9 summer photo stories to remind you of warmer times

The good news is we’re through the worst of winter. The long, dark nights are getting shorter. But there’s still a little way to go. Thankfully, we can look forward to what’s to come by looking back on summers gone by through these transportive photo stories created by some of our favourite photographers. So, before you stand by the front door having another crisis about how much outerwear to pile on, enjoy these sexy photo stories — from touching diaries about summer friendships to barely-clad lovers on the beach — reminding us that sunnier times will return.

a woman with long brown hair wearing a pink bikini sits in the front seat of a car, looking at the camera out of the open window

Photos capturing the sun-soaked magic of life on Kaua’i

Vivian Kim photographs the local community of her adopted home on one of Hawaii’s biggest islands. Read here.

Photos of a scorching hot British summer by the sea

Sophie Green photographed people having fun against a crumbling post-industrial landscape. Read here.

a water wearing sports shorts and a red football shirt carries a tray of drinks against a yellow background

These photos are a saturated ode to summer in Rio de Janeiro

Paris-based photographer Fuad captures Brazil’s beach vendors in his first photobook, Beleza. Read here.

two naked people on a metal pier. one has their hands outstretched ready to jump in the water. the other lounges on the shore.

Photos of a long, hot European summer

Ash Kingston’s zine takes us to the South of France to sunbathe on the rocky coast and swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Read here.

two people, a man and a woman, hug in front of a yellow wall. the man kisses the woman's cheek, who is grinning towards the camera

Claude Nori’s sexy, summery, sun-drenched photos

The artist’s sun-drenched images of the Mediterranean will make your vacation envy kick in immediately. Read here.

a man naked on a beach, his knee covering his crotch. the sky is blue. he's wearing a cowboy hat and wraparound sunglasses

Harry Carr captures the idyll of life on gay beaches

From Fire Island to Sitges, the photographer shot the community of these liberated spaces. Read here.

a black and white photo of two people hugging each other on a beach.

Tender photos of lovers embracing on the beach

Photographer Erica Reade’s Beach Lovers observes the heady romance unfolding on New York’s urban-abutting beaches. Read here.

a man with wet hair takes a photo in the mirror, a woman with her hair in a towel but otherwise completely naked is in view, her naked body seen from behind.

A candid look at the nomadic lifestyle of two photographers in love

As they travelled the world, Arthur Groeneveld and Bamboo van Kampen captured their growing relationship and a whole lot of nudity. Read here.

a man wearing jeans and no shirt leans bacwards out of a bedroom window, with a speaker by the window sill.

Hazy summer photographs of 80s American life

Sage Sohier drove across the USA to make American Seen, a charming window into a particular era in the country’s history. Read here.