Even though it is only 9 degrees outside and the wind chill is below zero in Montana, spring will come and with it photographers' thoughts turn to flower photography. If you are bored with photographing flowers the same old way, try some new techniques that create impressions of color and form instead of just documenting what the bloom looks like.
One way to create an impressionistic effect in the camera is to shoot very close to the blossom using very shallow depth of field (a low f-number). This causes only a very specific part of the flower to stay in focus while the remainder falls out of focus into a gentle blur.
Unless the flower you are photographing is relatively large, you may need to use a telephoto or macro lens along with some additional accessories to be able to focus close enough to fill the frame with the flower. Also, since only a tiny portion of the image will appear sharp, be sure to select the most important or striking characteristic of the flower to focus on.
If you'd like to learn more ways to create flower impressions with your camera or photo editing software, join my class at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana, beginning April 4, 2019. Click here to register.
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| 500D close-up filter on 90mm macro lens at f/2.8 |
One way to create an impressionistic effect in the camera is to shoot very close to the blossom using very shallow depth of field (a low f-number). This causes only a very specific part of the flower to stay in focus while the remainder falls out of focus into a gentle blur.
Unless the flower you are photographing is relatively large, you may need to use a telephoto or macro lens along with some additional accessories to be able to focus close enough to fill the frame with the flower. Also, since only a tiny portion of the image will appear sharp, be sure to select the most important or striking characteristic of the flower to focus on.
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| 90mm macro lens @ f/4 |
If you'd like to learn more ways to create flower impressions with your camera or photo editing software, join my class at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana, beginning April 4, 2019. Click here to register.