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The ideals of shooting flowers involves the same basic principle of any photography, keep it simple. The shot above is indeed bright and colorful, but a bit too cluttered. Isolating a single flower, even through artificial means (bending the others out of the frame) makes for a photo with much stronger impact. When taking shots like these, remember the KISS principle - Keep it simple, stupid.
The traditional blue Pansy shown above is another staple of easy to grow gardens. Bright sunshine brings out the richness of the blue and also adds a touch of sparkle to the yellow center. The bees have been active as you can see from the pollen that is scattered on these petals as well as those of most of the rest of the flowers shown here. In this shot, a single flower in sharp focus adds more impact than a group of flowers in the same frame. The greenery and brown soil backgrounds, although out of focus, definitely add context to the location - outdoors in the garden.
I had a Toyota Corolla about 30 years ago that was yellow with black trim, a color combination that is still eye-catching. Maybe more appropriate for a flower than a car, I still have good memories of that car long past. Gardening itself is a relaxing pastime, one that you can enjoy actively every day or just puttering on the weekends, as time permits.
By way of comparison, this image, although technically correct, does not pop out at you as much as the previous one, mostly because of the brighter background. The green is especially distracting, especially in the gap between the petals on the left center of the flower. Although this is a simple shot with a single subject, the primary subject is not isolated enough to make it a fine shot.
This last of the Pansies is a good example of one of the benefits of backlighting in this kind of photography. Notice how the fibre of the petals is displayed and the patterns it creates. As with all images in the galleries, click on the image to see a larger version of the photograph to appreciate a stronger impact.
Daffodils also come in a range of various sub-species, each with different coloring or other special features. When the daffodils are in full bloom, we know the weather is turning warmer after the cold of winter. The stark white of the petals make these a difficult flower to capture well since the white can so easily be over-exposed with the resulting washed-out appearance that destroys many such images. This is surely a scenario where bracketing your exposures can be of benefit.
This more common form of daffodil. a single flower, is right on the border of the highlights being blown out. Bright sunshine on brilliant white is a formula for disaster, the contrast range stretching the capabilities of film and digital imaging alike. However, the light is also hitting the petals at just the right angle to make the texture of the petals highly visible.
The simple daffodil shown above is almost ideal in that it appears well exposed, the center in focus to give the image punch, and the composition simple in that there is no distraction. Focus is important as is the prudent use of sharpening in Photoshop. Tight framing adds to the dimensionality of the image. A good shot.
The Pasque Flower is another of the plants in our garden of colorful delights. The soft, feathery petals feel like velvet to the touch. A unique flower that is pretty in its prime of bloom that turns into a puff ball that tickles our fancy. The fluff ball adds a different texture to the summer garden. By photographing it backlit with sunshine helps to provide a sense of the softness of the primary flower.
Lambs Ear is grown for its generous late spring flowers. Once the flowers are gone, you can continue to enjoy the plant during the rest of the summer and into the fall for its soft, highly textured leaves that reminded some of a lambs ear, hence the name. The foliage creates a feeling of gentleness and comfort and is a welcome addition to any garden.
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Text and Photographs © Copyright 2004-2007 Michael J Eva and/or Irma Van Oirschot and/or NANJECA SYSTEMS INC. unless stated otherwise. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Copyright Notice: All material located on this website is the copyrighted property of Michael J Eva and/or Irma Van Oirschot and/or NANJECA SYSTEMS INC. unless stated otherwise. This includes, but is not limited to, photographs, graphics and text. Material on this site may not be sampled, duplicated, reproduced, redistributed or re-transmitted in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of Michael J Eva or his agents.
