Flower Photo Tips and Tricks

I got a call yesterday to be on local CBS affiliate WUSA9 early this morning to talk about the 3rd Annual Washington Gardener Photo Contest and give some garden photo tips. Since I brought my camera along today as part of the talk, I thought I'd use it for a taking a few snaps of the studio during a commercial break. The photos propped up on the coffee table are some of last year's contest winners.

On the air, we gave a top 10 of garden photo tips. This is a list that I've shared with readers before. They come courtesy of our first year contest judge Josh Taylor, Jr. of Archiphoto Workshops. Here they are in case you missed it:

Top 10 Tips to Photograph Flowers
1. Above all else, photograph them in early morning or at dusk, not in bright sunlight. Flowers grow there, but don’t take photos of them in direct sun.
2. Capture them singularly as a portrait much like you would a human subject.
3. Flowers must be holding hands or kiss to photograph them in groups of two. There should be no separation between them; the petals must touch.
4. Pick groups in odd-numbered groups. When you have three flowers, they should form a triangle.
5. Select mass groupings of blooms just for the color.
6. Look for patterns in the foliage, such as veins in the leaves. Sometimes the foliage is the more attractive element in a plant.
7. Turn it over. Often the backside of a flower (where the stem junction is) makes a very impressive picture with the contrast of green against the petals.
8. Use a low camera angle, if you shoot on a day with a cloudless, clear blue sky and use it is a background to make the flower really pop.
9. Avoid dead foliage and flowers past their prime. Groom them out of the shot if possible. Seek out the insects among the flowers – examine the flower closely and choose those without blemishes or defects.
10. Hold the camera steady and avoid movement.

I'd add to this list: Have patience! Great photos take work and time.