Recently, someone asked me what my favorite season to shoot is and it really got me thinking. While every season has its own distinct light, colours, and mood – each offering unique challenges and opportunities – choosing a favorite ultimately comes down to personal taste and, of course, your location!

In this post, I’ll walk you through each of the four seasons, showcasing what makes them special for photography. At the end, I’ll share which one holds the top spot for me and why. Let’s dive in!

I’m curious to know which is your favourite season, please vote below!

Summer

Summer is full of vibrant energy, bursting with lively colours and long, sun-filled days. It’s a fantastic season to capture outdoor scenes with plenty of natural light and it’s a joy to shoot in such a dynamic atmosphere. The extended daylight hours give you more time to work, especially when you’re shooting outdoors for long stretches. It’s by far the season when I’m shooting the most and also have the most client work.

However, summer light isn’t without its challenges. The midday sun can be harsh, casting strong shadows and creating blown-out highlights, particularly near reflective surfaces like water. But don’t let that discourage you! Summer’s golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) is often stunning, with warm, soft light that brings out the season’s best.

Top Tips for Summer Photography

• Maximise the golden hours: Plan your shoots early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky, producing softer, more flattering light.
• Watch for weather: In tropical regions, summer heat often brings dramatic thunderstorms in the late afternoon – keep an eye on the forecast for these exciting opportunities.
• Make use of the harsh light: Midday sun isn’t always a photographer’s enemy. When shooting over water, drone shots often reveal crystal-clear views down to the bottom.
• Use fill flash: For portrait shots, a fill flash can help eliminate those harsh shadows caused by direct sunlight.
• Play with sun flares: Don’t shy away from sun flares—they can add an artistic touch to your summer shots, giving them a magical, dreamlike feel.

Autumn

Autumn is perhaps the most visually captivating season. The ever-changing weather offers a variety of conditions to shoot, and if you live outside the tropics, the shift in leaf colors, from vibrant oranges to deep reds, creates stunning landscapes. Autumn’s rich hues and golden sunlight give an atmospheric warmth to images, making it a photographer’s dream.

There’s also a sense of melancholia in autumn as the days grow shorter and cooler. It’s a season full of contrasts: bright days with crisp air or foggy, misty mornings that evoke feelings of transition and nostalgia. The natural beauty of the season, combined with the softer sunsets, offers endless creative possibilities.

I have noticed that some of the most striking sunsets that I’ve seen have been in the early Autumn which tend to be softer and warmer, enhancing the rich reds, magenta oranges, and yellows of the sky. These make for excellent light for stunning silhouettes.

It’s also the season of migration where birds are flocking to warmer climates…so if you’re into shooting nature perhaps this is when you’ll be the busiest.

Last but not least, we have Halloween to look forward to, or not.

Top Tips for Autumn Photography

• Embrace the colours: The vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn foliage are nature’s gift to photographers. Make them the star of your compositions.
• Utilise afternoon light: With the sun sitting lower in the sky, you’ll get longer, more dramatic shadows that add depth and texture to your images.
• Capture fog and mist: Misty mornings are common in autumn and add a mystical, moody atmosphere to your photos. Perfect for evoking a sense of quiet solitude.

Winter

Winter can be a slower season for some (including myself), but for others, it offers a wealth of creative opportunities. If you live in areas that get snow, you can capture magical, snow-covered landscapes. Winter sports, like skiing and snowboarding, also provide action-packed scenes.

Despite the colder temperatures, winter’s low sunlight and crisp air make for breathtaking shots. Even if you don’t get much snow, there’s a serene beauty in bareness of trees on a cold monring walk.

The time of the year for winter sports

When I lived in Italy I would regularly head up to the Alps and of course took all my gear with me (was in 2016 so I didn’t have my drone).

Those ski images continue to sell well even after so many years.

Now that I’m in Portugal with warm climates, my experience with winter is more limited. However, the waves can be quite dramatic contributing to some of my favourite shots of all time.

and of course, the surfers are out in the full force during the winter in Portugal.

Winter, in the northern hemisphere, is most well-known for Christmas so the lights can be pretty…..pretty much a waste of energy if you ask me.

More fun to shoot fireworks though but with the way things are going in the Middle East there will be little to celebrate in 2025.

Top Tips for Winter Photography

• Best season to shoot indoors and/or catch up on a backlog of old images that need processing and uploading.
• While shooting outdoors try to stay warm and dry.
• Protect your gear from the elements when shooting in very cold and wet places.
• Gear: Since you’re dealing with less light it’s better to have a faster lens with a larger aperture, as well as a tripod.
• Christmas is done to death so if you’re going to shoot it then try to stand out from the competition.

Spring

Hopefully you’ve survived winter and woken up from a metaphorical hibernation. Spring is my favourite season to shoot as the longer days give me more energy and drive to get outside. It’s also a season that offers vibrant colors, blooming flowers and fresh landscapes. It’s a season of rebirth and hope.

Paris in the Spring

I also tend to travel quite a bit during the spring (in fact, very little in the summer as I hate crowds and high prices) with one of my favourite locations is Paris in the Spring where I have had some great sales from there during that period.

With this particular shot, captured in the Marais district, earning being the most downloaded.

Paris in the Spring was also a setting for one of my best-earning book covers, earning me well over $1k.

Here’s the original image:

Flowers

I can’t mention Spring without mentioning flowers and although in general I would advise any stock contributor to avoid shooting flowers, some are too beautiful to pass. During my Dutch years I often visited Lisse to capture the greenhouses and tulip fields and these sell until today, although not that much.

I do want to visit the Netherlands next spring though and of course take my drone with me.

Rebirth

After a few months indoors getting fat and depressed, Spring is a season I want to be outside and taking in the natural elements. I often like to shoot cute animals (even if I know that they rarely sell)…perhaps it’s just a hobby of mine.

Top Tips for Spring Photography

• Best season to travel as you’ll avoid the busy crowds and it’s more affordable than the peak summer months.
• Embrace the rebirth theme in nature.
• In the early spring, you might find remnants of winter, like snow, mixed with fresh blooms or greenery. This contrast between seasons can create striking images.
• Embrace the changeable weather – together with brighter sun rays it means that there’s the possiblity to shoot some stunning rainbows.

Conclusion

Each season offers its own distinct beauty and set of challenges, making photography an ever-evolving journey throughout the year. Whether you’re chasing the vibrant energy of summer, the rich tones of autumn, the serene stillness of winter, or the fresh rebirth of spring, every season presents new opportunities to capture the world in a unique light.

In the end, there’s no single “best” season, only the one that resonates most with you and your creative vision. For me, spring’s energy and renewal make it my favorite…

….but the true magic lies in embracing what each season has to offer and adapting your craft to meet its challenges.

Until next time!

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About Alex

I’m an eccentric guy, currently based in Lisbon, Portugal on a quest to visit all corners of the world and capture stock images & footage. I’ve devoted ten years to making it as a travel photographer / videographer and freelance writer. I hope to inspire others by showing an unique insight into a fascinating business model while shaming scammers.

I’ve gone all in on submitting book cover images to Arcangel Images. Oh and was also flying a DJI Mavic 2s drone regularly (although it crashed into Botafogo Bay on NYE – here is the story), which I’ve upgraded to a Mini 3 Pro and the Air3.

I’m proud to have written a book about my adventures which includes tips on making it as a stock travel photographer – Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock Photography