Summer is here, and it’s the best season for flower photography which is one of the most popular types of photography.
But if you want to take more interesting photos beyond snapshots you need a little bit of technique and practice.
And you need a thoughtful approach.
Before you press the shutter button you may answer a few questions.
Why did this flower attract you?
Is it something special about this flower?
Maybe it has an unusual form or unmatched color?
Maybe the sun touched its petals lovely?
You could answer through thoughtful composition that shows us a familiar subject in a way we may have never seen it before.
You need to know a message/a concept of your flower images.
It doesn’t need to be complex. It can be simple – to enjoy the awesome colors, to be grateful to the Mother Nature…
It will help you to choose the light and composition which are appropriate to convey your message.
Flowers show more variety of form, texture, shape and color than almost any other subject.
Whether it’s a single bud or a flower, a bouquet or a plant, a blossoming bush or a tree or even meadows and gardens, flowers are wonderful subjects to photograph.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you produce your own unique photos of flowers:
1. Look for the light.
The quality of the light in a scene deeply affects the mood of the image.
One of the most amazing things about flowers (for a photographer) is the translucency of their petals. Instead of lighting your object from the front, you can look for backlighting to enjoy the glowing petals. Backlight can also illuminate what is inside the flower.
You can get down on the ground and shoot up through flowers. You can put a rising/setting sun behind the flower.
Use diffused light.
Diffused light makes the flowers look delicate and gentle.
Overcast weather is perfect for this type of photograph. On a sunny day you can find diffused light in the shade. You can also use a diffuser.
Take your flower shots in natural light.
You’ll find beautiful light inside by a window or outdoors in the shade.
Embrace overcast sky.
Sometimes grayish sky is even better than blue sky for shooting flowers, because it gives soft lighting which is perfect for showing gentle textures of flowers.
Timing is everything.
The best time of a day for photographing flowers is usually early in the morning or from late afternoon until sunset. This is the best time with the beautiful light.
2. Try to present flowers in a way they are not usually seen.
Include the environment.
Mostly we see the portraits of a single flower or a bouquet as the main subject.
It will be interesting to explore the flower and its environment and to including the landscape that the flower is in.
Use different angles.
Most flower photos are taken from the front and slightly above. It’s the usual point of view, because we might see the flowers this way as we are walking by.
Look at things a little bit differently.
Move your camera up higher or down lower. Change your point of view of any subject or scene. It will give you a unique perspective and will add interest to an image.
3. Avoid the distracting backgrounds.
Usually the most effective compositions are the least complicated.
Try to focus the entire image towards telling your story, and eliminate anything that is distracting from it.
A cluttered background will ruin your shot. To blur the background and to minimize distractions you could use wide apertures to get a shallow depth of field.
4. Make it sharp.
It is essential that at least part of the flower is sharp.
You could use a tripod, a cable release or your camera’s two second timer for the best results.
You could use a faster shutter speed too.
5.Choose the flowers with care.
Pick flowers without any flaws. Finding the right subject is one of the secrets for an interesting image.
Armed with these simple, yet very effective strategies, you can venture out to capture flowers, in an impressive manner.
Enjoy summer and the flowers and make beautiful images!
Thank you for reading!
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