summer solstice Archives - Blog

If you haven’t cooed over a cute dog or cat photo online, you’re probably an unfeeling soul with a heart of stone. But what most people don’t know is that a lot of work (and treats) have gone into all those cute animal pictures you’ve swooned over. If the dog picture you just double-tapped look like it was captured effortlessly, the photographer must have done a great job—and we’d like to help you do the same.

Whether you’d like to turn your pooch into a summer social media star or just want to capture its best angles under the sun, the tips below should help improve your pet photography skills. Read on and start snapping!

Take advantage of the sunshine

Summer is the perfect season to practice your outdoor photography skills. Take advantage of the sunshine and get your pet outdoors! Your pooch would love the chance to bask in the sun after several cloudy months. Plus, more natural light allows you to use faster shutter speeds, letting you take vibrant photos of your pup while he’s zooming around.

Focus on the eyes

Your pet’s eyes are the windows to its soul, so don’t be afraid to focus on them. If you’ve got a cat, try to take its close-up shots somewhere without harsh light to capture its dilated pupils.

Play with props

What’s cuter than a smiling pug? A smiling pug in sunglasses, that’s what. Props and simple costumes can add a fun, summery vibe to your pet photos, so if you’ve always wanted to dress up your pet in a Hawaiian-printed shirt, now’s the perfect time to do so!

Use treats and toys

A surefire way to capture your pet’s attention is by attracting it with its favorite toys and treats. If your dog doesn’t want to look at your camera’s lens, try holding a tennis ball or a favorite toy near your camera. Don’t forget to reward your good boy with a treat or two!

Let your pet be himself

Instead of forcing your pooch to preen and pose for you, try to take photos of your pet in his element. Enable ‘burst’ mode to capture your pet’s frolicking, and try to zoom in when your pet is catching a snooze. The goal is to document your pet’s cutest moments as they naturally occur.

Capture your pet’s best summer with Nixplay! Get 15% off all Nixplay Seed 8 and Iris Smart Frames, only until June 30!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

Can you believe that summer is already here? With time flying by so fast, there’s really no time like the present to start making and preserving memories with your family and friends. Below, we listed five of the best summer activities you can do with your loved ones this season. Don’t forget to bring your camera or a phone so you can capture all the fun you’ll have!

1. Head to the beach

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip to somewhere warm and sunny! Head to the coast for a few days of sun, sand, and surf. Build sandcastles with the little tots, go kayaking with your significant other, and watch the sunset on the boardwalk while having ice cream with your family. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even sign up for diving or surfing lessons!

2. Visit an amusement park

Summer is the best time to visit an amusement park. Since there are no pesky rain showers to literally put a damper on your fun, you can go try out all the rides at the park. Take over the bumper cars, hop on the carousel with the kids, and ride the biggest, scariest roller coaster you can find. You can also try all the fair games—if you’re lucky, you might even get to bring home an adorable stuffed toy. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures, and make sure you have the Nixplay app on your phone so you can quickly upload the photos to your frame back home.

3. Go camping

Set aside one weekend this summer for a camping trip! You don’t have to go far—you can just have it in your backyard, so as long as it’s outdoors. If the kids in your family have never gone camping before, they’re bound to have a blast helping pitch the tent and gathering branches and leaves to build a bonfire. You can also go fishing and try to survive in the “wild” without electricity or gadgets. And in the evening, you can sit around a bonfire and make s’mores, before going to sleep under the twinkling of the stars.

4. Explore the outdoors

Take advantage of the pleasant weather and spend as much time as you can under the sun! Check out a new hiking trail with your loved ones, bust out your bikes and explore your town, or visit a nearby farm and pick your own fruits or flowers. Whichever activity you do, they’re all great ways to stay fit while having fun. Take lots of photos and upload them on your Nixplay frame so you can reminisce about all the fun you’ve had the moment you get back home.

5. Have a picnic

Fill up a basket or a cooler with easy-to-eat food like sandwiches, cookies, and chips, pack it in your car along with a blanket or a mat, and drive off to a park or the beach. If you can have your picnic somewhere with a grill so you can barbecue food on the spot, that’ll be better! Bring a frisbee and frisbee games so the young ones (and the young at heart) can entertain themselves, and snack on fruits like watermelon and pineapple to stay hydrated under the summer sun.

The final ingredient for a picture-perfect summer? A new Nixplay frame that will keep all your memories in one place. Take advantage of Nixplay’s Summer Solstice sale and get 20 percent off the Nixplay Seed 8-Inch Frame from June 21 to 26. Pick a frame in your favorite color, and get set to have a summer you’ll always remember!