can learn how to make better sunsets in this post), even portraits -avoiding artificial beach poses- of children or adults. Nor can we fail to take advantage of any type of water or sports activity that can be photographed from a distance with a good telephoto lens or up close with a good water camera. All this can be complemented with details of nature such as shells, artificial, such as sand castles, or culinary, such as food at the beach bar.
Tips for taking photos on the beach
Watch out for the sun
Although the light is our friend, the sun is our enemy. This is so because the sun on the beach emits high intensity light, especially in the middle hours of the day. This kind of light produces very harsh shadows -especially in portraits-. The ideal is to photograph early or late in the day, when the light is softer and also creates a relaxing environment.
If there is no other choice but to photograph people with the sun beating down, you can always resort to looking for a shady area under some trees or an awning. If all this fails, the last cartridge we can use is the fill flash. The additional light from the flash will at least dim the ugly zenith shadows that form on the face.
Avoid backlights
Directly related to the above and unless we are looking precisely to make a photo against the light – more complicated than it seems – we must avoid taking photos with the sun behind the main object. As good as it seems to appear in the preview, having such a powerful light source behind will lower the level of detail and color from image. In addition, in general what interests us is to illuminate the subjects.
Be careful, that does not mean that the backlights go wrong. If you know the technique well the result can be beautiful and the beach can be a good place to start, for example at sunset around sunset.
Perspective, framing and background
The key to a good photo is in the details. Details like spending a few seconds looking for a good perspective and a better frame can be the difference between a boring photo or a memorable one.
In a normal beach situation the terrain is sloping and that means that unless the photographer modifies his point of view, the background of the image will be sand or water. This can saturate the image with elements and distract the gaze on the main object. That is why sometimes bending over a bit in these types of photos can give a new and less crowded point of view, leaving the sand or the sea in the lower third of the image, with the horizon line below the protagonist.
It is also important to control as far as possible the background of the image and the frame. Using the classic composition rules is always a good idea and if you need to wait a few minutes for everything to fit together (light, people, waves, etc.) … well, wait.
Tricks for photography on the beach
A trick: the polarizer
A 100% non-digital trick but one that can help to obtain more attractive images is use a polarizing filter in front of the lens. This type of filter eliminates reflections as well as stray lights, improving color saturation (for example it makes clouds appear whiter and the sky bluer).
Use a single item
Try to focus attention on a specific item: a palm tree, the cliff that marks the beach or your own children. You will definitely choose them and it is normal, they are the most beautiful thing on the beach.
How to take pictures with children on the beach
If you want a portrait of your little ones, it is always better that it be a close-up even if you sacrifice a part of that paradisiacal beach that you want to remember forever. The photo will be better and you can always do a landscape solo. And another tip for children’s portraits: Don’t insist that they look at you. They pose better if they are playing entertaining and the photo will be beautiful.
Also take care of the color combinations in the clothes of the little ones. The sailor sets go very well with a beach landscape, but they are not the only ones. Play with your imagination and avoid too fine prints. The cameras don’t usually like them.
By: Juan Castromil @castromil and Carolina Denia @CarolinaD
Edited by Hofmann
Original photos of summer in nature
To make your own photos in naturePay attention to these tips that are sure to be very useful for you:
Complementary colors
If your background is mainly green, a good bet would be for clothing and accessories to be red, orange or pink. These combinations always look good, which does not mean that they are the only ones possible, so, as always, if they are not among your favorites … improvise!
Create depth
On the mountain there are elements always, everywhere. Try to make them believe depth. A few branches in the foreground, children in the second, a waterfall behind … It is a simple resource and with very good results.
Natural photos in the mountains
If you are enjoying a day of hiking, for example, do not think of a photo to frame: Naturalness to power! Leave the children disheveled, looking tired, enjoying to the fullest … try to reflect in their eyes the fun of a day of sport. You will love the result! And who knows, maybe it will become a photo to frame.
Spontaneous summer photos in nature
Nature always has surprises: streams that offer an unexpected bath (always using extreme caution), leaves that you can collect, unknown animals to chase, a thousand and one-way stones… Turn your photos into a vacation diary and try to immortalize that emotion that is born of each new surprise.
Beware of the shadows
If you are in nature in a vegetated area, it is possible that your great enemy is the shadows. Like on the beach, avoid the hours with the highest sun and consider using the flash as a support to tint the shadows.
And the main thing is always that you are having a good time. That will show in the results and on the faces of the models 
Text and images by @mamatieneunplan
Edited by Hofmann
Whether on the beach or in the mountains, our last tip, the most important of all: don’t miss out on printing your photos.
Print my photos
Making a vacation album is always a great memory and, even though it seems that you won’t have time to design it, you will surely take a little time and the result will be worth it. And, if not, you can always print photos in the traditional style or giving them a retro touch (ideal to give to grandparents and take them with them to show off grandchildren).
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