Photographing Spring Flowers!
Here in Washington state, spring is just around the corner and that includes cherry blossoms, daffodils and tulips! Just north of us in the Skagit Valley is the La Conner Daffodil Festival that runs the whole month of March and then the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in the month of April!
Spring is a perfect time to work on your photography creativity! Flowers and fields of flowers allow ample opportunity to work on your compositions and macro or close up photography!
Tips for Photographing Flowers
Use Soft, Natural Light for the best photos!
- Shoot during golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) for warm, soft light. I recommend using a tripod if you can at these times with low light to make sure you have crisp, clean photos!
- Overcast days are great too—clouds act like a natural diffuser, reducing harsh shadows.
- If you are shooting in bright sunlight, try to shade the flowers you are doing close ups on. It will reduce those harsh shadows. (An umbrella or photography light diffuser can help you with this!)
- Photographing many flowers, like fields of flowers can still do well in bright sunlight.
- Fog can be a wonderful addition to your images too so don't stay home if the weather looks "bad"!
Get Close & Fill the Frame
- Use macro mode (if available) or a macro lens to capture fine details like petals and textures.
- Avoid too much background distraction—focus on the flower itself or details of the flower.
- Find a bee or a bug sitting happily on a petal or even a droplet of water or frost.
Go Wide and Go Big
- Go ahead and photograph a whole field or a big portion of it! Maybe it has one color or maybe rows and rows of multiple colors!
- If the sky is just gray with no interest, do not include it in your composition. Angle down or get nice and low to remove the sky from your image or use your depth of field to "blur" out the background.
- Add the dramatic clouds, sunrise or sunset if they present themselves!
Try Different Angles & Perspectives
- Instead of always shooting from above, get eye-level with the flower.
- Experiment with side angles or even from underneath for a unique look.
- If in a field, shoot down the rows to add some leading lines, maybe to a barn or the mountains.
- Look for puddles to photograph reflections in. Flowers and even the clouds make awesome subjects for reflections!
- Find diagonal lines, curved lines and squiggly lines.
Find a Main Subject of your Composition
- Look for a barn, the mountains, an old tractor, a windmill, the rising sun or anything else that gives you something extra to look at besides a big field. People can even add some interest to your photos!
- How about one different colored flower in a sea of one color?
- Of course, if you are "filling the frame" with a close-up. THAT is your main subject!
- Your main subject could be your frame full of one color.
Watch for Wind & Stability
- Flowers move easily in the wind—shoot on a calm day if you can.
- If it's windy, try shielding the flower with your body or just use a higher shutter speed to freeze movement.
Bonus Tips:
Use LIGHT creatively for spotlighting your flowers.
Look for events happening in your area to get some added creativity and excitement in your photos, like hot air balloons at a tulip festival!
Keep your eye out for the unexpected!
Look for Fresh, Vibrant Flowers! Wilted or damaged petals won’t be as visually appealing.
Take a quick look around your “frame” or view and be aware of harsh shadows, boring skies, porta potties or any other distraction that will take away from your beautiful flower photos!
If you go to a festival, photograph your own flowers in your backyard or even photograph flowers on your daily walk, look for creative ways to photograph one, three or a whole field of flowers, but most importantly, have FUN and enjoy the colors!!!
Please message me if you have any questions or anything to add! Happy Spring!