Photographing Flowers


Right Image:
Minolta Maxxum 9,Tokina

Flowers are beautiful and among the most photographed subjects. Their natural beauty however, does not guarantee good images. You still need to pay attention to composition, light, exposure, and choose your equipment carefully. Lets look at what equipment you need to take quality flower shots. Any camera will work fine as long as it has at least aperture priority or manual mode. You need to work in one of these modes to have control over the final result. A cable release is absolutely needed to reduce camera vibration which can cause blurred images. Other useful features are exposure compensation, mirror lock-up, and depth-of-field preview. Autofocus is useful but you'll be working in manual focus mode most of the time. Macro lenses are ideal. 50mm, 100mm, or 200mm macros will allow close approach without the need for additional accessories. You need to be very close with shorter lenses. 50mm macros are very affordable but working distance is limited. 100mm macros are a good compromise. 200mm macros are big and expensive, but let you stay far back which is very useful when photographing butterflies or other insects on flowers.

You don't have to have a macro lens to photograph flowers. You can use a standard 50mm or longer lenses as well as zooms with extension tubes (see Extension tubes) to get close shots of flowers. Close-up filters are another alternative. A +1 or +3 close up filter will allow sufficient coverage and work best with 50mm and 100mm lenses. Their main disadvantage is softening in the corners. If you want to use close-up filters, buy the best you can afford. A tripod must be used to get sharp and well composed results. Don't even bother photographing flowers without a tripod. Buy a tripod that can be used close to the ground.

Left Image:
Minolta Maxxum 9, 200mm f-2.8 APO lens, Fuji Velvia 50,
Bogen tripod and ball head. Spot meter, 1/60 sec at f-8 on manual exposure mode and manual focus.

There is no right or wrong way of photographing flowers. You can focus on a single flower or photograph them in a group. I use a 100mm macro lens and a 200mm lens or 80-200mm zoom with extension tubes for most of my flower photography. For very close shots, I use my 100mm macro. It allows me to record all the details in flowers. 200mm lens is perfect when working at ground level. It lets you focus on a single flower and throw everything else out of focus. For very close shots, use a macro lens or a long lens with extension tubes. You must close down the lens to get proper depth-of-field. Smaller apertures require longer shutter speeds which can cause blurred images due to wind and camera vibration. For maximum sharpness at close range, try to position you camera parallel to your subject. Focus on the flower and select the right f-stop by using depth-of-field preview if your camera has one. Use a 200mm or longer lens, either fixed focal length or zoom, at ground level to make flowers stand out in the pictures. Use larger f-stops to create a blurred background. f-5.6 or f-8 can bring the flower into sharp focus while creating a blurred background. You should also use wide-angle lenses to show flowers in landscapes. Once you finish a shot, change lenses, both longer and shorter focal lengths to create a new and different view of the flowers. I have even used a 400mm lens for flower photography. Exposure is the same as any other types of photography. If the flower is medium tone, your camera meter should give proper exposure. If it's lighter or darker than medium tone, you must open up or close down to compensate.

Minolta Maxxum 9xi, 100mm f-2.8 macro lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Multi-segment metering, exposure not recorded. Manual exposure mode and manual focus.

Once you find flowers, view them through the camera without using a tripod. Lower your body and select the best possible view. Set your camera on your tripod and focus carefully and take the shot. Try a closer or farther shot and always try different lenses and f-stops. Don't worry if you think you might get dirty. Best shots usually cost muddy shoes and T-shirts. That is no problem. Your worst enemy is wind and it only blows when you are ready to press the shutter release.