What will you remember about the Summer of 2015?  The crazy shark attacks, the exceptionally hot temperatures or just spending time with friends and family.

Seagulls in flight

The summer season is officially over.  The tourists are gone home,  the kids are back in school and summer vacations are over.  But the summer still lives on for many of us who reside on the coast. I prefer to think of Summer in three seasons:

Season 1: Perfect weather, lots of beach parking and dogs at play on the beach.
Season 2: Fun festivities everywhere, vacations, water sports, and hot sun.
Season 3: Tourists are gone, parking availability, and more room on the beach.

Summer memories should be savored, so I take tons of pictures. Memories slip away, but the photographs last forever. I’ve learned how to use some of the gadgets on my Nikon this summer like shooting in manual modes, and learning to develop raw images. I’m getting better, but definitely have some work to do. How do you think I’m doing?

Fortunately, I live on a beautiful coast where photographers are plentiful. And with a little occasional help from my friends, like a local photographer Phil Mancuso, (who by the way captures spectacular sunsets and nature photographs), it’s a little easier. Through his help, I’ve been able to recover goof-ups (like accidentally erasing my files). In addition to local photographers, making friends with the photographers through the blogosphere world has allowed me to learn a few new tricks along the way.

Photojournalism and photography is fun, and rewarding. Especially on those long dark days of Winter when you just need to be reminded of good times and Summer fun.

The camera lens becomes an integral part of your own personal, subjective experience and allows you to view the world in a unique, distinctive way from everyone else. With the camera, the world is similar to a buffet waiting to be devoured behind your camera lens. Your fun job is being the one who sees the object potential, choose the right angle and reveals a story. A story perception only you can build, unfold and remember.

Sometimes photos will reflect a state of mind, happiness, loneliness or just a mood, and other times a photo is just the simple reality of the content in the photo, nothing more nothing less. You are the author of your photos and it’s your story.

A creative writer, and traveling photographer Nihar Pradhan shared this…

“Lines and light both are vital to photography, though the light is visible, but the invisible lines matter”

I don’t always remember the exact day of the Summer I take a picture, but I will remember the events surrounding it. It’s like a melody you hear on the radio that sounds like a memory of a real life Saturday night. Photos conjure up strong memories to cherish forever. How many times have you heard the most beloved item in a home other than a person or a pet are the photo albums? Or seen loved ones that are separated desperately hanging onto a picture? And rightfully so, they’re little pieces of our existence, excerpts from our journey in life.

The most valuable advice I would give someone new to photography would be… 
Take the time to label, date and tag your photos as you go.

Invest the time to learn how to organize your photo apps on your computer making retrieval easy. Getting control of my photo folders and itemizing information made sharing my pictures with friends simple, and blogging 90% easier. Trust me on this one and opt for the easy way:) Don’t give up and remember there is no right or wrong photo; only a photo, and a better photo. So Snap Away…

Here are some of my Summer 2015 photographs.

Wrightsville Beach Bridge

Sitting seagull

Seagulls on the ferry

Resting place

Paddle board

Did Labor Day end the Summer season for you?  How will you remember the Summer of 2015 long after the sun steps back? Share your tips on photojournaling or your favorite Summer memories.

Happy trails,
Donna George