How to get a large depth of field in flower photography using focus stacking. A few months ago a friend asked me to look after some orchids while she was away on holiday. She brought them round, and I put them in my conservatory, keeping my fingers crossed that I’d be able to keep them looking healthy until she came back. Needless to say, though, I couldn’t resist having a go at photographing them while they were here! A close…

An established artist in any medium – painting or photography to name just two – will have a recognisable style, so that someone who is familiar with that person’s work will be able to look at a new picture and know that it is by that artist. All photographers will probably have a photographic hero or two, and would be able to identify one of their photographs immediately, just from its style. I think it’s true to say that we…

I love photographing flowers, and I usually prefer taking photos outdoors, with the flowers in a natural environment. The reason I like that so much is that you can create lovely out of focus backgrounds using the other flowers and foliage behind your subject flower. Even when I photograph a flower indoors, in my conservatory, I will usually try to create a natural looking backdrop by positioning other pots of plants behind the flower I’m photographing. This isn’t always easy,…

Cameras are so good these days that it’s easy enough to take a good record photo of a flower. But to take a more artistic photo is not so easy, and requires a lot more input from the photographer! Here are 5 tips on how to make a more creative photograph of a flower. Simplicity: clutter is not usually a feature of a fine art photograph! Try to simplify your image, in terms of what you include and exclude. Try…

A beautiful garden is a pretty tempting subject for a photographer, whether it’s your own backyard, or a fully landscaped public garden complete with a lake and several gazebos. As with any other subject, a little care and thought can elevate your photograph from the ordinary to the special. Here are a few garden photography guidelines: 1. On a sunny day, try to visit the garden early or late in the day to get the best light – the lovely…

Unless we are lucky enough to live in a fabulous, unspoilt area of countryside, most of us will often make some sort of journey to get to a photographic location, whether it is just half an hour away, or on the other side of the globe. As a flower and plant photographer living in the UK, I often drive along the M25 motorway to the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley, which is a favourite location for me. With good…

Outdoor flower photography is very weather dependent. The ideal conditions are a bright but diffused light, and no wind – and needless to say this doesn’t happen very often! We flower photographers are very hard to please – we’re usually complaining that it’s too sunny, or too dull, or too windy – and I won’t even mention the days when it rains or hails! But one of the joys of flower photography is that unlike so many other genres –…

Using a Low Viewpoint to Photograph Flowers When you’re photographing a flower, there are many different considerations and things to think about when you’re looking for your picture. One of the most important things to consider is your viewpoint – think about whether your flower will look best from your standing height, or whether it might be better to kneel down, or even lie flat on the ground. Often the best viewpoint will be dictated by what is behind the…

How to Photograph Water Lilies As summer begins, so do water lilies start to appear. As photographic subjects they are irresistible – glowing jewel colours and graceful shapes, and for the icing on the cake, you’ll sometimes get a reflection of all that beauty in the water below for double the impact! In some ways, because they are so lovely, it seems as if it’s almost impossible to go wrong when you photograph a water lily. But like everything else,…

The Photography of John Humphrey. Creating stunning photographs from pressed flowers. I’m excited to introduce a new series in our MyPhotoSchool blogs, where once or twice a month I’ll interview different photographers about their work. To kick the series off, I’m delighted to showcase some of John Humphrey’s photography.  John has been a friend for many years, and is a very accomplished photographer in many different fields.  Recently he’s been working on a new series of images of pressed flowers,…