The Colour of Summer, Minimalist Cityscapes and the Fragility of Film: Your Photos of the Week

Each week, our editors choose stunning photos submitted by members of Your Shot, National Geographic's photo community.

By Kristen McNicholas
Published 25 Aug 2019, 09:00 BST

Colours in photography have a unique ability to alter our mood. I tend to associate certain colours with seasons, and whenever I see the contrast of a warm colour meeting with a cool colour, I instantly think of summertime. Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere is coming to an end (although not soon enough; Washington, D.C., has been hot this summer). Viewing this week’s Your Shot uploads, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the warm hues of the season.

Your Shot photographer Dejan Mijovic shared the view of a summer holiday in Italy, complete with the gorgeous dappled sunlight characteristic of a late summer afternoon. This scene was reminiscent of the summers of my youth spent on Seneca Lake, where I would sit bikini-clad at a picnic table, surrounded by trees, friends, and family. Dejan used the composition effectively to fill every inch of the frame and let us get lost in the moment.

Your Shot photographer Hannah Overeem got a surprise splash of orange from a light flare on her 35mm film image of Huntington Beach, California. The whimsical image offers a timeless view of summertime. Anyone who has used film in their photography knows how magical the unexpected surprises of film can be.

While I’m much more prone to love fall, especially having grown up in the Finger Lakes region of New York where the autumn colours remind me of home, I have a soft spot for the warm light of summer. It’s fascinating how something as simple as light quality can transport us to places we’ve been in our own lives and shape our understanding of photography. Colours can play a huge role in that, and I hope seeing these images inspires you to observe the light as it changes with the seasons.

Associate Photo Editor Kristen McNicholas looks at daily uploads from Your Shot, starting each day by sifting through thousands of photographs. This series is a selection of her favorites from the past week.
 
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