Beautiful Flower Photography

A New Angle on Flower Photography

As I look through my many flower photographs, I find that I tend to use the same angle for most of them.  Once in awhile, when I can’t seem to get a shot to come out right, I discover that shooting from a different angle makes the picture really come to life. 

It may be harder to set up the shot from an unusual angle; you might have to get down on your belly in the grass or stand on a step stool to get up high, etc.  Be sure to watch for distracting elements in the background as you compose your photograph.

Here are three photos of the one poppy anemone that came up in my garden this year.  (I like to think I’m good at photographing flowers, but I’ve had limited success with growing them!)  Each one is from a different angle.  Which one do you like best?  What other angles can you shoot from?

This is the view from the top, the angle I use most often.  I love to get in close and fill the frame.

This is the side angle.  I probably use this angle the least.  It can be very effective with the right composition.

This is an in-between angle that I’ve used effectively many times.  I like the feeling of peeking over the edge of the petals.

Technorati Tags: flower photographs, flower photography techniques, poppy anemones

The Rule of Thirds in Flower Photography

The rule of thirds is a basic principle in artistic composition.  Imagine that a grid divides your picture into nine equal sections, and then place the most interesting or most important elements of your picture at the intersections of the grid lines while avoiding placing your subject dead center.  This is supposed to create aesthetically pleasing and well balanced photographs.

For instance, which of these flower photographs do you like better?  The one above has the largest bloom centered in the image with the long stem basically dividing the image in half.  It looks okay, but the photo below has much more impact.  I cropped in closer and moved the large bloom to the upper corner at a diagonal to the bloom in the bottom corner.

When applying this rule to flower photography, remember that it’s really a guideline, not a hard and fast rule.  There are many situations in which the subject centered in the frame makes a striking and beautiful shot, as in this example…

So what’s the best way to compose your pictures?  Practice seeing the rule of thirds through your camera (many digital cameras will even display the grid in the viewfinder for you). Then when you find that one stunning blossom that fills the frame you can put the rule of thirds aside and shoot  away.

Eventually, you won’t have to think about the rule of thirds.  When I sat down to look through my images and find examples to illustrate this article, I had a hard time finding poorly composed photographs.  I’ve internalized the rule of thirds through years of taking flower photographs and you will to.

Technorati Tags: flower photography, rule of thirds

Share your Flower Photography on Flickr

This looks like a great way to share your flower photography and get tips and critiques on your work.  I even found a discussion about identifying the flowers in your photos – boy do I need help with that one!  Check out flickr and join a photo pool today!

Appalachian State University Flower Photography Workshop

Have you ever taken your camera to a flower farm when carpets of colorful blooms spread across the landscape?  I haven’t, but I’d like to – I always seem to miss the prime blooming season.

If you live near Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and you love flower photography and the out of doors, you’ll want to check out their Nature Photography workshop on August 24th and 25th. 

It looks like a lot of fun and very helpful if you’re still learning the techniques of photographing flowers.

Read all about it here!

If you don’t live near Appalachian State, you might want to find a flower farm near you that would let
you take photos of their flowers.  Just “google” flower farm tours or something similar.

Technorati Tags: flower photography, photography workshops

Flower Photography - The Art of Seeing

Flower photography is one of my passions.
 
I’ve made hundreds of photographs of different kinds of flowers in close-up (also known as macro) and in landscape. I’ve shot cut flowers and bouquets, living flowers in gardens and fields of wildflowers by the side of the road.  I’ve used color film and black and white film, and I’ve used editing software to turn color images to black and white and sepia. I’ve used both digital and film cameras for my flower photography and natural and artificial light.

I’m not a very technical flower photographer. Both of my cameras have automatic or partially automatic settings that I use most of the time. I can’t explain to you how I set up this shot or that shot, or what the shutter speed or the aperture setting was (although the digital files include this information). I don’t pay that much attention to these factors. I can show you some beautiful flower photography and explain what I was trying to see through the camera and whether or not it worked the way I saw it.

Finding a new way of seeing flowers is a large part of successful flower photography. You have to take the time to look at your subject in different ways and be willing to challenge your traditional sense of what makes a good photograph. The “rule of thirds” (more on that later) may not apply to a close up photograph of a sunflower in which you are filling the frame with the bloom. Or you may look at the setup and discover the rule of thirds can be applied to some small part of the flower or a bee or butterfly on the petals.

You can take this new way of seeing as far as you like. Some photographers make stunning photographs that make you want to reach out and pick an exquisite blossom right off the page. Others take flower photography to such abstract extremes that you look at their beautiful and surreal images and wonder what kind of flower that really is. And many other flower photographers create lovely photographs that run the range in between.

You don’t have to run out and buy a special camera or lens to succeed at photographing the flowers in your garden. You don’t have to take expensive classes or workshops to develop your “eye” or have an in depth understanding of the technical aspects of photography. Just start with what you have and practice. As you practice seeing through the lens you’ll start to discover your own style and art of flower photography.

Technorati Tags: flower photography