Flower & Botanical Photography

The six composition tools

Flower photography lives or dies on composition. The tools available are: camera position (POV), lines within the flower itself, juxtaposition against other flowers or a background, depth of field, a clear focal point, and backlighting.

Wind is the enemy

• Shoot on a calm day — there is usually less wind early in the morning.
• Build a windbreak: a bounce card, a jacket, your body.
• A field support clamp holding the stem steady is the single most useful accessory.
• Shoot early or late when the sun is low, which also handles the light.

Starting settings

Setting	Start
Mode	Manual (M) or Aperture Priority (A)
Aperture	f/5.6–f/16 depending on the depth of field you want
Shutter	1/250 s (fast enough to beat residual movement)
ISO	800, adjusted to hold that shutter speed
Drive Mode	Single shot
Focus	Single Flexible Spot for extreme close-ups; Wide/Zone for wider group shots
Metering	Multi
Format	RAW

Light

• Backlight is the flower photographer's best friend — petals are translucent and glow.
• When backlighting, add fill: fill flash, or a bounce card in front. The card doubles as your windbreak.
• A small LED for raking light brings out texture on petals and leaves.

Kit

Any close-focusing or macro lens with a hood; close-up filters let any lens focus nearer; tripod plus field support clamp; flash or bounce cards.

Before you move on — check

• Is the focus placed where the composition needs it (not just "on the flower")?
• Is the frame tight enough?
• Any eye snags around the flower — a bright stem, a blown highlight, a second bloom at the edge?
• Have you used the shape or colour of the flower, or the flowers around it?
• Is it sharp and free of camera shake?

Minimalist variation

Isolate one bloom, one fruit, one twig against sky or a clean background. Background blur creates negative space where the setting won't. See Minimalism in the Field.

Consolidated from references: Photzy Creating Stunning Flower Photographs (Action Cards — Flower Photography); Photzy Minimalism Case Study #4.