SalonOfArt - Artist/Designer Doreen Erhardt
  • Home
  • Greeting Cards
    • Links to Other Artists
    • CardIsle
  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Resources
    • My License & Resources

Resources
for Photographers & Designers

Floral    Photography   101    and    Beyond!

8/1/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture


Dash of Inspiration
Post for GCU Community Blog

Floral Photography 101 and Beyond!

I offer some beautiful examples of floral photography along with tips and many great video tutorials on post processing floral images to make them marketable and give them that WOW factor!

View Examples

0 Comments

Flower    Photography    101

5/14/2011

2 Comments

 
Picture
©Doreen Erhardt 2011

For any photographer, whether amateur or pro, flowers are a seemingly irresistible subject.  Though it's easy to take a picture of a garden or bouquet, it takes some thought and a bit of technique to make those floral photos stand apart from the average snapshot.  These techniques are not just having fancy equipment, though a macro lens, reflectors and back drops offer some exciting options; photographing gardens, nurseries in full bloom and bouquets can be very rewarding without a lot of expensive equipment .

What makes a beautiful floral shot?  A unique composition, well determined depth of field, and interesting lighting.  These things properly combined allow you to represent the gift that nature has given us.  Flowers have texture, markings and shape that just beg to be captured and interpreted by the viewer.

Choosing   a    Subject   and     Composition

Picture
The Lily ©Doreen Erhardt 2011
So let’s start with composition.  If you wish to capture a garden shot or bouquet, then you also have to pay attention to the surrounding distractions and decide whether to include them or remove them.

Seeing what surrounds the flower(s) is the first step in taking the perfect photograph. Dead branches, wilted flowers, and dried out bushes are only a few distractions you might find in a garden, so keep this in mind when choosing your subject.

Look for the perfect specimen or the most unusual such as; variations in color, light or even a dew drop or frost can be lovely. In most cases, flowers with bugs, missing petals, dead spots or garden debris will not be visually appealing to the average viewer, and will stick out like a sore thumb in your photograph. If you wish to capture two or more blooms in one image that stand apart from the rest, find a set that are all facing a similar direction creating a flow that draws the eye into and then back out of the photograph.  If the flower you think of as the ‘best of the bunch’ is surrounded by blooms facing in a variety of directions and you choose not to single out that perfect bloom, you may end up with a photograph that simply represents chaos.

Consider these options when establishing the shooting background.
  • Is it possible to remove the distracting element from the field of view, even if only temporarily?
  • Can you position yourself at an angle that will block the distraction from the lens?
  • Can you crop with tighter framing to block out the distraction?
  • Will reducing your DOF (depth of field) soften the background enough for the distracting element to not be a problem?
  • Is it possible to relocate your subject?
Composing is a personal choice.  The only rule I think that really applies here is that if you are taking a photograph of a single bloom and are including the stem and background, in-other-words not a close-up, it really is not very pleasing to have that single flower perfectly centered in the photograph.  Instead, try letting the bloom face into ‘empty space’ by positioning it on one side or the other.  Or try changing your angle, shoot up the stem or cock the camera sideways so that the stem is coming into the photograph from a corner.

Important    Factors    to    Consider

Picture
Brushstrokes on Petals ©Doreen Erhardt 2011
Wind
Even the slightest breeze can create problems for you when photographing flowers outside.  Capturing the feeling of a soft breeze in a floral photograph is best done with a wide shot of a meadow or garden, so the viewer can see the bend in the stems in addition to some movement.  The only thing a slight breeze does for the floral close-up is cause it to be blurry.  So either plan your outside shoots on calm weather days or bring some blooms inside and shoot in a more controlled environment.

Focus
Your focus point, though always important when shooting any subject, is particularly critical when shooting flowers.  If you are shooting with a Macro lens, the lack of DOF can make the perfect shot a flop if the only place with sharp focus is not the center of the flower or forefront petal.  Using a longer lens and wider aperture to allow you to blur around your subject will provide a softness that works very well in flower shots and is also a good option.

