As children, we all learned that April showers bring May flowers. As photographers, we know that this change of seasons presents the perfect opportunity to grab a camera and head outdoors to capture the first blooms of spring.
From the lowly but lovely dandelion to the exotic Bird of Paradise—and every type of blossom in between—flowers make beautiful subjects with unlimited creative possibilities. And you may not have to stray any farther than your backyard to find the perfect model for your lens. If you don’t have access to a garden, you can visit a local florist, garden center or even a supermarket for fresh blossoms (just make sure to politely ask persmission before you start shooting in a retail or commercial space).
Some of the most beautiful bouquets are located in trees and on bushes; so don’t forget to look (and shoot) up!
But whether you photograph flowers rooted in the earth or arranged in a vase, the most interesting images are captured using close-up or macro techniques. Get up close to a flower with your camera and you can create an intimate portrait that reveals details that are otherwise invisible to the eye. Get even closer and the result may be a visual abstract that is both beautiful and intriguing. With that in mind, here are gear recommendations as well as some tips and tricksto help you get started taking your own stunning images of flowers.
Lenses
You have a number of different choices in lenses when shooting close-ups of flowers, each with its own set of benefits (and possible drawbacks, depending on what you want to accomplish).
Macro lenses are, of course, ideal for capturing a flower’s fine details. In fact, many are designed to deliver 1x, or 1:1 (life size) magnification for the ultimate in close-ups. At life size magnification, macro lenses will project an image onto your camera's film or imaging sensor that's the same size as the actual subject being photographed. The maximum close-up magnification for macro lenses, as well as a lens's minimum focusing distance, is printed on the len's focus ring, and can also be found in detailed product specs for lenses.
Although you may think that the terms “macro” and “telephoto” don’t fit, they do. In addition to 'standard' focal length macro lenses, there are a number of telephoto macro lenses as well (such as the EF 180mm Macro). Keep the focal length in mind when choosing your lens since one may be a better fit for you and the type of images you want to capture.
Lenses with a short focal length, like the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro, are relatively small and light, so they’re easy to handle and won’t weigh down your camera bag. On the other hand, you’ll need to place the lens very close to the subject in order to get life size images (1:1 magnification).
Even though the effective focal length will be 96mm when shooting with a Canon EOS 7D or one of the Canon Digital Rebels due to their APS-C sensor and resultant 1.6x crop factor, you’ll still have to be in close proximity to the flower in order to get a life size image. This may or may not be a disadvantage, because it will certainly spook any butterflies or insects that you may want to include in your shot. The other potential downside is that you may cast a shadow on the flower if you’re too close.
From left to right: The EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM, and the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Despite the difference in focal length, both the 100mm and 180mm Macro lenses have a maximum magnification of 1x (life-size). However, the 180mm gives you almost twice as much working distance.
Despite the difference in focal length, both the 100mm and 180mm Macro lenses have a maximum magnification of 1x (life-size). However, the 180mm gives you almost twice as much working distance.
Telephoto macro lenses, like the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM, have a longer minimum focus distance so you can capture a life-size, 1:1 magnification shot without getting as close. The telephoto macro’s increased lens-to-subject distance allows you to photograph butterflies and other insects along with the flower without disturbing them. But telephoto macro lenses are larger, heavier, and will most likely require a tripod for stability.
If you don’t yet own a macro lens, no worries. You can still take beautiful close-ups of flowers with non-macro lenses. It’s important, however, to know the minimum focus distance of the lens (check the manual or directly on the lens ring). A wider angle lens, such as the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM can focus as close as 1.5 feet at 24mm, which is respectably close. Keep in mind though, that you won’t get 1:1 magnification and, because it’s a wide angle lens, the background and other elements of the scene will be in focus, which may or may not be the look you want.
The telephoto zoom lens you own now may work beautifully in photographing close-ups of flowers. Lenses such as a 70-300mm, 70-200mm or 55-250mm can produce effective, frame-filling images when used at their longest focal lengths, and focused at or near their minimum focus distance. You won't get the true life-size, 1:1 magnification of a macro lens, but you can often fill the frame with a cluser of two or three typical-sized flowers. Their telephoto focal lengths will beautifully blur-out backgrounds, so focus carefully on one part of the subject so that it jumps out at the viewer.
Tripods and Other Accessories:
Since you’ll be shooting at high magnification, any slight movement of the camera (or the flower) may cause a blurry picture or make it difficult to lock in autofocus. To avoid these problems, use a sturdy tripod whenever possible. Smaller, tabletop-type tripods may fit better in tight spaces but check the specifications to make sure it’s sturdy enough to hold the weight and bulk of your camera and lens.
Positioning the lens close to a flower can be problematic, especially if you want to shoot straight down. Bending over to shoot may be the most logical first step but it will strain your back and the odd angle of your body will also make it more difficult to hold the camera steady. Some tripods have a reversible center column so you can position the camera face down near the flower.
A tripod is a useful piece of macro equipment, as well as the lateral extension arm -- or 'macro arm' -- pictured above, which allows you to position and hold the camera in otherwise challanging positions.
Another option for angling the camera into a difficult position is to use a tripod macro arm. This accessory is essentially a metal bar that attaches to the tripod, allowing the camera to be placed close to the flower at various distances and angles. Not only will it save a lot of wear and tear on your back or your knees but it will help avoid shadows that often occur when you’re standing above the flower while taking a picture.
