Jun 05, 2025

Photography Tips, Inspiration & Ideas for a vibrant June

From your own back yard to distant adventures, June is a month full of life and colour. A month primed for photographic explorations!

Focus of the month: Colour

1/2000 f2.8 ISO 100

When you start to look at colour more closely, just the sheer number of subtle variations in one colour, is mind-blowing.

Whether you choose to minimalise and focus on subtle hues, play with complimentary colours in your compositions or fill your frame with bold, excessive tones, the contribution colour makes to your photo can be as subtle as it is powerful, which makes it such a key consideration to explore and experiment with.

Creature of the month: Burnet Month

1/200 f5 ISO 1000

Packing a dose of cyanide at every stage of its lifecycle, the day-flying burnet moth is every bit as dramatic as it looks and is one of my highlights of the year. I’ve been documenting our local 6 spot burnet moths for a number of years now and witnessed a population collapse in a patch of land that was excessively cut and sprayed. Luckily a couple of new populations have emerged on the wilded road verges on the edge of our village and I’m looking forward to turning my lens on them soon!

Look for them in parks, gardens and any areas of scrub that feature knapweed.

Photography tip of the month: Stay ‘Awaze’ from the haze!

While those long, warm days in June are very much welcome, it doesn’t come without complications, and heat haze is going to be right at the top of any photo snag list in June!

The worst is when you don’t even realise it’s an issue until you’re in the edit. If you’re looking for sharp detail in your photos, it’s going to be best to avoid temperature clashes, like grasslands, roads and beaches etc. Look for areas that exhibit less dramatic variations in temperature, like woodlands, forests and riversides which change climate more gently, or head out later in the evening when conditions have had a chance to settle.

The closer you are to your subject the less likely environmental haze is to occur, so looking for details or abstract opportunities in the heat of the day can also be rewarding.

Inspiration of the month: Sebastião Salgado

Salgado was a staple throughout my education in photography, referenced innumerably by the time I got my degree. With his passing at 81 last month, it seems fitting to highlight him for June’s inspiration shot.

A grand master documentary photographer, from concept to the final print, his photos were simply flawless. His last “big” project was arguably one of his most potent. Genesis (2004-2011), is an awe inspiring collection of jaw-dropping prints spanning communities, scapes and wildlife across the world. I’ll be bringing the book to the next Open Studio - You can also get a good insight to some of his work on the Peter Fetterman Gallery website

Walk of the month: Wildlife Photography Walk Malham

Review of the Month

"I have had the pleasure of 3 walking photography sessions with Rich. He has a wealth of knowledge about photography and his subjects. As a novice photographer reconnecting with my camera I have found his walks fun, informative and engaging. I would highly recommend." - Phillipa