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What to Shoot this June
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Christian on 01 June, 2008 01:00:00
 
The month of June, thought to be named after Juno, the wife of Jupiter- King of
the Roman Gods has had numerous connotations throughout history.
Juno was known as goddess of marriage, and this is particularly apt in that
nowadays there are more June brides than for any other month of the year. I
guess then that in terms of What to Photograph, for those of us who photograph
weddings, June will dictate the subject! Other connotations come from
Anglo-Saxon roots which named the month as ‘good pastures’ and this reflects
that nature is perhaps at its best in this month. Time to really get out and
about and enjoy the outdoors!
It seems like only a short time ago that I was heralding the beginning of
Spring, yet here we are now in June with the longest day of the year being the
21st when the sun is at its most northerly point.
I remember last year seeing the blossom on the trees and then being
disappointed to see it gone after such a short period of time due to the windy
weather. The blossom this year seems to be hanging around a bit longer, but if
you are planning on taking any photos of blossom-laden trees this year, then I
would advise you to do this sooner rather than later!
What photography has taught me is that there’s no time like the present. An
endless number of times I must have thought  things such as ‘I can’t wait
for some nice weather so I can get out with the camera,’ and ‘I’ll just
wait a few more seconds to take the shot of that bird to see if it changes to a
better position.’ Sure enough, the nice weather rarely comes when the weather
man forecasts it, and usually the bird fails to move and flies off without me
having got a shot.
There’s no doubt that there’s always a place in photography for the
carefully constructed photograph, however on reflection I have to say the photos
of mine that I’m most pleased with, whether taken in the studio or out, are
often those where I’ve spotted a moment and snapped quickly to capture it
rather than deliberating. Not to say that some scenes don’t require
deliberation.
One of the advantages of digital photography over film, as we all know, is that
exposures cost nothing and so the photographer can snap away limited only by the
space on the memory card and the power in the batteries. As with the
circumstance with the bird, I’ve caught myself waiting to take a photo in case
a slightly better moment occurs, and then the opportunity can be lost altogether
and I’m left wondering why I didn’t just press the shutter button anyway.
Maybe I’m afraid of seeing a less than pleasing result and of what that means
about me as a photographer? I’m not sure if I’m the only one to be afflicted
with this, but if I’m not on my own and you’ve caught yourself thinking
these same things, then maybe you might want to try a slightly more
‘cavalier’ approach with your shutter button; you may just end up with an
unexpected shot that becomes something you’re proud of.
But back to being outside. For anyone who’s determined to master their camera
on manual, outdoor photography is certainly a good test, and now is a good time
to try it without getting cold hands and fingers.  The other day I was reviewing
some photos I’d just taken; one shot used an aperture of f4 and a shutter
speed of 1/125s, and then only a minute later I took another photo in the same
location, this time requiring f4 and a shutter speed of 1/800s. This just goes
to demonstrate how in a short space of time (even in between framing your shot
and pressing your shutter button) lighting can change markedly. Every shot is
different to the last in some way, and this is one of the aspects of photography
that keeps it fresh, I think.
Lastly, events in June. Research has unearthed a number of dates of note.
Choose your favourite one to suit….celebrate the invention of the ballpoint
pen, on the 10th, anyone? But seriously, although it was a very useful
invention, I’m drawing a blank on whether it inspires photography! Maybe you
could prove me wrong- I’ll keep an eye on the gallery!
Some dates that do make me think more about photos are: the 5th- World
Environment Day, the 8th- World Oceans Day, Trooping the Colour on the 14th, and
then getting sportier with Royal Ascot on the 14th and Wimbledon on the 23rd. 
Why not hire yourself a massive lens and have some fun with a super-telephoto?
Whatever you shoot this June, have fun!