4 Outdoor Photography Ideas for March

What to Photograph in March 

March is a month of unpredictability, and I love it! Warm sunny mornings can give way to snow storms in the afternoon which can just as quickly clear up leaving clear night skies. And there's still a chance of catching the Aroura Borealis (visible in Yorkshire just a couple of nights ago!). It's also a month when the first wave of migrant birds appear. So be prepared for anything and everything. Here's four ideas to keep you inspired for the weeks ahead... 

Blooming Blossoms 

From cultivated cherry trees to the wilder blackthorn, March marks the start of a floral wave and tree blossoms make a fantastic subject to explore with your camera. 

I like to get pretty close (usually with a macro lens) and focus on a slightly distant flower blurring out the blossoms in the foreground. In soft light I tend to overexpose by about a stop and in bright light I look to position the light behind the blossoms, often under-exposing but also experimenting with the exposure. 

Weather Fronts

March is THE month of unpredictable weather. Heading up to a local hilltop, moor or even a multi-storey carpark can provide views of weather fronts moving in and out of view. (Obviously don’t do this if lightning and thunderstorms are forecast!) 

I often like to go big with skies in such scenarios. Minimising the foreground to less than a third of the overall composition will likely darken the sky anyway, but sometimes underexposing with the exposure compensation setting will add even more drama! 

Mad for it Hares

Hare activity traditionally picks up this month and lucky people might even be treated to a ringside seat for the iconic “boxing hares”. It’s also a better time of year for spotting hares as the vegetation is still fairly sparse. Early mornings and evenings are best while the lower you are to the ground the better your chances of a close encounter. 

I find I need a minimum shutter speed of a 1/1000th of a second for hares even when fairly stationary and anywhere between 1/2000th and 1/4000th when in action. These guys go from 0 to 60 at the drop of a hat so it’s always best to be prepared for a turn of speed at any point! 

Seek out the first Chiffchaff 

With a call more catchy than a Bruce Springsteen chorus, the Chiffchaff is lots of people’s favourite bird call to identify, and for many that onomatopoeic chorus is the first real sign of spring. 

Last year I managed to catch my first Chiffchaff in a blackthorn blossom (see feature image)  and the photo ended up Highly Commended in the International Garden Photographer of the Year. Not sure what I can do to improve on that this year, but I’m looking forward to trying!