Creative Flower Photography
1.CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
One common mistake, and one I’m sometimes guilty of myself, when out shooting is to simply put the camera to your eye and shoot away. We all generally see the world at eye level, so what you will end up with are images that are quite often just boring images. In order to make images that are a little more creative and dynamic, you will need to change your perspective a little. This means that you will need to get up high or down low and shoot at different angles. The key is to try different things, or ‘work the scene’ as it is so often called. Don’t just settle for the status quo, but become more deliberate and shoot for an end result that will be more creative.
You may decide to shoot straight down at the flower, or perhaps shoot from your knees so that you are shooting from the same height as the flowers, or maybe even lying down and shooting up at the flowers. The subject, the background, and the light will dictate what angles will work best in a particular situation. Either way, wear clothing that you won’t mind getting dirty and don’t be afraid to get down as low as you can go. Experiment with different camera angles to find what works best for you.
2.LOCATION ISN’T EVERYTHING.
You may think that you need to travel to some exotic location to take beautiful flower photos, but that’s just not the case. If you don’t live in or can’t travel to Costa Rica, Hawaii, or some other tropical location, not to worry. There are plenty of other places to shoot. One of the nice things about flower photography is you don’t even have to leave home. The flower garden in the back yard might be a good place to start, or possibly the city park down the street. Perhaps there is a botanical garden in your area where you could shoot a wide variety of flowers. However, note that photography guidelines will likely vary at botanical gardens, and that you may not be able to use the photos for commercial purposes without obtaining a permit first. The point is this: just get out there and do it. Flowers can be found everywhere, so if that’s the type of photography you want to do, you can get lots of practice and there’s no excuse for not shooting.
3.GET UP CLOSE.
Flowers are such beautiful things and some are so intricately detailed that you will want to shoot as close as possible. The best choice for this would be to use a dedicated macro lens on your camera. A macro lens will allow you to get really close and still be able to focus on the flower. However, if you don’t have a macro lens there are other options. In his article Best Macro Lenses: Unbiased Review of 8 Lenses, Jim reviews three dedicated macro lenses to consider, but also takes a look at some much less expensive alternatives that could provide you with great results. (Be sure to watch the video, too!) Beware that when shooting up close, the depth of field will be razor thin, and could present some challenges for getting enough of the flower in focus. If there is enough light available, you can stop your lens down (increase the aperture number) to f/11, f/16, or even f/22. Doing this will increase the depth of field, but will require you to lower the shutter speed and/or raise the ISO to compensate for the smaller opening in the lens. Another method that I have used with some success is to back up a little, taking the picture a greater distance from the flower, then cropping the image in post-processing to provide a closer view. With the amount of megapixels at our disposal in modern cameras, it is possible to crop pretty aggressively and still get a high quality image.
4.LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.
Sometimes showing more of the surroundings will make for a more interesting and engaging image. Perhaps there’s not just a single flower you want to focus on, but rather several flowers, or even an entire field of flowers. Or maybe there are some wildflowers growing next to a stream and you want to include some of the water to provide context for the image. You’ve probably heard the expression “can’t see the forest for the trees” and that can apply in flower photography. Sometimes, I find myself getting so caught up in focusing on the details that I forget to step back and just look at the bigger picture. Details are great, but it may be a good idea to include some images that will tell more of the story. So take a few steps back or put a wide-angle lens on your camera and take in more of the scene. When you see the complete picture that these images provide, you’ll be glad you did.
5.SHOW THE FLOWER’S LIFE CYCLE.
One great way to tell a story with your flower images is to select a flower and show its life cycle with a series of images taken throughout the growing season. Preferably, use a flower in your backyard garden so you will have easy access and won’t have to travel anywhere. Start with an initial image showing the flower just as it is planted or beginning to grow. Over time, take an image every few days or a week to illustrate the transformation of the flower as it begins to bloom, fully opens, and eventually dies at the end of its life cycle or when the weather changes. Depending on the number of images taken, you may even be able to put them together to create a time-lapse video of your flower.
6.USE FILL LIGHT.
