Floral Photography Tutorial
It
does not take a professional photographer to take capture great flower
pictures, whether it is your garden or unique flowers found while on
vacation. you can create floral images. Here are six useful tips to
taking great flower pictures.
Tip 1: Lighting for Flowers
Bright sun is not the ultimate goal for when to take photos. That's actually one of the worst times because the strong direct sunlight can wash out your image, create harsh shadows, and crate flat uninteresting images.
Try taking flower pictures when it's overcast, or when the sun is high or low in the sky. This will result in more saturated colors in the blooms and foliage and the light will be more directional.
Tip 2: Get Down to the Level of the Flowers
Don't
and always shoot down on the flower. Shooting down on a subject is a
great way to make it look smaller. However, with a flower getting down
to its own level will make it more dramatic.
You will get more unique and beautiful flower pictures,so move around.
Another trick is to get below the flower and shoot up toward it. If you
do this you may find you are shooting up toward the sky which will make
exposure more difficult. To get around this have someone hold up a gray
reflector to reduce the brighter skylight.
Tip 3: Focus on the Flowers
Be sure you have a point of interest or focal point, whether it is a cluster of brightly colored flowers or simply one blossom you will want to determine where the viewers eye will be drawn. Follow the photography rule of thirds. (See Rule of Thirds) As with any composition you should pay close attention to everything in your frame. Distractions or unattractive items or lines in the image will be distracting to your viewer. If you are shooting digital don't always assume that you can simply retouch something out. Try getting it right to begin with.
Tip 4: Keep it Steady
A potentially stunning flower picture can be ruined by movement of the camera of the hand. Shooting close is much like shooting with a telephoto. Any movement is magnified. something as simple as human nature: the shaky hand. Even if you think your hand is steady, you might be surprised that it does move. Try using a tripod (you can even get a mini tripod. These tripods are lightweight and will make your floral photography much easier. [Learn More About Tripod Options]
Tip 5: Add Some Local Environment to Your Flowers
Don't
focus strictly on the flower. The surroundings are part of the
environment and they can make excellent framing for your photograph.
Framing the flower with something natural such as vines or rocks can
add drama to your image. Insects also make great additions to your
flower picture. One trick you can use when working with insects is to
put them on ice for awhile to slow them down so you can have a little
longer to work.
Tip 6: Blocking the Wind and Excess Light
Wind and excess light can be a real problem. You have already read about having a reflector for shooting up to. You can also use a reflector on the ground to light the underside of a flower. Using gold reflectors or white reflectors seem to work the best for lighting beneath the flower.
If the sun is harsh, use a translucent reflector to soften the direct sunlight. These relectors are inexpensive and will be very useful for all your photography. As a final tip, to block the wind you can use a reflector, or a sheet of foamcore or cardboard to block the wind to keep your images sharper.
For a selection of these reflectors click on the B&H Link below and enter "collapsible reflector" in the search box.
This page provided courtesy of Art's Photography.
They are based in Kansas and specialize in event photography such as
weddings, sports, families, a onsite commercial photography