It's spring in many parts of the world. For those of us who spent the©Chuck DeLaney NYI Dean
It's spring in many parts of the world. For those of us who spent the
winter trapped inside, spring means, among other things, an irresistible
chance to grab the camera and start capturing the first blooms of the
season. Yet, how do you turn those shots of your favorite blooms into
something special? Here are some tips on how to take better flower pictures
from the world's largest photography school, New York Institute of
Photography (NYI).
First, walk around the flower to see how it looks with light coming from
different directions. Watch carefully when the light (usually, the sun) is
behind the flower, coming toward the camera. Often, the petals will glow
with beautiful iridescence. This is called "backlighting" because the light
is coming from the back of the subject (in this case, the flower).
Backlighting is often the best type of lighting for translucent subjects
like petals.
However, don't despair if there is no sun. Gray and overcast days provide
great opportunities for flower photography. The lighting is more even and
there are no shadows. Rain turns colors more intense. You can even carry a
spray bottle to create rain droplets on the sunniest of days. Even night
photography is an option. You'll be surprised at how attractive a flower
photo can be when illuminated by flash.
Second, to make a flower picture come alive, wait until something adds life
to the flower - for example, a bee alights, or a spider crawls into it, or
a hummingbird pays a visit. It takes patience, but it pays off if, for
example, after you wait a few minutes, a butterfly lands on your flower.
Shoot! The picture you get will be great.
Three, try interesting angles and backgrounds. Consider getting down low on
the ground or shooting with the wide angle setting on your lens. Don't
despair if the background behind the flower is unattractive. Try replacing
it with a colored piece of paper or fabric. There are lots of different
ways you can experiment when photographing flowers!
For the complete article on photographing flowers plus some great flower
photos, visit the New York Institute of Photography website at
Reprinted with permission from the New York Institute of Photography website.