How To Capture… Stunning Spring Shots

With lighter longer days, and new growth and wildlife emerging, Chris Rutter shows you what, when and how to shoot for your best-ever springtime images…

Spring is the season when the whole of the natural world leaps back into life. The fields and woods are alive with fresh growth, and animals that have spent the winter hidden away, or in warmer climes, come back to their temperate-zone homes. This makes spring the most rewarding time to get out and about and shooting with your Nikon.

With so much activity it can be difficult to decide where to go and what to shoot. So, from your own back garden to the landscape and coast, we’ve put together a comprehensive location-based guide, and explain what you’re likely to find and how to shoot it.

The exact timing and location of many iconic aspects of spring, like bluebells or the return of migratory birds, can be tough to predict. These short-lived seasonal changes depend on the weather, temperature, winds and hours of sunlight. With the effects of climate change, these conditions have tended to come earlier, but the effects aren’t consistent. There is still the chance of a late cold spell – or even snow – that can throw it all out of sync.

So, keep an eye on the changing landscape, and be ready to head into the great outdoors, armed with your Nikon and an understanding of the conditions around you, to get your best spring images ever!

Homes and gardens

You don’t have to travel miles to capture the beauty of spring, in fact there are loads of ways that you can shoot spring images in your very own home or garden

While spring is the perfect season to get out into the countryside to shoot the fresh growth and wildlife, you can also capture some of these in your own home. Shooting spring flowers indoors means that you aren’t at the mercy of the weather, and also have complete control of the lighting.