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| Mum by window light 90mm macro lens |
When working with a macro lens that allows you to focus very close to your subject, the depth of field (front to back focus) becomes extremely narrow. Despite using an f/16 aperture, not all the petals are sharp in this picture. So I chose my point of focus carefully, the tall, pink petal near the yellow center of the flower.
I used exposure compensation to make the pink flower one stop brighter than average. And I relied on daylight white balance to record the colors accurately. With the aperture at f/16 I needed a 4 second shutter speed at ISO 100 for the correct exposure. Because there is less light indoors than outside, I used a tripod to ensure there was no blur from camera shake.
Learn techniques to manage focus and prevent camera shake when photographing flowers with window light inside. Indoor Close-up Flower Photography begins November 9, 2026, at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana. Click here for information and registration.