A great place to practice your photography techniques is right in your backyard. The flower garden is ever changing with the season and the weather, and the blooms are very cooperative subjects. They don’t get bored, or tired of standing in one place, or refuse to look at the camera. What better place for a novice, or even a seasoned pro, to practice a newly learned technique?
- Pay attention to your depth of field and your focus point.
Blooms such as daylilies, daffodils and irises have long stamens and pistils, so a narrow depth of field will place either the stamens or the petals out of focus. Decide where you want to focus and check your depth of field to make sure everything you want to be sharp is sharp. - Try your macro setting
Most cameras have a macro setting which will allow you to get very close to the subject and still focus. In fact, this setting is usually indicated with the flower icon. After you are comfortable with technique #1, expand your horizons with the macro setting and see how narrow your depth of field can get. - Diagonal lines are more dynamic
Remember the compositional rule of thirds and place your subject anywhere but in the center of the frame. Then tilt the camera a bit so the subject moves through the frame on a diagonal. This diagonal line will give your subject some energy, and pull the viewers eye along the subject. - Make it rain
I’m not suggesting that you head out on a rainy day (although that does have its benefits if your camera can take the wet), but have you noticed how pretty a dew-kissed flower looks? Before you pull out the camera, spray the bloom with some water-not too much or it may close up-and snap away with the droplets becoming a secondary subject. - Stay out of the midday sun
Good photographers learn early that the best natural light for any type of photography is early in the morning and late in the afternoon and evening. Use the soft golden light of evening or cool serene light of morning to your advantage, but remember polarizers are useless at this time of day and will only reduce the light that is available to you.
A dew kissed Gerbera-always a pretty sight.
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