Flower photography will always be beautiful. It is also something that is great for beginners, as it can teach you about patience, finding the focal point, framing, and using light to your advantage.
While you might want to take photographs of flowers, you will also need the right gear to do so. This is because you will be shooting flowers up close. If you have the wrong equipment, then it will all just look like a blur of colors.
In this easy guide, we shall take a look at the tips and tricks you need to know when it comes to flower photography techniques for beginners (see also: Galaxy Photography Techniques For Beginners).
Why Take Photos Of Flowers?
There are many reasons why you should take pictures of flowers, especially as somebody who has never taken them before.
Flower photography does not have to be boring. In fact, the word boring couldn’t be further from the truth. That is because flower photography is all about using your creative side.
You need to be up close to nature to photograph flowers, as well as think about new ways to showcase how the flower looks in photographs.
You might even want to be a little abstract and create an image that is not a standard flower picture.
However you decide to photograph flowers, you will need patience and creativity. Fortunately, with the know-how, photographing flowers is fun and rewarding.
9 Flower Photography Techniques Suitable For Beginners
Here are 9 tips and tricks to taking pictures of flowers as a beginner:
1. Using The Right Gear
When taking flower photography, you will be surprised to know that many focal lengths will be fine to use. The only thing is you will need to be extra creative.
Usually, a telephoto-zoom lens is sufficient enough for larger flowers, however, you may want a macro lens in order to get closer to the action, especially when it comes to smaller flowers.
Using a lens that can focus very close up to the flower allows you to fill the full frame. This is the common way of taking pictures of flowers, as it also allows for sharp focal points and a soft depth of field.
You will also want to invest in a tripod too, though photographing flowers freehand is also an option. A tripod means you get a steadier shot, though it is more than likely your shutter speed will compensate for the hand movement.
2. Be Patient
This is a very simple tip, though important. Staying patient and taking your time is a big part of photographing flowers. Because you are working with nature, there is no reason to rush the process along.
You even get the option to take the picture over and over again, enabling you to practice as many times as you would like – or just to get the shot that you are hoping for.
Making use of a tripod is a practical way to work slower. It helps you to think about what angle you would like to shoot at and gives you extra support during the whole process.
Another thing to remember is that you have the ability to look back through your photos while you are shooting. This gives you ample time to review the focal points, and what changes you need to make.
Patience also applies to the wind too. It can be difficult to find a day that doesn’t even have a small breeze blowing by, so when there is a lull in the wind, get ready to snap away.
3. Make Sure The Flowers Are In Bloom
This might seem silly, but if you are hoping to photograph a particular flower, then make sure it is the correct season for it to bloom.
If you are not quite sure what flowers are out there, then take your time to research them first. It means that you can plan ahead, and know exactly what kind of photos you want to get.
This does not mean you can’t experiment, however, or that you can’t take pictures of other flowers – of course, you can.
It just helps you to understand what kind of flowers are currently blooming to avoid any disappointment when you cannot find a specific flower.
4. Try Different Angles
It is easy to just stay static and shoot a flower at the same angle every time, but what you will find is that not every flower suits this type of shot. Smaller flowers look best when shot lower down, while a bigger flower picture can be taken overhead.
You can also think about using other flowers or leaves to obscure certain parts of the frame. This kind of picture works well when the other detail has been blurred and the focal point is the flower petals.
You can do this kind of shot in long grass too. So be prepared to lie down and take pictures from below. Keep experimenting with different angles and you will find photos that work well for you.
5. Use The Light To Your Advantage
Take the time to experiment with taking pictures in different lighting conditions. This means heading out to take flower photos during the warm glow of the sun in the morning, or during the harshness of the sunlight at noon.
You might even want to see what a gray day looks like for flowers, or how you can incorporate shadows into your frame.
You might even find that you prefer taking pictures in a certain type of light, and that is okay. However, you will not know if this is the case unless you go out and experiment.
Another thing to think about is the weather. The glow of the sun that comes after a spring shower can look beautiful. The raindrops on the petals and drips can really add to the end result of a flower shot.
6. Create Your Own Light
If the weather is overcast yet the wind is still, you might want to go out and take pictures of flowers. While you might not achieve the lighting effect you were after – it is so dull – you can always add in your own.
Using small LED lights is a great way of brightening up a picture. You can also use it in a specific direction to act like the sun.
You may also just not like the shadows on the flower and think they look ugly in your picture. When this happens, you can use an LED light to fill in the areas, or a reflector.
A reflector is a great way of bouncing the sun’s light onto the flower and is more natural than using an LED light. However, both of these methods work really well.
7. Get Creative With The End Result
When it comes to creativity, it often means the angle and colors, however, it can also mean other things too. For example, using bugs in your flower photos adds an extra special touch.
There is something wonderful about seeing a buzzy bee or a butterfly tend to a flower. When the flower looks stunning in the photo already, waiting for a bug to land on the flower is the icing on the cake for a photographer.
You can also splash on your own raindrops and drips, or have fun with adding your own background colors (see further down the article).
8. Use Depth Of Field
Using a macro or telephoto lens will allow for a beautiful depth of field. Without it, your flower photography can look dull and amateurish. Also known as ‘bokeh’, it allows the eye to move to the in-focus part of the picture.
This is the area that you have picked out to be the important part of the photograph. It is usually the bud of the flower, along with some of the petals.
9. Change The Background
Sometimes you may find a beautiful flower but do not particularly like the location. When this happens, you can change the background. So, how do you do this? By creating your own background, of course.
This can be done by cutting out some colored cardboard and attaching it to a grip to allow it to be the new backdrop to your flower. While you will know it wasn’t the actual background, others will not.
Use a glittery background for a 3D effect. It does not look like glitter when taken close up, but it does add texture.
Final Thoughts
Photographing flowers might be more of a challenge than you first thought, but there is a good reason for this – it is not boring. In fact, photographing flowers is fun and requires a lot of thought.
This is especially true if you want to take interesting flower pictures, rather than something standard.
Even if you are just looking for a beautiful depth of field and a focal point using the flowers in your backyard, then that is fine too.
Hopefully, you will have learned a lot about shooting flowers and how you can make wonderful photographs out of doing so.
Hey everyone, and welcome to LemonadeAndLenses.com. My name is Laura and I am the founder of this site!
For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. There is nothing I love more than looking back through old pictures, and having all of the memories come flooding back.
If you want to learn about how to take professional images, and to run your own photography business, then I can help you out, here at Lemonade And Lenses.
