Flower Photography

People chuckle sometimes when I tell them I am a flower photographer and that I have just spent the day shooting plant photographs. They seem unaware that to take a great flower photograph requires quite as much skill, passion and commitment as taking portrait photographs of people. Plants are fragile, ephemeral and often not as photogenic as they first appear. How many times have I looked at an apparently gorgeous flower from a distance and rushed up to photograph it, only to discover that, when inspected at close range, its petals are blemished and not nearly as perfect as I first imagined? To take a perfect flower photograph you must choose the best specimen you can – so examine every bloom closely before pressing the shutter.

Another major problem with plant photography is the wind, which can turn close-up flower photography into a nightmare. It is hardly surprising then that most of my finest, pin-sharp images of plants are taken on still days or indoors, where there is no wind to contend with.

Opposite – I captured this perfect plant photograph of an aquilegia at its prime early one damp, summer morning in June. I was immediately attracted to its strong design and beautiful colour. The petals, dripping with droplets of dew and stained purple, were in perfect condition and looked amazing when set off by a complimentary green background.

When composing a plant photograph, one of the first decisions that I make when looking at the subject through the viewfinder is ‘how do I frame this shot’? – in other words, will this flower photograph look better in portrait or landscape format? Usually I find that the personality or character of the plant will dictate the format of the plant photograph and nine times out of ten I will instinctively frame the shot. Sometimes, however, I will make a rectangular frame with my hands so that I can pre-visualise how best to frame a flower photograph.

This lavender photograph opposite appears to be ‘flying’ like an insect on the wing. But what set it apart from other flowers nearby was the quirky, almost humorous angle at which it was poised. The form of the flower cried out for a landscape rather than a portrait format plant photograph.

In contrast to the lavender, the serene, clasped petals of these crocus flowers assume a more upright posture and therefore work well as a portrait-shaped flower photograph. To simulate an insect’s eye view of the crocus, I chose a ground-level viewpoint, lying flat on my stomach and placing the camera on the grass in front of me.

Clive gives advice on Garden Photography and how to improve your garden photographs

Great garden photographs are the holy grail of garden photography. Quite simply, they are extremely difficult to take. Not only has the light got to be right, but the garden itself must be at its absolute best. Being in the right place at the right time is essential. I have found, not surprisingly, that most of my best garden photographs have been taken in gardens that are very close to where I live, because I have been able to pick and chose the days when I want to photograph.

It is almost impossible to photograph a whole garden in just one visit, especially a large garden which is likely to have different areas that may ‘peak’ at different times of year. For this reason I like to photograph a garden over a long period, returning frequently to capture it in different seasons, moods and light. Building a good relationship with garden owners and designers is essential for me as I often need to access the gardens at unsociable hours – this can be as early as 4.30am in the morning and as late as 9.30pm in the evening. Without their support, I would have few subjects to photograph. Many have become great friends, phoning me on a regular basis with updates of how their gardens are looking and informing me of the latest seasonal ‘highlights’.

I had been monitoring the condition of this magnolia tree for several days, The garden owner, Gina Price, had called me the previous afternoon to say that the magnolia was at its best and knowing that this area of meadow would get early morning sunlight, I made sure my camera was set up at dawn the following day. The picture was taken with a wide-angle lens on a medium format camera

Like a picture on a wall, many garden vistas can be improved if they are given a ‘frame’. Archways, pergolas, doorways, gates, openings in hedges – all can be used to frame the view of a scene beyond, drawing your eye into or out of a garden. When I am first scouting a garden, I am constantly on the look out for scenes that are framed in this way. If the light is right, I will try and shoot them straight away, if not, I will make a mental note to return another time.

A moon gate perfectly frames this Japanese garden. Here the designer has done the work for me, creating a wonderful ‘through the keyhole’ view. The sharp contrast, dark to light, from frame to scene draws your eye inevitably to the focal point of the rock.

The garden at Fovant Hut, in Hampshire, relies heavily on the ‘borrowed landscape’ surrounding it for its design and atmosphere. Here I have used a mature oak tree to frame the landscape beyond. I arrived at the garden shortly after dawn and stopped down to f32 on my medium format Pentax 6x7 in order to render the whole scene sharp from front to back. The result is a garden photograph with a distinct frame.

Garden photographs taken looking along a path are often successful because they lead your eye from the front to the back of the composition, thereby increasing the sense of depth in the photograph. (image 27926) An early morning view along this path in the cottage garden at Woodchippings, in Northamptonshire, was captured with an 80-400mm zoom lens. The zoom has allowed me to make a fairly tight crop, with two focal points – the stone sundial and the piper statue - drawing the viewer through the picture and adding a sense of depth to the composition.

The main focal point at the end of this path in Tony Ridlers garden in Swansea, Wales, is a modern sculpture by Helen Sinclair. A zoom lens has enabled me to make a tight crop and shooting towards the light backlights the hedging and clipped box pyramids in a pleasing way. I took the picture from the top of a garage, which has given a slightly elevated perspective to the shot

Being in the right place at the right time was the key to this photograph of the allium walk at Lady Farm, Somerset. I woke at 2.30am and drove over 100 miles to the garden so that I could catch the dawn light. The picture was taken at 4.45am using a wide angle lens on my Pentax 6x7. Shooting towards the light, I made sure the path enters the photograph at the bottom left and leaves through the top right, thus drawing your eye through the picture.