Tips for photographing flowers

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, at the Wassenberg Art Center. Flowers will be the competition theme in prints and slides that evening as well as other club business will be on the agenda.

Although a view of a flower from above may show the flower well, consider other angles that may still show the beauty of the blossom, but in a more interesting way. Consider also shooting when the flower is just a bud or well after its peak for other records of the plant. If the flower is in your yard, consider spraying it with water before shooting. The water droplets may provide additional interest to the picture.

Generally, shooting before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. will provide the best light, but often the weather has a different influence on the lighting. Carry a white cloth, poster board, or tape aluminum foil to cardboard to provide reflected light on your subject. Use the wire from a yard sign to support them with clothespins or magnets. Another method would be to put some transparent plastic such as the side of a freezer container between your flash and the plant to diffuse the light from the flash. You may find that the flower, when backlit, might provide a more dramatic picture.

Look at the scene. What is it that you’d like to record? If it is a large area, pick a particular area and isolate it with trees, bushes, rocks, fences or whatever. If it is a small group, try to get 3 blossoms in tightly, but not in a straight line. Consider contrasting or complementary colors to make the shot more interesting. Try to focus on the centers of the flowers, which is also true if you’re shooting a single bloom.

When shooting single blooms, you want to select an angle that isolates the subject. If items in the background are distracting from the subject, consider a black cloth hung on the wire to block the background. Be considerate of the environment. Instead of pulling up plants that obstruct your view, take some coat hanger wire and bend it so it bends the plants out of your view without harming them.

Use your close focus feature or macro lens to get close to the flower. If these are not available, consider the purchase of a set of extension tubes to achieve the same result. You want your picture to be as sharp as possible, so use your tripod and self timer. Windy conditions make the job harder, but also here’s another opportunity. Slow your shutter speed just enough for the motion to slightly blur the flower. You may get a pleasant surprise at the outcome. If stillness is your goal, then you’ll have to speed up your shutter speed and possibly stabilize the stem by attaching it to a piece of that coat hanger wire with a twisty tie.

Wear old clothes so you will be free to get down where the flowers are. Make sure you have spare batteries and time to study the scene before you shoot. If the ground isn’t yours, get permission before you shoot. You might not want to explain yourself to law enforcement! Enjoy!

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at: wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.