Trips outdoors are the perfect opportunity to grab your camera and start snapping. If you didn’t take a photo, you weren’t there, right? Better yet, use the photos you take this summer and turn them into personalised gifts for family and friends.

Here are some simple (but foolproof) ways to take the *best* photos this summer.

Tell your story

Summer is *the* season to make memories. From road trips with friends to late night BBQs on the beach, you’ll want to take photos that will take you right back (when you see it in a photo book or on a canvas).

Whether you’re snapping photos of the family or taking selfies with your pals, tell your story with the click of the camera button. Show what summer means to you and the warmth will literally radiate off the photo.

Make the most of the seasons

The summer sun makes everything look *better*, don’t you agree? Take advantage of the sunny weather (it’s not every day we get it) and whip out your camera.. We can just picture the Instagram photo dumps you’ll be uploading.

If you’re turning those snaps into personalised gifts, the brighter the better. You want your creations to make a statement and be the centre of attention in your living space so fill your camera roll with *all* the seasonal colours.

Lighting is *everything*

You don’t need to be a photo pro to know that lighting is literally everything. Bad lighting in a photo can make or break the shot. So even if you have to take the photo a couple of times (“sorry guys, just stay there”), it’ll be worth it in the end.

The summer sun is clearly a friend, but make sure you know your angles. Don’t look directly at it (risky), and avoid creating shadows that block the image. Get those sunglasses out to stop squinting at the lens instead of smiling too.

Capture the candids

Candids? What are candids you ask? They are photos captured without the person being posed or directly looking into the camera. They’re a relaxed, sometimes less-awkward snap that make for real main character energy.

Pretend like the camera isn’t there (easier said than done) and get your model face on, even if they turn out a bit silly, it’s the making moments that count right? Candid shots are great for putting on canvases, adding to photo books full of your favourite moments or even on a mug to remember the summer memories every time you have a brew.

Stay a little later

Golden hour = the best time to snap some selfies. Time your photoshoot with the setting sun and get your self-timer ready. Sunsets are up there with the *most* photogenic landscapes so stay a little later and make the most of it.

Just imagine a huge canvas with the sunset as the centre of attention, all thanks to you and your smartphone camera. Fit for an art gallery, right? You can do just that by creating a personalised gift (canvas, photo book or any other photo gift).

Print them properly

When it comes to printing photos *properly*, we know a thing or two (we’re experts basically). Whether you’re wanting individual snaps to decorate your bedroom or a photo book masterpiece to gift to a friend, we have the perfect gifts ready for your ‘almost’ professional photos.