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From Portraits to Gardens - part 1 of 1 2 3 4

by Michael Turner Published 01/01/2014

Those who have known me for some years will know me as a children's lifestyle portrait photographer and SWPP trainer with the mantra 'see the light'. What you may not know is that I've now turned my attention to photographing flowers, gardens and gardeners for my new company Art In The Garden.

Interestingly, I now find myself applying many of the same principles and techniques to flower and garden photography as I do to photographing children and families. I seek out the best natural light, I watch my backgrounds carefully and choose uncluttered, simple compositions. I also need bags of patience!

So, with that in mind, here are five of my top tips for photographing flowers and gardens...

See the light

As with outdoor lifestyle portraits I tend to work with only three kinds of light - soft overall light, diffused directional light or backlight. Harsh, direct sunlight, just as with portraits, is unflattering and can easily burn out colour and detail. The softest light is usually found at the end of the day, so if I'm shooting in the middle of the day I'll usually look for areas with plenty of top shade or shoot into the sun for a 3-D rimlight effect. Take a close look at your subject - study the direction of the light, its colour, its intensity and overall quality. What mood does it evoke?

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1st Published 01/01/2014
last update 09/12/2022 14:54:28

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