10 Tips for Great Flower Photography

1. One of the first things you need to do with digital photography is to make sure you are using the
correct white balance settings. If your camera has the option, I recommend that you use the
manual white balance function. If not, then use whatever setting is appropriate for the lighting you
are shooting with. The equivalent to white balance if you are shooting film is color balance. If you
are shooting outside be sure you are using daylight balanced film. I also suggest that with
daylight balanced film outdoors that you use a slight warming filter. Most of the flower
photography that you may do will either be in shade or on an overcast day creating a much bluer
light then the film is balanced for. On the flip side, if shooting indoors with incandescent lighting
or normal house lights you should be using tungsten balanced film. If the indoor lighting is being
supplied by florescent light, then use a florescent filter with daylight balanced film. This is just a
starting point. Experiment, mix it up. You can get some fantastic special effects that way.

2. Get a polarizer filter. The great thing about a polarizer is that it will eliminate or reduce image
degrading reflections. This helps to improve color saturation and contrast. At the proper angle it
will also dramatically darken a blue sky. This effect is adjusted by rotating the filter until the
desired effect is achieved. There are 2 types of polarizer’s available, circular and linear. Most of
the advanced metering systems today that are built into your camera will not function properly
with a linear polarizer. So I suggest you get a circular polarizer to play it safe. I have also seen
warming polarizer’s. While I have not tried one you may want to experiment with them.

3. Always use a tripod. Let me repeat that, “Always use a tripod”. Not only will a tripod steady your
camera and help you achieve a much sharper image, but it will also force you to think about your
composition. You will have to place the flowers in your photographic image much more
deliberately

4. Don’t just take a snapshot of a flower that interests you and then move on. Set up your first shot
to include the whole flower then concentrate on the details of the flower that attract your eye.
Focus on the color or small details of the flower.

5. Control your depth of field. If you are photographing a single flower with a busy background then
use a wide aperture to selectively focus on the flower and blur out the background. Conversely, if
you are photographing a field of flowers the use a smaller aperture setting to bring most, if not all
the flowers into focus. If your camera has a depth of field preview then this is the time to use it.

6. Look for the unusual. Some examples would be snow or ice on a flower, A flower growing out of
concrete or even a dead flower that has an interesting look.

7. Don’t put your camera away just because it’s cloudy or looks like a storm is coming. Colors really
pop at this time and you can get some amazing photographs in these conditions. I have even
photographed in rainy and foggy weather with great results. Be sure to use a tripod and keep
your gear dry.

8. On a bluebird sunny day, soften the harsh contrasty light by placing a diffusion screen between
the flower you are photographing and the sun. You can purchase a portable diffusion screen or
use something you have on hand. You can completely block the sun and put your flower in
shade, then redirect some light back on the flower with a reflector. This reflector can be a
commercially made reflector or just something reflective like a white T-shirt or a piece of foam
core. Another photographic technique would be to use fill flash. If your camera has an automatic
fill flash function then give it a try. Experiment with the lighting ratio if your camera will let you
change the flash output. I find reflectors to be a better option then fill flash most of the time.

9. Photograph your flowers from different angles. Shoot straight down, from the side, from the
underneath, just change it up a little.

10. Have fun with it. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different things. Once you think you have
the photograph in the bag, get wacky with it!

About the Author

Ken is a long time photo enthusiast who decided to publish a web site www.explore-photography.com after many of his favorite photography magazines stopped or reduced thier articles on photography techniques and started focusing on product reviews.