How to take phenomenal photos of flowers

We all want to be outside admiring blooms when the sun’s shining, but did you know that bright sunshine isn’t necessarily the best light for taking photos of flowers? It can create harsh shadows and bleach out edges, which makes it difficult to capture the natural beauty and softness of delicate petals. So in this instance, the clouds are your friends! Wait for the sun to go in or take your photos in gentle shade, in order to soften the light. The ‘golden hours’ around sunrise and sunset, when the sun is lower in the sky, are also great for snapping blooms.

Think about the background for your floral masterpiece. You don’t want anything too distracting, so try to get a clean backdrop. Flowers often look their finest against deep green foliage, for example. Outdoors, there’s always one part of the scene that’s nice and clean: the sky! A simple way to get a crisp background is to shoot from a low angle, aiming your phone or camera up towards the clouds. This will also let light filter behind the flowers, through their petals, unveiling colour and detail you wouldn’t otherwise see. You may need to get on your hands and knees to get low enough, but it will be worth it! Most people look at flowers from standing height, but if you crouch down or even lie on the ground to take your photo, you can create a much more intriguing image.

It’s easy to get focused on the elaborate detail of a single flower, but remember to also step back and take in the whole scene in front of you. While close-up shots can be truly stunning, in some cases, showing the wider surroundings will make for an even more engaging photo. Maybe there are several flowers that would make a good composition, or even an entire field – think lavender or sunflowers for example – creating a wonderful blanket of dazzling colour. Including some of the surroundings in your flower photos can also add context, telling a more complete story about where you were and capturing fabulous memories.

Flowers are great subjects for experimenting with your creativity, so go wild and be inventive! For example, to get a more unusual shot, you could photograph the shadows of flowers against a wall, or their reflections in a still pond. Remember, too, that you can play around with focus to see what works best. Many iPhones and smartphones can help you focus and blur background, for example, and there are all sorts of colour filters and effects you can play with.

Looking for that little extra something to push your flower photography to the next level? Just add water! If there’s just been a rain shower, or it’s early in the morning when there’s dew on the flowers, it’s already been done for you. But you can add your own by using a spray bottle – just spritz a little water on the flower before taking your photograph. The water droplets will bead up on the petals, giving the image a tantalising texture and making it more atmospheric. Your flower will glisten as light is reflected off the sheen of moisture, making it appear more vibrant. Give it a try… it’s a simple technique that could make a huge differen

Of course, your fabulous floral pictures are too beautiful to be simply left on your Instafeed. They need to be seen and admired in the real world – and we have loads of ideas to help you do just that! Flower photos are perfect for transforming your home. Nothing spruces up an empty wall more beautifully than a series of carefully framed photo prints of a particularly glorious floral display. Or you could really make an impact in your bedroom, living room or hallway by printing your best flower picture onto a giant canvas. And, for instant gratification, simply select your favourite images and make them into a pretty framed multi print – it’ll be ready to pick up in under two hours. Or why not make your own gifts using your blooming masterpieces? There are a whole host of things you can do with your treasured pics – just visit Jessops Photo gifts page for inspiration.