End of Summer Photo Inspiration
Summer is winding down, and there’s a certain magic in the air—the greens are at their deepest, golden light lingers a little softer each evening, and tall grasses begin to fade into warm, dreamy textures. It’s the perfect time to lean into the fleeting beauty of the season with your photography. From capturing the richness of late-summer foliage, to chasing golden hour backlight, to making the most of those wild fields turning gold, the end of summer offers endless inspiration before the shift into autumn.
In this post, we’ll share ideas to help you embrace these final moments of summer and turn them into timeless images.
Image by Kate Paterson Photography
Edited with Quest 50 Pathfinder
Embrace the Last of the Greens
Is it just me, or are the greens at the end of summer some of the best all year? They’re the dark, deep green of plants doing their last hurrah before turning into the fiery hues of autumn.
Embrace those greens!
Ask your subjects to sit or lay in the grass or amidst the weeds (it’s nice to keep a blanket or something on you for those requests if they don’t want to get grass-stained or dirty)
For walking or standing poses, suggest light colored outfits so your subject stands out in the darker green background.
Find areas with lots of texture OR background elements to help add interest
Image by Ador Photo
Edited with Marigold Presets
Image by Ador Photo
Edited with Quest 50 Pathfinder
Image by Sherri Poirier
Edited with Quest 50 Pathfinder
Image by Ador Photo
Edited with Marigold Presets
Chase the Golden Light
If there’s one good thing about the shorter days and longer nights as we head towards the autumn equinox, it’s that golden hour happens MUCH earlier than in midsummer! No more staying up late to get those sweet golden rays.
Plan your session around an hour before sunset for golden hour light!
You can even go into blue hour right after sunset if time allows.
Backlight or side light your subjects for that ethereal golden glow! Use your subject to slightly block the sun, or even a tree or foliage can help, so you’re not blasted with a full sunbeam in your lens.
Image by Pauline Wong
Edited with Quest 50 Pathfinder
Image by Kate Paterson
Edited with Quest 51 Aubade (Coming soon)
Image by Nina Goks
Edited with Quest 51 Aubade (Coming soon)
Image by Lucilla Bellini
Edited with Marigold Presets
Fields of Dead Grass
I don’t think anyone loves dead grass as much as photographers. We certainly love the texture, golden color, and height of grass that is dead or dying—especially fields and fields of it!
Get creative with your framing: Get low below your subject and photograph upwards, or get really high up and photograph down on them (a ladder or drone would be great for this).
Make sure there’s some grass in front of your subject for extra texture and foreground interest.
If there’s a path or break in the grass, use that to frame your subject (especially if they don’t want to go traipsing through the field itself).
Image by Lucilla Bellini
Edited with Quest 50 Pathfinder
Image by Kate Paterson
Edited with Quest 51 Aubade (Coming soon)
Image by Sherri Poirier
Edited with Quest 51 Aubade (Coming soon)
As summer makes its gentle exit, these last few weeks are an invitation to savor the season with your camera—soak up the greens before they fade, bask in golden hour light, and let the tall grass guide you into those hazy, timeless frames. The end of summer is fleeting, but the images you create now will carry its warmth forward. And before long, you’ll find fresh inspiration in the crisp tones and textures of autumn waiting just around the corner.