Sunflowers are one of the most popular flowers in the world. They just bring so much joy, light, and happiness. Sunflower fields have now become popular tourist spots, and great locations for budding photographers.
Many farms across the country open sunflower fields for visitors in the summer to take beautiful photographs, and enjoy being one with nature.
If you want to try your hand at sunflower field photography, but you are unsure where to start, we can help you. With these tips, you can alter your camera settings, make the best use of the light, and capture these flowers in all of their glory.
Sunflower Field Photography Tips
Both professional photographers and amateur photographers simply love a sunflower field as a backdrop.
Whether you are taking engagement photographs, celebrating an event, taking family photographs, or nature and landscape photographs, sunflowers are a great way to bring something a little extra to your images.
If you want to take great photographs while in a sunflower field, then we have some simple and easy to remember tips for you.
1. Plan Ahead
The first tip is to plan ahead. Sunflower fields get immensely popular throughout the summer, and some days may be really busy. Try to choose days where your images may not be interrupted by other people.
You should also consider when the sunflowers bloom in your area. In most cases, sunflowers will fully bloom during the summer months. If you want to capture the sunflowers fully open, then summer is the best time to go.
If you prefer to capture darker images, where the sunflowers have started to wilt, then head up there towards the end of the summer.
2. Choose The Right Time Of Day
Sunflowers are glorious, golden flowers that make the perfect backdrop. However, many people know this already- and will head out to sunflower fields to get the perfect shot.
Some parts of the day will be busier than others, and you have to consider what kind of image you want.
For instance, you may want to capture these tall flowers at the height of the sun in the middle of the day, or you may prefer to take some stunning sunset shots with the flowers. Think about the overall outcome you want before heading to the field.
We recommend photographing sunflowers either in the early morning or the late evening as the sun is going down.
This can keep crowds low, and you can get up close and personal images of the sunflowers, and take your time taking pictures to find the right shot.
3. Try Different Perspectives
The great thing about sunflower fields is that you can try out different perspectives. Perhaps you want a wide angle shot of rows and rows of sunflowers, or you could get a close up shot of bees buzzing on the open flowers.
Tall sunflowers are great for low angle shots, where you can get down on the ground and make them appear larger and mightier than they are. Play around with different perspectives while you are shooting.
Sunflower fields may also have a range of sunflowers with different heights; you can use taller sunflowers as the focal points of your images, with plenty of shorter ones surrounding them. This can make for a really interesting shot.
4. Capture Details
Don’t be afraid of capturing the details. Use your zoom or a macro setting to get really close to the sunflowers, and pick out all of the details of these unique flowers.
Or, if photographing a person as part of your image, you can take close up shots of them holding flowers in the middle of the field, or walking through the rows of sunflowers. Try various angles, compositions and different depths of field.
How To Take Sunflower Fields Photos
1. Camera Settings
We prefer to shoot with a narrow aperture so that you can capture just some detail in the backdrop.
For instance, set your camera to f/8 and use a fast shutter speed to get good exposure, and capture the life that these flowers have. If you prefer a wider depth of field, then try an aperture such as f/22.
You should also use a low ISO setting between 100 and 200 for a sharp image of the flowers. Ensure that the images do not become overexposed if shooting in bright sunlight, so alter your settings and take a variety of photos to find your desired result.
2. Lenses
Try taking images with a wide angle lens for landscape photographs, or use a macro lens for close up shots to get nice and close to the flowers. Take a variety of different lenses to ensure that you can get various shots of the flowers.
3. Equipment
You can also consider using a tripod, or not using one. If you want to take pictures of wider landscapes of sunflowers, then a tripod can be a great option. This can prevent blur and ensure you get crisp images, and can help with things like shutter speed.
For some images, you may not need a tripod, as you may have to get down low for the angle that you want. Make sure that you have any equipment that you could need so that you can take a range of different photographs.
4. Depth Of Field
You will want to experiment with the depth of field when taking photographs of sunflowers. For instance, if you shoot with a very wide aperture, then you will have an out of focus background, allowing you to zone in on a single sunflower.
You can then use a higher shutter speed to give you a crisp, clear image.
Alternatively, if you want to photograph a wider scene, then use a smaller aperture to give you a deeper depth of field that shows off the whole scene in front of you in a sharp and clear focus.
5. Backlighting
Lighting is one of your most important allies when taking photographs. You can also try backlighting. This is when you frame your shots against the sun, but do not have it in your image.
This can reveal more details around the flower and its stem, and illuminate your flower with a striking glow.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, taking photographs in sunflower fields can be great fun. You have the help of natural lighting, and you can utilize the sun to backlight your images, or illuminate the flowers.
Experiment with various settings to change the aperture, shutter speed and depth of field of your photographs, so that you have a variety of images that showcase the beauty of these most favored flowers.
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.
