Styling and Color Tips for Flower Photography

Flowers are a passionate subject to shoot. Whether you’re shooting below, above, on the side, far or up close, flowers will always remain to be an interesting subject with many possibilities. If you’re using a DSLR for shooting roses or any type of flora and fauna, it is important to remember the color rule - that red is the most powerful color in photography. Even so subtle, the color red if placed in any photograph will tell your eyes to move towards it. Thus, red attracts the human eye.

If you have styling experience and want to go the extra mile, experimenting with dew drops can create very pleasant effects to your photos. Have you ever seen those photos where a plant leaf has a single dew drop hanging by its tail, waiting to fall to the ground? This very dramatic shot can be achieved in many ways but the formula for creating the dew can be made at home. There are two ways to recreate the image that your flowers are “fresh from the rain.” Simply put dewdrops can be sprayed onto flowers with water to create that artificial effect.

For a more “solid” dew you can hop over to your local drugstore and purchase a bottle of glycerine (Mercury Drugstore in the Philippines carries these) which in turn you have to mix with a little water. A 50-50 solution of glycerine and water and poured into a small spray can can create a more consistent dew effect for your flowers.

Of course, there is nothing better than the real thing. Studio shots are great but don’t you think something out natural should be taken out in the wild? The best way to photograph flowers out in its natural habitat would be to do so early in the morning or sometime in the afternoon but never with the noon sun because your subject will appear saturated.

Besides, the reward for waking up early is it allows you to photograph flowers fresh from the evening dew. If you want warmer and more vibrant photos, you can wait till the afternoon to shoot. You’ll be surprised to see different results of shooting the same subject at different angles during different parts of the day.

The end all of shooting a subject as beautiful as flowers is that it should also inspire you, as a photographer to enjoy what you’re doing. It is such a big irony to go out into the wild to shoot beauty when you’re in a bad disposition. Flower photography, or any photography for that matter should have a therapeutic effect – and for this purpose, you’d be hard pressed to find a subject as relaxing as flowers.