Flower Photography

1. Get up early: Before the sun heats up the land there is usually far less wind, enabling you to get close without risk of your 'daffodils dancing in the breeze', causing blur. Also, there is often dew on the plants (or frost in winter), which can add another dimension to your pictures.

2. Don't take flower pictures in direct sunlight: This is the most common

mistake that beginners make. Plants look great in the sun with the naked eye, but neither film nor digital can cope with the increased contrast. Overcast conditions are usually best, colors then saturate and your pictures will still look really bright, but even more colorful. There are exceptions to this though - for example, sunlight can create dark shadows behind your sunlit subject, creating an excellent non-distracting background. If you are going to take plant pictures in sunlight, try using a polarizing filter to reduce glare and enhance the colors.

3. Get a 1:1 Macro lens: If you want to get close, to really show the amazing form of plants in their full glory, you need the right lens for the job.

4. Use a tripod: Getting close increases the chance of camera shake, so it's best to use a tripod whenever possible. It also slows down the picture-taking process, which means you have more time to concentrate on the composition.

5. Ignore the 'everything must be pin-sharp' rule: You may have read in photo magazines that all close-up pictures must be pin-sharp. Plant images can often look really good with only a small amount of the image actually in focus. Obviously, some pictures do look better sharp all over - experiment and practice.

6. Blur your backgrounds: Use a large aperture (small number like f5.6) to avoid fussy, distracting backgrounds. However, using your camera's depth of field preview feature is the best way to ensure that you've blurred the background - and still got enough of the plant in focus.