How To Take Better Flower Photos

Flower Photo Tips

There are many ways that you can improve your flower photography, these are the main points that I have picked up over the years.

1. Always use a diffuser to block out the harsh light falling on the flower in bright sunshine.
2. Try to take photos of flowers on overcast days.
3. Blur the background to allow your subject to stand out in your picture. Try using a macro lens or a large aperture to achieve a small depth of field.
4. Avoid windy days to avoid motion blur.
5. Look at the composition, have you correctly framed your subject? Try the thirds rule and have your flower in the bottom or to the right of the picture.
6. Experiment in adverse weather conditions. Frost adds extra impact to your photos.
7. Make sure you use the lowest ISO.
8. Use a tripod to obtain pin sharp photographs.
9. Make the flower the focal point in the photo, so that it is a portrait. Try filling the frame with the flower and have no background showing.
10. Pay attention to what is in the background, you don't want to have a label in your picture, do a little "gardening", but be careful if you are not in your own garden.
11. If you take a photo of more than one flower, try and make it an odd number.
12. Look for flowers that are perfect, a nibbled petal looks tatty.
13. Try for a different perspective, from below, from above, in profile. Experiment.
14. Use the histogram on your camera to ensure that you have no clipping.
15. Be creative with your lighting. Try backlit shots.