As the winter slowly departs from Chicago . . . and we have blustery days followed by sunny days . . . nature begins to bloom. I love to get out and capture it. I love to take advantage of the natural light and colors that appear in spring for unique photos.

Flowers are one of the first photographs I take in the spring. They seem to let us all know that life is about again. Flowers give me beautiful colors to capture. Here are some of my favorite tips to take great photos of flowers:

I use natural light only and never use my flash. I try to get my new flowers i full sunlight as well, which can be challenging here in the midwest.
I like to capture a fabulous depth of field. Be sure to use a use a large aperture on your camera to get a beautiful depth of field.
Get your lens in as close as you can on your flowers. If you are using a large aperture, our background will be beautifully blurred, leaving the flowers in focus.
Look at your flowers everyday and take the flowers that have not yet bloomed as well. Look for flowers that haven't bloomed yet. Capture your flowers in transition to a full bloom.

Naturally, I love to get my girls in the spring. We get outdoors in the cool weather for some portrait shots. The spring weather makes for some beautiful portraits because the light is has a wonderful hue. Because the light during early spring is a cooler color, I try to dress my girls is some lighter colors as well.

I am still waiting for some buds to appear on trees and some of the greyish brown to turn a bit of a green, but I simply couldn't wait to get the girls out the other day. I will get them out each weekend over the next couple of weeks to capture our natural surroundings. I want to see the green buds popping out of the trees. Once the leaves are fully in, the colors will be completely different.

To avoid the harsh light of the day, get out early. I never want my girls to have harsh light shining on their sweet faces. Early in the morning guarantees the soft warm sun will shining. The sun will give such a lovely bokeh. A location with an open field is always a lovely spot to capture photos as well. An open field in the background of your children is always very pretty and in the early morning there will be amazing soft light.

Another great idea I always use with my kiddos is to add some fun for them. I create a list of items for my children to scavenger for. It creates an adventure and challenge for them and photo opportunities for me.

Tiaras & Tantrums Rese is a mom of three. She enjoys home educating her kiddos, taking photos, and traveling the globe. Rese is a family lifestyle photographer and homeschooler. Connect with Rese on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+. Sign up via email for the latest updates from Tiaras & Tantrums.

Spring Photography Tips and Ideas