Spring has definitely sprung in my neck of the woods. Judging by a lot of the challenge pictures on the Facebook wall, it’s sprung for a lot of you as well. This week I thought we’d focus on photographing flowers. When photographing flowers, its a great opportunity to put a lot of what you learned so far into practice.

Here are some things to keep in mind, not only when photographing flowers, but whenever you take photographs.

Study your subject first, then snap the picture. I must admit, sometimes I jump right into taking pictures without really looking at my subject first. You really want to visualize the picture in your mind first, then take your picture. Some things to think about:

• Composition – Remember your Rule of Thirds and leading lines.

• Cropping – Do you want a tight crop {or macro shot} or more of a wide angle look?
• Focal Point – What is the focal point of your picture? Is it the stem? Petals?
• Perspective – Don’t just shoot your flower straight on. Take some from below, above and the side. Switch it up!
• Check your lighting – Is the sun behind you or your flower? This is a good opportunity to catch some sun flares.
• Check your background. Is there anything in the background that’s distracting?

Focus. Focus. Focus. Make sure your picture is crisp. Achieving sharp pictures can be tricky depending on lighting and motion. It’s especially important in pictures of flowers because your frame is filled with the flower. You want to make sure the viewer’s eye has something to focus on.

Settings. If you have a point and shoot, you may want to try your macro setting on your camera. Ironically, it’s the setting with the flower. This will allow you to focus a little closer, sometimes up to a centimeter. You will also achieve a shallow depth of field because it will tell the camera to use a larger aperture. However, when using the Macro setting, you may find that it’s harder for your camera to focus. If that is the case, back up a bit and refocus.

If you are using a dSLR, you might consider buying a macro lens, such as the Nikon 105mm f/2 or the Canon 100mm f/2.8. But a new lens purchase is not necessary. Most dSLRs also have the Macro setting {the flower}. If you are shooting in Manual, open up your lens and shoot with a large aperture.

Use a tripod. If you are shooting outdoors, you have the wind to fight against. Using a tripod will give you some stability. Personally, I don’t even own a tripod but there are times I wish I did!

Your challenge this week is to get outdoors and shoot those flowers. Try out your camera’s macro setting or if you have a macro lens {I’m jealous}, bust it out and use it. Make sure you post your pictures on the Facebook page!

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