FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY- Getting down to their level

   I confess, I'm no professional when it comes to photography. However, running a website with a thousand varieties of plants and needing photos to sell them, requires one to take thousands of pictures in all kinds of conditions, all over the country, every bloom season. So simply through repetition, I feel I can at least offer a couple of suggestions.

   My number one tip would be to get down to the flower's level or even a smidgen under. They just look more impressive when you're on their level. Of course when you're taking the little 10" tall buggers, it requires some major bending, crouching and crawling! It's a work out, but well worth the effort.

   In ideal conditions I want to catch the flowers at their freshest, usually in the morning hours. Late afternoon would be great, but most daylilies just aren't that great then. (They are called daylilies for a reason, they only last a day.)

   As for cameras, I love my Canon Rebel XTi. I simply set it on close up and it's good to go. When focusing, there are several little red lights in the viewfinder that light up to show you what part of the subject you're actually focused on. This saves on a lot of useless shots which the camera said was focused, when actually it was focused on a weed nearby, or the outhouse in the background. (Another important tip, be aware of your background!)

   I've also found a monopod is a big help in getting well defined shots. It is easy to move around with and get into odd spots to get the shot. Tripods are great, but take a lot of time & space, something there's not a lot of when traveling on buses in large groups. Beware though, not to ask the uppity camera store salesperson for "a tripod with one leg". Mine replied, in the most degrading way, "oh, you mean a monopod."

   When on a tour we lose control of simple things like lighting and angles as we're on someone else's timetable and not allowed to trounce through garden beds to get the best angle. This is a challenge and sometimes requires a little editing to tone down an afternoon sun or brighten up a rainy day. I use a very old program from Adobe called 'Photo Deluxe' that's awesome for straightening out, cropping, and MINOR fiddling with sharpness, contrast and brightness.

  So, that's it, now we just need some blooms. Happy gardening!