Reprinted
with permission from the New York
Institute of Photography
©NYI Dean Chuck DeLaney
What
about a bed of flowers...or a field of them? Here, you
can probably use a point-and-shoot as well as an SLR.
A tripod is less necessary. Focus is no longer critical
- it can extend for feet or even miles. And metering with
your built-in meter will probably produce a good result.
What
about the direction of light? It still can make a difference.
If you can check how the flowers look from different sides,
by all means do so. Frontlighting may be all right. Backlighting
- or sidelighting - may be better. Camera angle - that
is, height - is usually less important in this type of
long shot. (You should still stoop down to see if the
image is improved from a low angle that will accentuate
the nearest flowers.)
What
should you look out for here? We think you should go back
to the very first decision: What's your subject? A bed
or field of flowers may look exquisite to your eye, but
often makes an awfully dull picture. Look for something
that will add interest to the picture, and draw the eye
of the viewer and be the subject of your picture. The
flowers act as swatches of color that complement it.
©NYI
If
you're photographing a flower bed, look around. Perhaps,
a child playing amidst the flowers will make a far more
interesting picture. Or the house behind it. Or the apple
tree in the foreground? Or the fence. Or anything else
you can find to draw the viewer's eye and add interest.
©NYI Student James F. McNally
Do
the same with a field of flowers. Is there a barn that
would make a better subject? A tree? A windmill? A lone
person far out in the field (Christina's world!)? A babbling
stream? A majestic mountain landscape? Chances are, if
you look around you'll find lots of potential targets
that will add considerable interest to your photograph.
©NYI Student Loreen Peabody
To
sum all this up: Flowers are colorful and can make beautiful
subjects when you're close up and they fill the frame.
You're better off finding another subject, and using the
flowers as an "accessory," when you're shooting from farther
away.
