Flower Photography: Art and Techniques

Many dedicated wildlife photographers disparage flower photography because they assume (quite erroneously) that flowers are an easy option since they don’t run away. In reality, I would argue you have to work hard to make flowers look exciting by the way you light and frame them.

Each kind of flower offers a small window of opportunity when it is in peak condition. If this window is missed, it invariably means waiting another whole year. Timing therefore is crucial. For me, part of the delight of flower photography is the time spent searching for the best specimens. Once found, the optimum camera angle then has to be sought.
Read Heather Angel's article about
Where to find flowers
Planning and preparation
Equipment
Composition
Artistic approach
at http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0407/ha0407-1.html
Heather Angel started her working life as a marine biologist but gradually photography took over. She travels extensively in search of flowers and wildlife. In addition to managing the specialist image collection - Natural Visions - which has over 50 contributing photographers, she is a prolific writer with more than 50 books (her latest is a monograph on Puffins and How to Photograph Flowers is still in print) and countless articles to her name. Always an enthusiastic communicator, Heather tutors workshops all over the world.
The British Council in Delhi commissioned Heather to document the biodiversity of the Himalayas - in one month! Her exhibition, Natural Visions, toured Britain from 2000 - 2004 and was also on show in Kuala Lumpur, Cairo, and Beijing. Currently she is spending a lot of time in China photographing the endemic plants and wildlife for a book about China’s wilderness areas.
http://www.naturalvisions.co.uk/ - main website
http://www.heatherangel.co.uk/ - Heather’s personal website
Flower photography should always be fun, and by stretching your imagination and being creative you may come away with some novel compositions.
- Research a location before venturing out.
- Spend time selecting prime specimens.
- Use a tripod to gain a slower shutter speed in poor light and to fine-tune the composition.
- Choose a low viewpoint to isolate tall spikes against a blue sky.
- Use an overhead viewpoint for cushion formers that hug the ground.
- Use a wide angle lens to include both foreground flowers and their natural habitat behind.
- Use a long lens to gain more impact for flowers high up on trees or growing far out in water.
- Appraise the background with the depth of field preview.
- Try both landscape and portrait formats for the same subject.
- Remember less can be more.
http://www.ct-graphics.com/wildlife/green-heron-2649.html
http://www.ct-graphics.com/food-beverages/page2.html



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