20 essential tips for Spring landscapes

Mark Bauer gives some expert advice to help you make the most of the spring, with its changeable weather and the sensation of the landscape coming back to life

- Mark Bauer

It's hard not to feel optimistic in spring. After weeks of long nights and dull, grey weather, the days are finally getting longer, the air is beginning to warm up and the landscape is full of fresh, vibrant green. For these reasons, it's clearly the favourite season for many people - including photographers. The light is highly photogenic in spring; early in the season in March, the sun is still low in the sky, revealing form and texture in the landscape, and clarity is excellent. The weather is very changeable, with dramatic skies, colourful sunrises and sunsets and atmospheric mist or fog constant possibilities. As we move into April, the light becomes harsher, but leaves start appearing on trees and flowers begin to bloom. Towards the end of spring, in May, the sun is quite high in the sky and the light can be somewhat stark; after all, it's only a few weeks off the longest day by the end of the season. However, this is more than made up for by the abundance of fresh, green leaves on trees and wildflowers reaching their peak, including everyone's favourite - bluebells.

You'll need a range of focal lengths from wide angle to telephoto, plus a few filters: a polarizer, neutral density filters and possibly some ND grads. So pack some waterproofs to protect you from the showers and head out to shoot your best-ever spring landscapes.

Make the most of the weather

Think of spring and you think of April showers, and these changeable conditions are what makes the light dramatic at this time of year, so put on your waterproofs and get outdoors

1 AFTER THE RAIN