Floral plants begin to appear in early spring, and this gives you a great opportunity to practice flower photography. Fortunately, many of the most eye-catching flowers showcase their beauty during the summer. This will enable you to take everything you learn during the springtime and apply it to the peak growing season.
Amateur and professional photographers can benefit from taking photographs of flowers, even if they’re not a subject that would typically be of interest. After all, the skills you learn by capturing the best possible floral images can be easily applied to other shoots.
Bright sunny days are what we all wait for in the spring. However, If you want flowers to truly stand out, it’s best to photograph them when they’re not overwhelmed by an excessive amount of sunlight. The bright sunny days we all love are also days of high contrast and do not allow the full spectrum of spring color to shine through. Although you can ameliorate this problem with camera settings, you’re going to get the best results by avoiding the bright spots and shadows that accompany a sunny day.
A photo of an entire field of flowers can be beautiful, but it also prevents you from documenting the finer details of your subject. Start your shoot by photographing the entire field, then move in and get a small grouping of flowers, and finally find your close-up specimen. There are two ways to accomplish this; with a telephoto or macro lens.
Each of these options will give you different results, so it’s best to have both tools in your flower photography kit. Additionally, learning how to use these lenses effectively will give your skill set a nice boost.
Every photographer needs to have a firm grasp on how to utilize depth of field. Eliminating distractions is important for floral photography, and you’ll also want to make your subject as dynamic as possible. Choosing an extremely shallow depth of field such as f/2.8 provides stunning results that let you direct the viewer’s eye to one specific section of the photograph.
Pro Tip: A macro lens may be the first thing you think of when shooting flowers, but you can actually get an equally visually interesting depth of field by using a telephoto lens.
Award-winning photographer Jim Steinberg offers landscape photography workshops and photo tours! Everyone from novices to professionals are welcome. Spend a few days capturing wildflowers and landscapes with a pro who can teach you how to take your flower photography skills to the next level. Learn more today by visiting our homepage!