Picture
Summer Burst ©Doreen Erhardt 2011
Lighting
Flowers, in my opinion, are one of the few subjects where the color temperature can vary greatly and still create pleasing results. Both natural light and artificial light will work for a close-up shot of flowers. The character and angle of light is however very important.  As with most outdoor subjects, shoot morning and late afternoon to avoid harsh shadows. The soft lighting conditions of shade and cloudy days can be perfect times for flower photography and can create some wonderful lighting opportunities.
You can use fill flash in deep shade if you consider using a flash diffuser to control wash out.  Indirect lighting usually gives a more natural look and can be obtained with reflectors.  Even white foam core or mat board to bounce the light back into the dark areas can help you create a natural, even lighting effect.

A really lovely look, when it can be obtained, is a close-up with the sun coming through the petals as if the flower was lit from underneath.  Also try back-lighting the flower for another appealing and unique perspective. Put the sun behind the flower and position the flower between the sun and your camera.

Shooting indoor floral shots often create some beautiful results.  The warm tones of light coming through a window or from tungsten bulbs are pleasing to the human eye when it comes to floral images.  Again, rather than a flash, use a reflector, white paper or foam core to bounce the light back and fill in the shadows to create a softer light source.  You can also use white paper or a white sheet to diffuse the light if it’s bright by putting it between the light source and your subject.

Be    Inspired    &    Creative!

Picture
Vintage Tulip ©Doreen Erhardt 2011
The photograph above of the Red Tulips was taken with my new creative tool, a tabletop soft box.  Natural light has always been my preference, but I am looking forward to experimenting with indoor photography in a mini studio.  I had a full studio lighting set up, but when I stopped being the 'traveling portrait photographer' I was too lazy to set it up at home only to take it down an hour later...not to mention storing the beast!  So, I sold it and just a few weeks ago invested in my wonderful little tabletop setup.

So where will your inspiration take you?  Maybe come spring you'll take your camera to the nursery or farmer's market in search of flowers...or maybe I gave you the reason you needed to buy yourself a gorgeous bouquet of blooms to bring home and try your hand at indoor floral photography.  Maybe you now have the courage to visit the neighbor's beautiful garden, if you give them some of the photos I'm sure they would be thrilled to let you play in their yard for hours!


Whatever you choose, may your photographs bloom!

2 Comments

    Resources

    Here we archive our Photo Tips, Tutorials, Marketing Tips and Preset Downloads from all our sites.  ENJOY!


    Categories

    All
    Actions (presets)
    Art Exhibits
    Artist Interviews
    Backgrounds
    Brushes
    Christmas
    Color Palettes
    Creative Blocks
    Dash Of Inspiration
    Design Tips
    Digital Darkroom
    Exposure
    Featured Artist
    Floral Photography
    Focus & DOF
    Fonts
    Fractal Art
    Freelance Artist Tips
    Gimp
    Gradients
    Greeting Cards
    Halloween
    Illustrator
    Marketing Tips
    Miscellaneous
    Painting/Drawing
    Paint Shop Pro
    Patterns
    Photo Manipulation
    Photoshop
    Photo Tips
    Product Reviews
    Ps Elements
    PS-Elements
    Retouching Photographs
    Shapes (presets)
    St. Patrick's Day
    Styles (presets)
    Textures
    Tinting & Toning
    Tutorials
    Typography/Grammar
    Zazzle Tips


    My   favorite
    Resource  Sites

    Picture
    Proud Member of: deviantART.com

    Picture
    Proud Premium Member of: Brusheezy.com

    Picture
    Lileya.deviantart.com/

    Picture
    Proud Member of: UFDesigns.com

    Picture
    CU4CU License Holder


    Picture
    Commercial License Holder

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    The St. George Salon of Art, LLC

    Promote Your Page Too

    Salon    of Art
    on    Red    bubble



    Greeting Cards

    Picture

    Find   Us   on
    amazon.com!

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Greeting Cards
    • Links to Other Artists
    • CardIsle
  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Resources
    • My License & Resources