A year in photographs usually captures weddings in July, holidays in August and the kids opening their Christmas presents come December. But if you look beyond the obvious there is so much more around us that defines the four seasons.

A knack for capturing the seasons can make for great photographs to showcase in a calendar or put in an album for memory. It could also make for a great project to enjoy all year round with your children.

Here’s five tips for capturing the season which you can start using straight away.

1. Location, location, location

Picking the right place to photograph will really help to capture the essence of each period. Your locations can be traditional settings, like a beautiful woodland scene in the spring, complete with carpets of bluebells, or a view of hills covered in wintry blankets of snow.

But you could take a less obvious route and capture a deserted beach in January for example, with a row of empty beach huts bathed in the winter sun.

2. Let nature do the talking

Colours and nature are some of the best ways to reflect the months you are in.

Spring can be depicted with fresh tones and capturing images of animals such as lambs and chicks. Visiting a farm park with the children will give you the opportunity to photograph some playful spring-themed scenes. Summer pictures work well outdoors with fresh greenery or brightly coloured insects, such as butterflies or dragonflies.

Even though the flowers begin to disappear, autumn is not devoid of colour. Foliage in earthy, fiery tones of red, orange and yellow can be found in parks and forests. If you’re patient and have a camera with a decent zoom, you could try and snap some squirrels foraging for nuts. Getting shots of animals deep in activity or looking straight into the camera make for interesting pictures.

Parks and gardens often seem a bit deserted in the winter but you can always catch the odd bird or fox. Look carefully and you can even spot footprints, which, if caught fresh, can make some beautiful images. Lakes or ponds that have frozen over, reflecting the sunshine, portray the winter months brilliantly.

3. Festivals

Festive holidays in the home always have a place in our photo albums, but all year round there are different cultures and festivals being celebrated, which make for exciting subjects.

Photograph the vibrant colours and costumes at the Caribbean summer carnival or the hustle and bustle of the farmers’ market in spring. Halloween is always celebrated each autumn and we all know there are plenty of interesting subjects to be photographed, whether it’s a Jack-o’-lantern on someone’s doorstep or an eerie, moonlit sky.

4. The seasons in edible form

As the seasons change, so does the food we eat.

You could have a ‘food of the seasons’ themed photo album. Ideas for images can pop up in the home or when out exploring. Try photographs of colourful and leafy summer salads being enjoyed al fresco, or olives and sun-blushed tomatoes at the Mediterranean market. Christmas markets are bustling with homemade and festive produce as well as winter warming tipples.

5. Create your own season-themed calendar

Whether your album of the seasons is a mixture of all things spring, summer, autumn and winter or whether you decide on a particular theme, the photos documenting your year will remind you of happy times with family and friends.

But don’t let them remain unappreciated on your hard drive. They would make wonderful photobooks. Season-themed photos work particularly well when created into a calendar, so as the months go by you can enjoy your beautiful images to remind you of the year before as you tear away each page.