Flower Photography : How To Take Great Flower Photos

To take great flower photographs you don't need fancy equipment, but you will need to pay attention to detail. If you want to learn how to take sharp beautiful flower photos like the ones in garden magazines, all you really need is a digital compact camera and use the tips in this article.

Another problem many new flower photographers encounter is getting pictures that are out of focus or downright blurry.

These are all things that can be easily avoidable.

The first thing to do is plan to take your flower photos when the wind is still and the lighting is good. Even the most gentle breeze can cause enough of a quiver in the stem to create blur in a close up. Usually the calmest time of day is around dawn. This is also a time when you'll often find the best lighting.

But if you're not an early bird, you can still catch that perfect flower shot. Other good times for lighting are the hour before sunset and anytime there is high overcast (bright overcast). These times provide soft light without the harsh shadows. The times just after dawn and before sunset add a warm glow. And if it's frequently breezy, you can set up a temporary windbreak.

The other main cause of blurry or out of focus flower pictures is the camera, more specifically taking a close up without the proper setting. Depending on how close of a shot you want, set your camera to Portrait or Macro. The latter allows you to shoot from within one inch to a foot (check the camera's manual). If using manual settings, choose a wide aperture (small F-stop number). All of the above settings put the background out of focus while making the subject sharp.

Let's look now at turning that pretty flower into the perfect subject for your photo.

- Look for a flower with undamaged petals. Or if you find a flower that's almost perfect, except for a ragged petal or two, simply remove them. If doing so will leave a empty looking area, look for another flower.

- Look for tiny bugs and loose particles like dust, and then remove with them with a soft, makeup or artist's brush.

- For a dewy look, gently sprinkle or spay the petals with a few drops of water.

Next it's time to compose your picture.

- Look at the flower from different angles in your preview LCD or viewfinder. You might see a shadow that is pleasing - or not so pleasing. Notice how the light plays from different angles. Also look at the flower from various vantage points. Try holding the camera high above the flower or lie down on the ground for a bug's eye view.

- Don't cast a shadow over the flower. And if the flower is back lit (which can create a nice, iridescent effect), avoid lens flare by using a lens shade or wearing a broad brim hat to prevent light from entering the lens.

- Also look at the tones in the background. Contrasting tones will make your image stand out.

Whenever you see an image you want to capture, fill the frame with the flower or use a classic composition method such as the "rule of thirds" where maybe the flower is two thirds of the image and the sky is one third.

Then focus on the area of the image that you want to be the sharpest - this could be the stamen, a ladybug, etc. Then holding very steady, press the shutter.

As you can see, flower photography is all about detail. And how you display your beautiful flower images also matters so make sure to display it in a picture frame that nicely offsets the flower.