Spring is HERE!!! Pollen, bees are buzzing all around, birds singing to the top of their lungs and blooms are appearing from the dormant winter months. This is such an exciting time of the year; new birth, new life and photo opportunities every day for the floral photographer. This time of year we get to experiment with maybe some new gear, make friends with our old gear, so strap on those extension tubes, filters and macro lens to capture the blooms of the season.
Crabapple blooms 2023 @copyright Mandy Williams Photography
Canon R6, Canon 100
Maybe you stumbled across this BLOG post where A.I. is not part of my game; this is from my heart and if I can share just a little touch of my passion with you about floral photography with an introduction to the macro world, friends we can have a conversation. For the beginner in the floral or bloomy world of photography, macro is just another extension of this genera, so let’s get started into a wonderful way to reveal the beauty of flowers.
I have list after list of the top tips for the bloomy world of floral photography as my educational process continues, but today I am only going to share what I have found that works for the beginner (that was me four years ago – wait, that was me at sixteen years old with my first 35mm film camera. A lot of water has gone over that bridge since then. My life was on the expressway raising children, working, farming and trying to survive everyday with family obligations.) So enough about that story, let’s get started with the bloomy world of florals.
Tip #1
SLOW DOWN! You read this correct – slow down. Photographing florals is a slow, directional driven process to capture the beauty of nature. Blooms have personalities however we have to slow down and let the blooms speak. When you approach a field of flowers or a patch of spring daffodils that has emerged from the cold winter soil, take a seat or kneel down and wait. Slowly look through the patch, embracing each and every bloom. Look for groups of three or that single bloom that stands out from the others and wait. Yes wait! Think about how this bloom may photograph from the angle you are approaching. Do you need to move around the bloom – YES! Move slowly around the bloom, looking at different angles and all sides as best you can; low, mid-range and from overhead. Check the light while you are examining your subject.
Tip #2
How is the light? Is the bloom in bright sun or is this a perfect bright and overcast day? Remember, photography is the capture of light but too much light can blow out the details of the bloom. Using a diffuser to help with those bright sunny days will help “diffuse” the light. Watch your shadows on bright sunny days, so in other words, the best conditions to photograph blooms is open shade, bright overcast days, or early morning, late evening during the golden hour. Light is so important. I challenge you to watch light, find light, find the direction of the light and learn how to create light.
Tip #3
Composition for floral photography is as important as with any photo. In portrait work, professional photographers don’t crop at joints; fingers, wrist, elbows, knees, ankles and feet – same is true for animals. Flowers are somewhat the same; understand what your message/subject is during your composition. Think about the viewpoint of the audience and as the maker of the image, think about the intentional focus. Hang on, I’m about to break this down for you. Let’s go back to the bloom, where is your focus? Which part of the flower do you want sharp (in focus)? Remember earlier we talked about the groupings of three in Tip #1, so let’s use this as an example. In the grouping you will want to place your focus on the bloom closest to the camera lens and let the other two blooms fall off (becoming slightly out of focus) along with your background. Creative photography is when you photograph the unexpected and how the beauty of the bloom speaks to the audience.
This was shot I took during the Pandemic on the roadside - the message, ‘even flowers need protection and security’. Intentional position of the camera to photograph the message.
Tip #4
Background can make or break your bloomy photo, so looking passed your subject is as crucial as your subject. Distracting backgrounds can break your carefully planned photo if you are not paying attention. Remember – SLOW DOWN!!! The example is a beautiful cosmo, however, if I would have tilted my camera and lens slighly to put the cosmo in the foreground slightly off the cosmo that is out of focus in the background either out of frame or hid it behind the subject, this would have a made a stronger image. Always think about your background and any unnecessary noise (distractions).
Tip #5
Remember you are a beginner, you will not master this art quickly, but what you will learn is a new love for floral photography – the bloomy side of things. With that being said, you will need to learn a few things about your camera. How to photograph in manual which will give you an understanding of the exposure triangle; exposure, aperture, shutter speed and ISO. What’s stopping you, grab your camera, and remember the best camera you have is the camera on you at the time! Cell phones are welcome as you begin to explore the love for all things bloomy!
Do you want to learn more about Blooms of Floral Photography? I am hosting a series of workshops for the beginner, intermediate and advanced photographer this summer. For more information, click on the link. In the subject line “Blooms”. Class size will be limited to 6 students for beginners, 8 students for intermediate and advanced.