With the advent of the iPhone and its pal the Android phone we have all become photographers, or so we think. Often the subjects we photograph do not come out looking as well as they did in real life. As I found out growing up with a professional photographer, there is more to photography than pointing your camera and clicking the button.  

Here are some tips to help you take better photos. We will be concentrating on photographing plants, but the tips are general enough to help you with whatever you are photographing.

Tip #1: Hold the camera steady, and click the button slowly and gently. 

This matters less these days with the new camera phones, which are very forgiving, and compensate for movement (but NOT actual jiggling). However, other cameras, like the single lens reflex (Canon and Nikon), will not, and the result will be a blurry photo. To counter involuntary movement, prop yourself up against a tree or other object, but whatever you do, try to stay as still as possible.

Unlike birds and butterflies, plants don’t move (unless buffeted by the wind), so taking into account THEIR movement when photographing is something we can skip.

Tip #2: Don’t try to get everything in one shot. 

It’s tempting to throw in a lot of plants, especially when photographing your garden, but resist the temptation. Focus on one plant or small group of plants and fill the frame. Your shot will have more impact.

Tip #3: Don’t shoot everything at eye level.  

It’s boring.  Shooting from below, or above, is a more effective angle. Or shoot through - especially if the plant is large or has interesting foliage or intricate branches.

Tip #4:  Pay attention to the light. 

Time of day is important. Mid-day light is harsh light. Avoid it. The same goes for shade. Take advantage of the soft light of early morning and late afternoon (pros call that golden light before sunset “the magic hour”).  Shoot your photos with the light behind you.

Tip #5: Use the rule of thirds.

This means dividing your subject into thirds, horizontally or vertically. Place your subject to the left or the right of the line, not in the center. This makes for a much more balanced and interesting shot.

Tip #6: Avoid shooting from afar. 

Don’t shoot from too far away.  Isolate the color or subject you are trying to emphasize.  Moving in closer and filling the entire frame with just part of a single flower often creates a greater impact. You don’t get any distracting background and the fine detail of the flower is clearly visible.

It may be obvious to you what the point of the photo is - after all, you are the one taking it - but your viewer may have no idea what stands out for you in a photo where everything is tiny.  

Tip #7: Pay Attention to Your Background

Good, clean backgrounds are essential to plant photography. A messy, distracting background ruins an image and pulls the eye away from the subject. 

Learn to position yourself. Before you take your photograph, look through your lens and move around. Watch what happens.  Moving just a fraction of an inch can completely change a background and eliminate distracting elements

You can also move in and eliminate your background altogether. Moving in directs the viewer to what you want her to see. This creates a powerful impact.

Final Tip: Crop. 

In other words, cut it out. My photographer father was a big fan, and I am too. Get rid of the extraneous things that, in spite of your best efforts, ended up in your photo. It is one of the smartest things you can do to improve your photo.

Examples include: 1) You shot from too far away, and the focal point of the photo is unclear; 2) You included more elements that you should have. It seemed like a good idea at the time but upon review you see that less would definitely would have been more; and 3) You held the camera crookedly and need to straighten the photo.

The new camera phones with their picture taking features make this so easy that anyone can have professional looking photos. 

The crop feature is flexible.  Experiment.  Crop a bit, crop a lot.  Cut out this or that part and see which you like better. Save that one.  Or if you can’t make up your mind save 2 or 3.  You can always delete them later. With time, you will discover how to crop and create the most impact.  

Editing/Cropping on iPhone 

On your phone or laptop go to the “edit” button and click on it. On the iPhone there is a small square with tiny “tails.” Tap on it. You will have the option to “straighten” your photo if it is crooked, but what you are really looking for is the “resizing” feature. These are white lines that you click on, then hold. Move inward until the lines encompass the part of the photo you want to resize or preserve. for instance, you may want to eliminate dead foliage, focus on a rose and its bud instead of the entire bush, or emphasize the deep color of a particular bloom. The crop feature allows you to do that. When you have the new photo you want, click “Done.” You now have a professional photo! 

It you want the original photo and an edited one, just duplicate the original then edit, crop and save.

Follow these tips and you will “shoot like a Pro” in no time.

References

Belmont, Anne, “Flower Photography Tips for Capturing Stunning Photos”, https://visualwilderness.com/fieldwork/flower-photography-tips-for-capturing-stunning-photos

Digital photography: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC095

Dunsford, Rob, “10 Tips for Taking Stunning Iphone Photos of Flowers”, 

https://iphonephotographyschool.com/flowers/

4-H photography project

Extension.umn.edu › 4-h-projects › 4-h-photography-project

Photo Credits: S. L. Ball, Master Gardener (MN and FL)