Photographing Flowers

Photographing flowers is one of the most popular forms of photography and has always been a favorite because you can photograph flowers growing in the wild, flowers that are cultivated in greenhouses and gardens or even photograph cut flowers and arrangements in a studio environment.

You can use both conventional film and digital cameras for photographing flowers. You can also use any lens in flower photography, from the well known ultra-wide angle lens (17mm) to the super-telephoto lens (300mm or 400mm). If you are a serious photographer and would like to get spectacular close-ups buy yourself a macro lens which will enable you to get very close to your subject without distorting the picture.

A tripod is essential because it reduces the chance that you'll get a blurry image. Many tripods, even when fully collapsed, are too high for photographing low growing flowers. That is why you need to get a tripod that allows you to get close to the ground. A special kind of tripod, called a tabletop tripod, is great for photographing small flowers and other objects.

Ideally, the lighting for photographing flowers should be a soft, diffused light of open shade or a cloudy day. Because a flower photo can be very attractive when illuminated by flash, night photography can also be an option (for the more advanced photographer).  You will have to learn to be very patient, especially in windy conditions...

Be artistic and make use of unusual angles when you are photographing flowers, either indoors or outdoors. Try photographing the same flowers in early morning light and photograph them again in late afternoon light to see the different effects. Create a certain mood by using warming filters and add water droplets to the petal of your flower and give it that dewy, morning look. Also experiment with backlighting and try to highlight the transparency of the petals.

Remember that although most people love color photography, creative flower photography can also be in monochrome. Learn as much as you can about the different types of flowers to become successful in flower photography. A great place to go is your nearest Botanical gardens!

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