Monday 14 May 2007
Tips n’ Tricks for Garden Photography: Part 2
Hello Fellow Gardeners,
Photography is another one of my interests I pursue…avidly! Luckily I can combine both of my passions in gardening and photography together! As promised, here is part two of Tips n’ Tricks for Garden Photography!
Where we left off…
4. In a close up situation you must control your depth of field. You need to use a wide aperture (small F stop like # 2-4-8) to blur out a busy background. Otherwise, put your camera on macro mode (indicated by the little flower shown below) that comes with a good digital camera—it’ll help you take a great close up shot!
Just what is an F Stop?
An aperture or F stop is a setting on your camera that refers to how wide or narrow the camera’s opening is. This will let you control the amount of light you let into your camera. For example, on a cloudy day you may have to let more light in, so therefore using a lower number F stop such as a 5, will let you get a better shot! Conversely, on a sunny day you wouldn’t need as much light, so use a larger number F stop, such as 11, 16, or 22!
Summarized!
Basically the larger # the F stop there is less light allowed in your camera, and the smaller # the F stop the more light allowed in!
5. I use several heavy poster boards in different colors depending on what effect I want. In general, green, slate, or white are the preferred choices for backgrounds. This is another good reason to use a tripod– it leaves your hands free to re-arrange the background to suit your purpose!
These boards can also be handy to help block wind and stop your subject from waving…
6. Take A LOT of photos! Don’t be afraid to experiment! Look at a subject from different angles, and don’t be afraid to get up close and personal! Digital cameras allow you to take virtually limitless photos and delete the photos that don’t turn out! It also allows you to see the picture instantly, rather than waiting (impatiently) for a week to get your film developed!
Don’t forget extra batteries and film or memory cards!
7. Get a good photography program and learn to use it! I like Adobe CS3, but it is quite expensive. Less expensive programs that are really nice are Adobe Elements and Corel Paint!
Original Picture, taken with a poster board in the background…
Just playing around and having some fun with photography…
8. Don’t be afraid to display your own work! I love to frame my photos and hang them around my home so that I can enjoy my garden all year round!
I find that photography always takes a little longer than I expect, so allow for a reasonable block of time to enjoy your project. Just relax and have fun!
For more information, I found three great websites that are really helpful…
Happy Gardening,
Marie Suzanne
Marie | garden photos, flowers
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