Sure it’s a well worn phrase…but the method works. Here is Canada – and proably any other former British "colonies" we’re getting ready to launch summer officially, this weekend. It’s the May Long weekend – 3 or perhaps 4 (!) days to get out doors and rejoice that t he cold weather (we hope) will be vanquished back to the north for another few months.
So, what will you do to take advantage of this time. If you’re just relaxing that’s great. But if you’ve been thinking about photography, about trying something new, gettting that great sunrise shot, doing some wildlife photography in the wilderness this is a prime time to just do it.
The big picture looks like this:
Plan one sunrise shoot. Depending on where you live you may be getting up quite early. Here’s a site that will tell you exactly WHEN you’ll need to get moving.
Plan some infrared shooting. (Be sure to get my new IR Photography Tutorials ) Best done at mid day when the sun is high and the infrared efeect is at full power.
Plan some macro shots. You need lots of light because your apreture needs to be stopped down to get max focus. So mid day is often a good time for this too. I use a well washed j cloth (nice blue colour) as a backdrop because it looks like blue sky.
How about a romantic beach sunset, if you’re out at the lake? Use the sunset table from the first link to tell you when the best time will be. Be sure to turn around, face away from the sun to see the Bands of Venus that appear on the opposite sky of the setting sun. These can make remarkable sunset shots.
Got a tripod? If you’re away from the city lights, try some star trails. Use a wide angle lens to capture more of the sky. If you’re in the northern hemshpere, place the north star at the centre of your viewfinder. Keep your ISO pretty low – no more than 400 ISO. Shutter anywhere from 30 seconds to perhaps 2 minutes.
If you’re in the city, night shots of skylines, and urban architecture are a ton of fun and with warm nights and no mosquitos yet, it’s a really enjoyable way to get creative after dark.
So there is a basic plan for 3 days of photography. Remember what ever you do, take your camera. Even if you’re not a hard-core photographer, this long weekend is always a special one so you’ll want to capture those family shots, party shots, and record the good times. Post a few online here!
May long pics can be the most memorable of them all. 
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