Flowers


Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset



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It is surprisingly easy to take very pleasing flower pictures using the macro focus facility found on so many digital cameras - but be careful to focus really accurately on the part of the picture that interests you most, because the depth of field (the area in focus) can be very limited when working in macro. And, if you want to come in for a really big close-up, pick a time when the flower is not swaying in the breeze!
The appearance of the flower is much affected by the lighting. Do you prefer the effect produced by sunshine (on the left) or shade (on the right)? Many people prefer the more gentle diffused light in the shade, as then there are no ugly shadows, but others choose sunshine for bright colors, then diffused light for more delicate colors. (If you do choose sunshine, it's usually best to avoid the hours around mid-day. You can often get more interesting pictures when the sun is lower in the sky.) But there's no definite right or wrong about all this: it's up to you to decide exactly what effect you want to achieve. The best way to learn is by trial and error - easy enough with a digital camera.
The above pictures were taken on two successive days. Notice that the background flower has come out in the second picture. You have to choose exactly the right moment to take flower photos.
A very dark background can be very effective, as it helps the flower to stand out really clearly and makes the colors seem more vivid.

Photo by Rod Gray (Your Photos 152)
A totally black background can often produce dramatic results. You can try to achieve this by mounting a black card behind the flower, but, unless you use a separate flash that does not light the card, you're likely to pick up reflections, which is why I prefer to use a photo editing program to get the same result afterwards. Professional photographers often prefer to use a special indoor set-up when the background and the lighting can be kept completely under their control.
Colored or white backgrounds can look good too. This blue sky was darkened by using a polarising filter, but you could use a blue card to achieve a similar result.
Backlighting, like this, can produce really pleasing effects. It's certainly worth experimenting with.

Photo by Nathaniel Salang (Your Photos 126)
Another way of avoiding cluttered backgrounds is to throw them right out of focus, as here. This can be done either by using a manual setting that allows the use of a very wide aperture, or by the subsequent use of a photo editing program. The result looks much more natural than when using a black background.
Photo by Aaron Gustwiller (Your Photos 150)
This oblique camera angle gives more of a 3D effect than a full frontal view, and is good for showing stamens, but less effective for revealing symmetrical patterns. It is usually worth taking the same subject from several different angles to see which one works best.

Photo by Geri Scull (Your Photos 228)
Don 't be afraid to experiment with flash. Internal flash (as used here) may or may not produce over-exposure when used in macro. Try it out and see if it causes any problems with your camera.
Groups of flowers often work best if, as here, there is one dominant point of interest in the foreground.

This is a most attractively composed picture. Photos of single flowers are often more arresting than groups, but here the photographer has managed to get the best of both worlds, by letting the reds in the background echo the color of the main tulip, carefully placed off-center to produce the most pleasing result. But differential focusing ensures that the emphasis remains on it.

Photo by Frans Limas. (Your Photos 109)
Of course, you don't always have to show the whole flower. It can be interesting to pick out just the most interesting part, as in these excellent photos. Including raindrops (or dew) can add to a picture's appeal, so some photographers sprinkle water onto their photos to get the desired effect. But don't do it every time or it may look as though you live in a tropical rainstorm!

Photos by Nandou Lu sent to me for comment.



TO SUM UP: have a go and see what happens!
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