Set your camera to macro mode
Before you start taking pictures, make sure to set your camera to macro mode. Consult your camera's manual if you don't know how. Once you've finished your flower pictures, make sure to switch off macro mode, otherwise your other pictures will be blurry. Consult your camera's manual to find out how to set it to macro mode. On some cameras, macro mode is a setting of its own, like portrait, landscape, sports, etc., and is found on the same dial as other shooting modes. On other cameras, it is a complementary setting, activated by another button, and used in addition to standard picture modes. If the latter is true of your camera, your best option is to use portrait mode in conjunction with macro mode to photograph flowers up close.
Photographing flowers outdoors
Be patient. Wait for the wind or breeze to die down before you snap a picture. Take your time and take several pictures. Your patience will be rewarded with an outstanding and sharp image.
Photographing flowers in nature - Mind the sun
Whether you're taking pictures in a garden or of wild flowers in nature, bright but overcast days are best for flower photography. This is because clouds diffuse sunlight resulting in softer colours and fewer shadows. If you do shoot on cloudless days, shoot when the sun is low in the sky, that is, in the hours just after sunrise or just before sunset. Shooting at these times will result in warmer colours, as well as in shadows and highlights that are easier to manage. Keep in mind that using your camera's built-in flash so close to your subject is not a good idea as it will overexpose your image; and some digital cameras disable the built-in flash entirely in macro mode.
Be careful of the wind
Breezes and sudden gusts of wind can make it difficult to photograph flowers, especially when you are shooting up close. A good way to minimize the effect of such a breeze is to stand between the flower and the wind. Be patient. Wait for the wind or breeze to die down before you snap a picture. Take your time and take several pictures. Your patience will be rewarded with an outstanding and sharp image.
Get up close
Kneel or crouch if you have to. Make sure your subject fills the entire frame. And don't just think in terms of a single flower. Pull back a few centimetres to get the flower and its stem in the picture. You may also want to get several flowers in the shot. Just remember that odd-numbered groupings work best: 3 or 5 flowers are more visually appealing that 2 or 4 flowers.
Watch for shadows
Be careful not to cast a shadow over the flower you are photographing. Also make sure that no surrounding objects-such as trees, other plants, buildings, fences or lampposts-cast shadows on your subject either.
Floral Photography Continued: [1] [2] [3]
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Inside Floral Photography:
This floral photography tutorial teaches you the basics of macro photography by focusing on how to take great pictures of flowers. You'll learn how to set your camera's macro mode, how to take pictures out of doors, in gardens, in greenhouses and in your own home. You'll also learn how to avoid the pitfalls of flower photography in nature and how to get more information about where and when flowers bloom throughout the year.
To make the most of your close-up pictures, Black's recommends:
Compact Cameras
A built-in macro or super-macro mode. The closer you can get, the better.
Digital SLRs
A macro lens to give your photographs a one-to-one size ratio.
Accessories
A tripod to keep your camera steady while you set up and capture your close shot.
Processing
Use your flower photography to create
Other Photo Tutorials:
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