Tips for Photographing Flowers

The spring and summer season are ideal seasons for flower photography. Spring provides ample opportunities to photograph blossoming trees and unique varieties of tulips, while weather factors like late spring frost or rain can create distinctive and one-of-a-kind images. Below are some handy tips and tricks to capturing that perfect flower photo.

Camera Angle

The Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa, Canada

Your camera position can determine the look and feel of your photo. Firstly, decide what type of image you're trying to create.  If you're looking to convey a large quantity of flowers in a small area, position your lens horizontal and just a few inches above the flower line, with a slightly downwards angle. This will cluster the blooms together in your frame and make the appearance of a large quantity of flowers. You'll see as you rise from that position that you will begin to see the spacing in between the plants. Test a few different angles by starting directly horizontal and rise slowly.

For a fun angle, position your camera at the base of the flower and point the lens up. This will create a large than life feel - like you're in a forest of flowers. This also helps to get rid of objects beyond the flowers that might distract from the image (people in the background, or a large unattractive building).  A wide angle lens and an adjustable viewfinder will help you achieve this.

Lens selection

The type of lens you select will shape the style of your flower photography. A wide angle lens is great for low shots looking up through clusters of flowers, while a macro lens is ideal for capturing dew drops on tulips, bees or insects collecting pollen from a stamen, or intricate patterns or textures on petals.

My lens of choice is a longer lens, primarily a 70-200mm. The compression of a longer lens creates a frame full of blooms, by condensing all the flowers in a larger area into the frame. A longer lens also helps to focus on individual blooms that may be in the middle of a garden of flowers. Instead of tip toeing into the tulips you can find that perfect bloom to photograph from a distance.

Lighting Conditions

Weather conditions in the spring can vary widely, from overcast skies, to bright sunny days. Luckily there are different types of shots you can create in all light conditions.

Overcast skies are great for capturing colour. Direct sun can often burn out colour, and it can be especially difficult to photograph groups of different coloured flowers , especially pastels contrasted beside richer darker colours . The diffusion provided by an overcast sky will allow for even distribution of light and some great shots of multicoloured gardens.

With direct sunlight you might find your photos lacking that punch of colour, and shadows can often take away from the look of your image. My favourite trick for photographing in direct sunlight is to position yourself so the flowers are backlit. This can create beautiful contrast and some interesting shadows through petals. Photographing in early morning or late afternoon light can also help to reduce the harshness of the light, and ads a warm glow to the light.

Exposure, Depth of Field, ISO and Shutter Speed

Flowers can have some amazing detail, whether it's the intricate stamen and pistol, or an insect perching on the tip of a petal.  To capture those details I would recommend using a shallow depth of field, from  f2.8-f5.6. A shallow depth of field will allow you to focus on your subject and eliminate distracting shapes in the background.

Exposure can be tricky depending on your lighting conditions and if you're capturing a variety of colours. I would recommend exposing for the lightest colours. I generally underexpose as burnt out colours are difficult to bring back in post processing, while darker colours can be more easily recovered.

Since flowers are generally still, and you should be photographing in light conditions, I recommend concentrating on your depth of field, and set your shutter speed accordingly. As long as it is above 1/60 of a second you should have a sharp photo and avoid camera movement. Always leave your ISO at 100 for crisp images.

Find an Interesting Subject and Create a Story with your Image

An image of a colourful field of flowers is always beautiful, but finding an interesting subject can take your flower images to the next level.  Whether it's a tulip bloom with a single petal missing revealing  the stamen inside, to a single red bloom in a field of yellow, finding the unordinary and unique can create a story and spark the imagination.

Keep your distance

Given the current social distancing measures in place, be sure to keep a safe 2-metre distance away from others before shooting.  Avoiding-peak hours in parks and public gardens is the best strategy, and this will also help you avoid other people in your frame.