Posts Tagged ‘Flower Photography’

When photographing flowers there are two routes you can take. One is documenting the flower, where the photos show what the flower or parts of the flower look like. The other is to create an artistic image, one whose purpose is to evoke an emotional response rather than present an accurate portrayal of the flower.

Of course, a technical photo of a flower can still be artistic and create an emotional response to it. And an artistic photo may not create an emotional response in everyone who views it. Art is, after all, subjective. But the driving purpose behind the creation of the photograph is quite different.

In this article we'll be looking at flower photography from both points of view, but focusing more on the artistic side.

Just as with standard photography, getting lighting right for macro photography isn't easy. The main issue is often the lack of light, especially when working at magnifications of 1:1 or above. The extension used by a lens to allow it focus closely, plus any additional extension you add means that not as much light reaches the camera's image sensor.

As well as this factor, you often need to get very close to the subject, which can result in yourself blocking some of the light. And many subjects grow or live in shaded areas, just compounding the lack of light even more.

Bruco di Antheraea Mylitta by Herman Rhoids on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)

Spring is the time of year when everything starts growing again. The days become longer, flowers start to appear, and the rain leads to lush green meadows. If you're feeling stuck for inspiration this Spring, here are five photo ideas to get you going.

Untitled by paalia on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

If you are interested in purchasing a macro lens, you have probably noticed that there are a range of focal lengths available, ranging from about 60mm to 200mm. So why would you choose a long focal length macro lens over a short focal length, or vice versa?

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Butterfly by David Kennard Photography - taken with a 100mm macro lens