Festival season is now in full swing! Once you’ve packed your wellies, it’s time to think about how you’re going to capture your favourite moments. No matter what your level of photography skills are, there are a few simple hacks that you can experiment with to make sure you don’t miss the best moments at a festival this summer.

The photo experts at CEWE shared their top tips for capturing candid festival moments that you can look back on for years to come.

Use shortcuts to snap moments quickly

Whether it’s dancing or going between stages, you’re always on the move at festivals – as such, you need to be speedy if you want to capture those spontaneous moments! Many times, by the time you’ve unlocked your phone and located the camera app, the moment has passed. Luckily, most smartphones have camera shortcuts so that you can access the camera without even having to unlock your phone.

For iPhone users, simply tap the camera button located in the bottom right corner of the lock-screen to quickly pull up the camera. On Android, you can take advantage of the power button for speedy camera access – just double click the power button and the camera will launch! Never miss a moment from fiddling to find your camera again.

Forget the flash

With the natural lighting that accompanies the long summer days, there’s no need to use the flash. Instead, opt to use the natural light to your advantage – try to shoot with your back to the sun so that the light falls on your subject. As the sun starts to set, the golden hour will cast a warm, natural glow. This is the perfect time to take some really stunning shots of you and your friends, allowing you to capture the warmth of the day and that golden hour glow.

If you’re shooting at night, tapping on the screen will bring up the exposure slider next to the focus box on your camera. Simply slide this up to boost the lighting and make your night-time photography brighter without having to use flash.

Bring a selfie stick

Using a selfie stick is the perfect way to capture those high angle selfies. If you’re looking for a way to make sure everyone is in the shot, selfie sticks provide a great wide-angle frame to ensure everyone is included! Now the photographer who normally misses out on being in front of the camera can get involved.

The adjustable length is ideal for experimenting with range so that you can snap pictures while in the crowd. This allows you to easily capture those magical moments where everyone is singing and dancing along to their favourite artist, providing you with photos that place you right back in the moment when you look back.

Props, props, props!

Got some oversized sunglasses or a crazy hat? Bring them along! Not only will props add more character to your photo, using props will naturally put people at ease as they become more focused on playing with them, rather than worrying about the camera in front of them. The sillier the props are, the sillier your subjects will be – and silliness makes for fun and candid photos that will make you smile every time you look back at them.

Make sure you have space

Now that you have everything you need to ensure your photos are fantastic, there’s one last thing to remember – make sure you have enough space on your phone for all of the new photos you’re going to be taking!

There’s nothing worse than trying to capture a moment, only to be met with a message indicating you don’t have enough storage left. Avoid this by backing up existing photos so that you can delete them to free up space. Or you could even print out your favourites so that you can still see them all the time, without having to keep them on your phone.

To store these precious festival memories forever, why not create a CEWE photobook as a great way to have all of your photos in one place for you to look back on and relive your favourite moments.