How to shoot flowers?

Hi all,

I have couple questions regarding shooting flowers. When I shoot flowers, I came across couple questions:

1. How to find the right exposure when shooting a bunch of flowers with a different color scheme? For example, how to find the right exposure for this shot, so the white tulips are not overexposed and remain the right exposure to other color tulips?



2. When I use flowers as complimentary background, but the flowers have a very different brightness to the subject, how do I find right exposure? Or should I just focus on one object instead? (See photo below)


3. How do I make the photo not looks so busy but still shows the flower blossom? (See the two photos below)






I used Nikon D200 to shoot. All the photos were taken in Carl Schurz Park, NYC. I look forward to hearing your feedback. I appreciate your patience. Enjoy the nice spring.:unconscious:

I use the bracket function. I'm not smart enough to get this sort of thing right with the first setting.

Thank you for the tips. I will try brackets next time.

wordlesstu said:

3. How do I make the photo not looks so busy but still shows the flower blossom? (See the two photos below)

View attachment 285985


View attachment 285986

I used Nikon D200 to shoot. All the photos were taken in Carl Schurz Park, NYC. I look forward to hearing your feedback. I appreciate your patience. Enjoy the nice spring.:unconscious:

Click to expand...

Looks like a nice place to shoot. If you reduce the number of flowers it will look less busy, maybe just one flower or bunch. If there is branch leading to a nice bunch sometime including that will help.

wordlesstu said:

Hi all,

I have couple questions regarding shooting flowers. When I shoot flowers, I came across couple questions:

1. How to find the right exposure when shooting a bunch of flowers with a different color scheme? For example, how to find the right exposure for this shot, so the white tulips are not overexposed and remain the right exposure to other color tulips?

2. When I use flowers as complimentary background, but the flowers have a very different brightness to the subject, how do I find right exposure?

Click to expand...

You learn to read histograms:

Understanding Histograms

Thank you for your comments. I will try to reduce the branch in the composition next time.

Thank you. I have studied a little bit about histogram but I have not fully understand it yet. Thank you for the tips.

wordlesstu said:

Thank you. I have studied a little bit about histogram but I have not fully understand it yet. Thank you for the tips.

Click to expand...

They can be a little confusing at first, but once you "get it", you'll wonder how you ever shot without them.

The biggest thing with understanding Histograms is understanding the light to dark ratios. That's all a histogram does. Your camera has a dynamic range of about 5 stops... Your flower pictures have a dynamic range of about 8 or 9 stops...

If you use bracketing, you can get 2-3 images that cover that 8-9 stop range... then use HDR software to combine those 2 or 3 images and suddenly you have an image that seemingly covers that 8-9 stop range in a single image...

You can then, using editing software, bring out the detail in the shadows, and then tone down the highlights to bring out the texture in the flowers. Flowers are all about saturation in the colors and texture...

Hi,
Thank you so much for your thorough explanation. It helps a lot. One follow up questions - In terms of color and texture, do you have a better suggestion to bring out the colors and textures of flowers?

Yes... As far as texture... what's called "raking light" is the best...

as far as colors... In post processing, you can increase the color saturation...

I tend to like flowers in a one-off setting rather than vast fields... raking light can be created/augmented with very lite 1/128th manual fill flash angled from the side...

You have to find s a balance between the two... too much of either, and it looks fake...

Try to get it as close to "right" in the camera as you can, and then use post processing to just barely tweak the shadows and color intensity...

Hi,

Thank you so much for your response. I still have questions. Please see below brown color text.

FredKingston said:

Yes... As far as texture... what's called "raking light" is the best...

as far as colors... In post processing, you can increase the color saturation...

I tend to like flowers in a one-off setting rather than vast fields... raking light can be created/augmented with very lite 1/128th manual fill flash angled from the side...

Do you mean use a external/etxra flash light?

You have to find s a balance between the two... too much of either, and it looks fake...

Try to get it as close to "right" in the camera as you can, and then use post processing to just barely tweak the shadows and color intensity...

Click to expand...

Thank you so much. ��

Yes... depending on conditions, you can use an off-camera flash to get the right fill/angles

Another is to change the angle you shoot at during Golden Hour... Flowers, unlike animals, will stand there and pose for you all day long... all you have to do is wait for the light to change...

Thank you for the tips.Thank you.