| In order to take great flower pictures, you don't | | | | find a flower that's almost perfect, except for a |
| need any fancy camera gear but you do need to | | | | ragged petal or two, simply remove them. If |
| have an eye for detail. If you want to take beautiful | | | | removing the petals will leave a gap then leave it |
| flower pictures, like the ones in magazines, this article | | | | alone and move on to another flower. |
| will help show you how you can do that with a digital | | | | - Look for anything on the flower than could distract |
| compact camera. | | | | from the picture like tiny bugs or pieces of dirt and |
| Many of us have taken a picture of a flower and | | | | gently remove them with a soft paintbrush or |
| thought it was perfect - that is until we saw it | | | | makeup brush. |
| enlarged or on a computer screen. | | | | - For a dewy look, gently sprinkle or spay the petals |
| Another problem many new flower photographers | | | | with a few drops of water. |
| encounter is getting pictures that are out of focus or | | | | Next it's time to compose your picture. |
| downright blurry. | | | | - Look at the flower from various angles in your |
| These are all things that are easy to avoid. | | | | viewfinder or preview LCD. You might see a shadow |
| The first thing to do is plan to take your flower | | | | that is pleasing – or not so pleasing. Look at how |
| pictures when the lighting is good and the wind is still. | | | | the light looks from different angles. You should also |
| Even the most gentle breeze can cause enough of a | | | | look at taking your picture from different angles or |
| quiver in the stem to create blur in a close up. Usually | | | | vantage points. |
| the calmest time of day is around dawn. Dawn is also | | | | - Try lying on the ground for a bug's eye view or |
| the time when you can usually find the best lighting. | | | | holding the camera high above the flower for a bird's |
| But if you don't want to get up early, you can still | | | | eye view. |
| get great flower pictures. Other good times for | | | | - Don't cast a shadow over the flower. If the flower |
| lighting are the hour before sunset and anytime there | | | | is backlit, you can avoid lens flare by wearing a broad |
| is high overcast (bright overcast). These times offer | | | | brim hat or by using a lens shade to block light from |
| soft light without the dark, harsh shadows. The time | | | | entering the lens. |
| right before sunset and just after dawn are perfect | | | | - You also want to look at the background tones. |
| for adding a warm glow to your picture. And if it's | | | | Contrasting tones will add depth and make your |
| always breezy, set up a blind or makeshift windbreak. | | | | flower stand out. |
| The other big reason for out of focus flower | | | | Whenever you see an image you want to capture, fill |
| pictures is from using improper camera settings. | | | | the frame with the flower or use a classic |
| Depending upon how close you want to get to the | | | | composition method such as the "rule of thirds" |
| flower, set your camera to either Portrait or Macro. | | | | where maybe the flower is two thirds of the image |
| The latter allows you to shoot from within one inch | | | | and the sky is one third. |
| to a foot (check the camera's manual). If you're using | | | | Once you have your picture composed how you |
| a camera with manual settings, choose a wide | | | | want, focus on the part of the flower that you want |
| aperture (a small F Stop number). All of the above | | | | to be the most focused. Then keeping super steady, |
| settings sharpen the subject and put the background | | | | press the shutter down. |
| out of focus, even blur it. | | | | As you can see, flower photography is all about |
| Let's look now at turning that pretty flower into the | | | | detail. And how you display your beautiful flower |
| perfect subject for your photo. | | | | images also matters so make sure to display it in a |
| - Look for a flower with undamaged petals. Or if you | | | | picture frame that nicely offsets the flower. |