Floral Photography: 7 Flower Photo Tips

Try to shoot at the beginning of the day – There’s usually far less wind in the morning. So taking pictures will be easier without a risk of your flowers dancing in the wind, which will eventually cause a blur. Also, there is often dew on the plants (or frost in winter), which can add another dimension to your pictures.

Don’t shoot in direct sun – taking pictures of flowers in the direct sunlight is the most common mistake. Flowers look cool in the sun when you see them with your eyes, but neither film nor digital can show such a contrast. If you are going to take plant pictures in sunlight, try using a polarizing filter to reduce glare and enhance the colors.

Set Low ISO settings on your Camera - It’s best to shoot at ISO100 for most digital cameras to get the lowest noise. Use this setting and a tripod to get the best results. You don't want to take a great image, only to find the noise unacceptable - especially if you want to try and sell your images, or get them published.

Use a 1:1 Macro lens - If you want to shoot from a close range, if you want your pictures to fully show the beautiful form of plants, you need the right lens for the job. The Tamron 90mm is an excellent solution that is highly recommended and fits most SLR's.

Use a tripod - when you get close, the chance of camera shale increases, so it’s essential to use a tripod. It also makes the picture taking process slower, which gives you more time to concentrate on the composition.

Don’t just take a snapshot of a flower that interests you and then move on. Set up your first shot to include the whole flower then concentrate on the details of the flower that attract your eye. Focus on the color or small details of the flower. Try to see the whole picture.

Blur your backgrounds - a large aperture (small number like f5.6) will help you avoid fussy, distracting backgrounds. However, using your camera's depth of field preview feature is the best way to ensure that you've blurred the background - and still got enough of the plant in focus

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