Because focus is so critical with this type of photography, a focusing rail—another attachable tripod accessory—allows you to move the camera forward, back, left and right for fine-tuning the focus. In other words, rather than adjusting the focus on the lens, you move the camera back and forth until optimal focus is achieved.
To help alleviate camera shake from pressing the shutter button and to allow you to trigger the camera remotely, check out one of Canon’s remote system accessories such as the RS-80N3 Remote Switch or the TC-80N3 timer Remote Switch, both of which attach directly to the camera. Canon also offers Wireless Remote Controllers (RC-5 and RC-1).
Lighting
Lighting close-up shots can be tricky so it’s important to pay particular attention to the type, intensity and angle of light regardless of whether you use natural or artificial light or a combination of the two.
Try different angles when shooting flowers, paying close attention to the light. Sunlight can be very harsh and flatten out the flower’s texture and curves but backlighting this daffodil created a light shadow that added depth to the image.
If you plan to shoot outdoors in your garden, track the light throughout the day to see what time(s) offer the most pleasing conditions. Generally, early morning and late afternoon/early evening cast the sweetest golden light. Mid-day sunlight is often harsh, casting strong shadows and obliterating the flower’s fine details and gentle lines. If you want to shoot during the middle of the day, you can use a diffuser (usually a translucent piece of material stretched over a wire ring) to soften the strong rays of the sun.
Shade and overcast skies also provide good macro shooting conditions, so don’t think that you have to search for a sunny spot or wait until the sun comes out to take pictures.
Artificial light from built-in or accessory flashes can be used to complement natural light and add some pop to the picture. As with sunlight, the goal here is to achieve smooth, soft lighting. You may want to cover the camera’s built-in flash with a translucent material (paper, part of a pair of pantyhose) to diffuse the light or bounce the output from a Speedlite (if you’re outdoors, get a friend to hold a piece of white foam core or reflector and angle the flash towards the board/reflector).
Special macro flash units such as Canon’s Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX and Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX are, as their names imply, designed specifically for macro shooting. The Twin Lite set-up, which includes two tiny flashes and a bracket, is extremely versatile—you can angle the flashes and even adjust flash output on each separately. Some photographers prefer this type of directional lighting because it adds depth and texture to the image, unlike its sibling, the Ring Lite, which delivers a more “flat” lighting effect.
The Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX (left) and Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX (right) are both designed for close-up natural, flattering, controllable flash photography. In the case of the Twin Lite, each flash head can me moved or even removed entirely for more control of light direction and ratios.
Although the Ring Lite delivers a different look, the flash—which consists of dual curved tubes—works well for soft, smooth lighting, even when it is an inch or two from the flower. It can also be used for dramatic effects, too, by illuminating the flower and underexposing the background to black.
Whatever lighting option you choose, be sure to set your white balance to match the color temperature of the light you’re shooting under, i.e., Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Flash, etc. Try setting a custom white balance before you shoot or, better yet, shoot in RAW (or RAW+ JPEG). You can always adjust the white balance—and other parameters—in post-processing.
Composition and Special Effects:
Half (or even most) of the fun when shooting flowers is experimenting with composition. Try a variation of angles—straight down into the center of the flower, at the same level, or even angle the camera low to shoot up at a flower (this works best with blossoms on a tall bush like azaleas or rhododendrons).
Again, pay attention to the light. Shooting with the light coming in from the side or the back of the flower’s petals can add depth and interest to the composition.
While experimentation is encouraged (and a necessity), there are certain aspects of composing a macro shot that you should always keep in mind.
The first is to find a distinct focal point within the shot. This works best visually and because depth-of-field is generally limited when shooting macro, anything other than the focal point will not be sharp. To get more of the flower in focus, use the Aperture-Priority (AV) mode and set the f/stop to a high number, i.e., f/11, f/16, f/22. Keep an eye on the shutter speed to avoid blurred images since the shutter speed decreases as the f/stop number increases.
Shooting the main focal point off-center can make for a more interesting photograph and can be accomplished easily by manually moving the focus points on the screen.
Also remember, the focal point doesn’t have to be in the center of the frame. In fact, off-center focus often creates a more visually interesting image. Since many cameras allow you to manually select and move the focus points, this type of shot is easy to accomplish.
Another factor to consider is the background. Simple backgrounds work best since they won’t distract from the main subject. Although most macro lenses will blur the background automatically, you can also set the f/stop to a lower number to decrease depth-of-field until you get the look you want (many DSLRs have a depth-of-field preview button so you can see what the shot will look like).
Of course, if you decrease the depth-of-field to blur the background, more of the flower will also be out of focus so your f/stop setting is, in part, a creative decision.
Picture Styles are an easy way to add a unique look and feel to your images. You can apply them to JPG images in-camera at the time of shooting, or apply them to RAW images using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software.
Check out some different Picture Styles on your EOS DSLR (you can also create your own settings or download additional Styles from the Canon website). If you like bright and vivid colors, try pumping up camera’s saturation level or try shooting in black and white or sepia for a different approach.
To add a little something special, spritz the flower with water and use the droplet(s) as your focus point. Of course, nature often creates the same effect when it rains but the do-it-yourself version gives you more control.
These ideas should be more than enough to get you started on your adventures in close-up flower photography. Remember to experiment and have fun—soon you’ll have a collection of images that you’ll be proud to display at home or on the Web.
Mother nature often provides the opportunity to capture raindrops on petals, like on these azalea flowers. You can also create your own droplet effect with water dispersed by a spray bottle or eye-dropper.
All taken fron this website
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