Photographing flowers

Both professional photographers and those who enjoy snapping pictures just for fun agree that flowers are an excellent subject. Not only do flowers stay perfectly still, but you don’t have to worry about having a disagreement with your model or having to touch up any flaws once the shoot is complete. Sure, you may add a filter here and there but there are no major alterations that need to be done. Flowers look lovely from a distance but, as you get closer to them with your lense,you will notice all the tiniest details that make them even more unique. If you are hoping to capture the most incredible floral shots, remember that you don’t need to have a garden in bloom to do so. Simply order your favourites from your local florist and snap away!

There are a number of ways of photographing a flower or bouquet of flowers. You could photograph the entire bunch along with the vase or field. Alternatively, you could focus on a single flower or even a close up of a part of the flower. If you want to shoot extreme close up shots, you will obviously need a high-quality camera and possibly a tripod. If you have very steady hands, you might be able to get away with holding your camera rather than using any kind of stand or support. Remember, you should get close rather than use the zoom function on your camera.

You can also pair your floral subject with another object or even a model if you like. Think about all those lovely photos you have seen with bright flowers surrounding a sleeping baby, for example. You could even make the flowers your secondary subject. For instance, you could let your dog run through a field of wild flowers as you capture several shots. The flowers will still feature but your happy pet will be the main attraction.

Some cameras have various features and filters. If your camera has these features, you can play around with different effects. Alternatively, you can use editing software to create the desired effect. Black and white or gray scale images with just the flower in full colour are quite popular. Of course, if you feel like this has been overdone,you could look for a different effect like distorting the entire image and leaving the flower in focus.