Capturing beautiful flower photos outdoors can be a challenge. You need to be aware of the lighting, composition, and other elements in order to get the perfect shot.
But with the right knowledge and practice, you can start taking stunning flower photographs in no time!
In this article, we’ll discuss tips for photographing flowers outdoors so that you can easily capture breathtaking photos of your favorite blooms.
What Are The Best Tips For Photographing Flowers Outdoors?
Taking great photographs of flowers can be an immensely rewarding experience – they are stunningly beautiful subjects that can yield a wide variety of different images.
But while you might think that all it takes is to find a nice flower and point your camera at it, there’s actually more to it than that. Taking the best possible flower shot requires skill, planning, and some understanding of both camera settings and light.
1. Using Natural Backlighting
Backlight is an often overlooked but incredibly useful tool for flower photography. By positioning yourself between the flower and the sun, you will create an interesting and beautiful effect on your photos.
Backlight creates exquisite photos with glowing petals that are illuminated from within – the subtle colors and details captured from the light beams radiating off of the translucent petals give your flowers a magical quality that can’t be achieved in any other lighting situation.
The most important factor to consider when attempting backlighting is making sure that your positioning of yourself relative to your desired subject is correct.
In order to capture the backlight perfectly, stand in front of your flower so that it lies between you and the sun so that you can capture this unique glow.
Adjusting different settings on your camera such as shutter speed, exposure, or aperture can help enhance this effect even further by creating a stunning range of luminous hues and exceptional detail in each of your photographs.
2. Stay Clear Of The Wind
When photographing flowers, it’s important to watch out for wind. Wind can wreak havoc on your photos by blowing the flower in every direction and introducing blur if you’re using a slow shutter speed.
The easiest way to counteract wind interference is to do your flower photography early in the morning when the weather is calmer.
If morning isn’t an option, however, you can still take photos on a windy day; just bring along a piece of cardboard or a reflector that you can hold up next to your flower to block some of the breezes.
For added control over long-exposure shots, consider investing in a camera-mounted windshield, which provides even protection from gusts.
A good tripod and remote shutter are also essential tools since they give you more stability and allow you to better control your composition without shaking the camera due to sudden gusts.
Finally, keep things light when prepping your shoot; instead of bringing around additional gear, keep your gear light and portable, so you can be quick on your feet if things start blowing unexpectedly.
3. Move Closer To Your Flowers
Nothing compares to being up close and personal with a stunning flower. Capturing ultra-detailed, dramatic images of your subject requires you to get as close as possible to the petals.
This results in captivating shots that will transport you into the vibrant beauty of nature!
Getting closer allows for more creative options too. A telephoto lens can help you zoom into complex details of the flower, allowing for breathtaking shots.
This takes things further, producing incredibly detailed photos by granting access to hidden structures and other smaller elements not visible at first glance.
Regardless of the technique or equipment used, capturing beautiful, striking shots is greatly enhanced when you are physically close to your subject.
The Best Garden Techniques For Photographing Flowers Outside
When it comes to photographing flowers, the key is to be prepared and understand the techniques that can help you make exceptional images.
Arriving early in the morning, when there is less wind, is crucial for getting steady shots of your beautiful subjects.
Make sure to look around and examine every opportunity you can get to produce creative, representative pictures of the loveliness in the garden.
1. Shooting On Sunny Days
While cloudy days are ideal for shooting flowers and other subjects that require even lighting, sunny days can offer a wealth of beautiful opportunities.
Each type of photography requires different lighting, and sometimes the brightness from the sun is necessary to add just the right amount of contrast.
When shooting outdoors on sunny days, we’ve found added interest in our photos because shadows accentuate features that can make them appear more vibrant than if we’d shot on a flat, overcast day.
A sunny day will also allow you to be creative with color temperature – you can use the warmth of sunrise and sunset scenes to achieve a stunning golden hue or cool down those photographs taken in direct sunlight during midday by leaning into more blue tones.
Although harsh light should be used sparingly in certain scenarios, nothing beats having natural light at your disposal as it offers endless possibilities to play around with.
This is why using the strength of the sun shouldn’t be discounted when taking photographs.
2. Adding Dew Drops
The sight of the morning dew upon the petals of flowers is a lovely thing and can add an extra special touch to nature photography.
Unfortunately, shooting at different times of the day means we often miss peeking in on that delicate moment of the morning dew settling upon petals and leaves.
To remedy this situation, we carry a small water bottle with us when we’re out shooting. A quick spray of water is all it takes to add our own “dew” – regardless if we’re shooting at high noon or not.
It’s very effective for making a huge difference in terms of photo composition and texture, despite being such a simple technique.
This simple technique can be the difference between a breathtaking photo overall and something average.
Final Thoughts
Photographing flowers is a great way to add a bit of beauty and color to your life.
Whether you’re shooting for fun or for professional reasons, being outdoors among the blooms can be a calming activity that helps clear your mind and give you a new perspective on life.
The techniques mentioned above are just some of the many ways you can capture those wonderful moments in nature. Experiment with different settings and angles, be creative and you’ll be sure to come away with some beautiful photos!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best Camera Choice For Photographing Flowers Outside?
When it comes to camera choice for creative flower photography, we believe you can get great results with any camera you already have at your disposal.
Whether that may be a compact digital camera, mirrorless camera, or maybe even a DSLR – it will all depend on how comfortable you are using the controls and how much control you want over depth of field and light.
There’s no need to spend a large amount of money to get beautiful photographs.
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.
