How to Photograph Flowers

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By DChild
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Sitting Pretty

Photographing flowers is easy if you know the basics of composition and light, and have these simple tricks.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Digital Camera
Spray Bottle of Water
Soft Camelhair or Painter's Brush
Florists Tape

Step 1

Daisy Daze

Locations - Not everyone lives in a warm climate, but that doesn't mean you can't get some great shots. Look in your area to see if there are any plant nurseries, hot houses, green houses, botanical gardens, etc. A lot of my shots come from Lowe's and Wal-Mart. If you ask the manager of the store, most of the time they are not only happy to let you take pictures of their plants, some will even help you find the best ones or hold them up for you to get a great shot. I have agreements with several local places. They let me take photos and I give them a few of the files for their advertising. One even calls me everytime they get in a new or unusual flower. I also sometimes buy them from florist shops like the daisies shown here. I noticed how crisp and clear the day was, and loved how blue the sky was, so I went to the florist and bought one stem of daisies, held them up and voila... A pretty shot.
Step 2

The Waterlily

Fixing the Flowers - Sometimes there is pollen on the petals or maybe dirt on the leaves. I use a soft paintbrush to remove what I don't want. Also, you may have a leaf that's not quite in the right spot. Some green florists tape or a discretely placed pin can help with that. Just make sure that if it's not your plant that you get permission. The florist tape will most likely cause little to no damage. If you want a wet look to the flower, you can use a spray bottle or a watering can. With a watering can you get larger, more natural looking droplets without overdoing it.
Step 3

Standout!

Composition - Follow the rule of thirds. Imagine dividing the photo into thirds from left to right, and then again from top to bottom. Where the points intersect would be where you want to place your subject. Try to avoid that shot of a flower set dead center on the photo. Even a placing it just slightly off center will help. Also, leave room on the sides for future manipulation if possible.
Step 4

Lighting - Let the light flow from left to right (same way your eyes read a book). Try to plan your shots for early morning or late afternoon light to avoid glare, harsh shadows, and dull colors. Early morning would be best because that's when flowers are just opening and look freshest. Also photograph from many angles to see where you can get the most interesting shadows and glows.
Step 5

Backgrounds - Be careful and make sure you don't have a busy background. Most flowers are very detailed and you don't want to take away from that with a lot of detail in the background. If necessary, place a piece of paper that contrasts well with your flower behind it. This way, you can always add a new background in later.

Comments

Jonalynn said

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on 10/27/2008 Thankyou for sharing what a great artist you are!
Jonalynn*

on 10/18/2008 The thing about wonderful photos of flowers is that they make it look like it's easy to do but it's so important to know about lighting, and all of the other elements you mentioned in order to have pics come out well. Thanks for sharing these tips!