Tips for Flower Photography

As the blood red hippeastrums that line our drive wilt and the white agapanthus flowers slowly open, I am reminded that spring is drawing to a close here in the southern hemisphere.

Here’s a couple of photography tips for capturing those later spring blooms:

• The ideal lighting for photographing flowers is soft, diffused light. Look at your bloom at different times of the day to see how the light changes it. Walk around your subject to see how it looks with light coming from different directions.
  
  
• Experiment with back lighting and try to highlight the transparency of the petal/s.
  
  
• Use flash very carefully. It can lend some stunning effects, especially at night, however be careful it can also kill the mood.
  
  
• Look for colour, contrast, texture, line, shape, pattern, framing, balance when composing your flower image.
  
  
• Make your flower image come alive. Fortunately for us here in Australia most of our flowers, especially wildflowers are filled with nectar thus attracting a range of animals from fruit bats to possums, bees to vibrant butterflies and honey eaters and parrots. Wait until something adds life to the flower - for example, a bee lands, or a spider crawls into it or a bird pays a visit. It takes patience, but it pays off if!
  
  
  
  
  
• Blur the background to get unattractive backgrounds out of view and to emphasise the subject.
  
  
• Know your seasons. No use getting disappointed, you are working with Mother Nature and she has her own timetable – get a copy!
  
  
• Use a spray water bottle to provide water droplets sparingly. While you may wish to depict a rainy day or a dewy morning the effect could either be splendid or look too artificial.

There are many different ways you can experiment when photographing flowers!

Enjoy your time with nature and always remember to take the time to smell the roses.

 All images by and (c) Danielle & Nick Lancaster