Spring is here and so is the beautiful rainbow of color coming forth from both flower gardens and patches of wild flowers. The mild weather invites us to pick up our cameras and head outdoors to capture the essence of springtime.

Making your photos stand out requires a little patience, a steady tripod and sometimes, looking outside the box. Your first decision needs to be, "What's my subject?" Do you want to photograph the whole field, a single flower or maybe a close-up of a part of a flower such as a single petal or the stamen? Perhaps you want to include people or a close-up of an insect.

Some tips to remember:
TRIPOD: To get a good quality, clear and in-focus photograph, a tripod is essential. Be sure to use a sturdy tripod that will not move every time there is a breeze of wind. An inexpensive one will do but a heavy-duty tripod will assure you that camera shake is not a problem. If you have a self-timer on your camera or remote release for your shutter, use it. This will further reduce the possibility of a blurry photo.

TIMING AND LIGHTING: Early in the day, before 10am or later in the afternoon, after 4pm are the best times to photograph. The color temperature of sunlight is warmer and more vivid at these times. Pay attention to the direction of the sunlight and how it is falling on your subject. Lightly overcast days are ideal for flower photos, as the lighting contrast is reduced so light tones don't wash out. Holding a pop-out reflector panel or a piece of white cardboard to reflect sunlight into the shadow side of flowers will improve the lighting when you're shooting on a bright sunny day.

WIND: The wind is a challenge when shooting flower pictures. The wind is usually calmest in the morning. If the wind blows in gusts, you'll improve your odds of capturing good pictures by shooting during the brief periods of calm between gusts. You can also lessen the movement of your subject by securing the stem to an out-of-view garden stake or by setting up a cardboard wind screen.

COMPOSITION: Decide what it is you wish to photograph, then fill the frame with your subject. Be bold. Come in close. This is where a macro mode or close-up lenses will benefit your efforts. Because you can focus within inches of your subject, you can fill the frame much easier. Or you may want to frame your image with a part of a fence or greenery to create a border. It is important to keep focused on your subject and not try to fill the frame with too much clutter, keep it simple and elegant. If your background is too cluttered, consider putting a black cloth behind your flower. Nothing says dramatic and elegant better. If your camera has a depth of field preview, use it to check for the zone of sharp focus. While you want your subject to be sharp, controlling the depth of sharp focus will enable you to throw the background out of focus so it doesn't add clutter to your photo.

OTHER TIPS: It is also very important to catch flowers at the peak of their bloom. A flower may not reveal its flaws until it is photographed and enlarged to an 8x10. Dramatic effects can be achieved when photographing after a rain shower or by spraying a mist of water on your subject. Use a polarizing filter to minimize the glare and maximize the color saturation.

Whether you photograph flowers for your own pleasure, or work for Home and Garden magazine, the enjoyment of capturing that prize-winning photo is the same. So, as you photograph the Bluebonnets in Texas, the Peach Blossoms in Delaware, the Magnolias in Louisiana or the Wild Prairie Roses in Iowa, enjoy the smallest and delicate gifts this world has to offer. And take some time to smell the roses!

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Betty Nordstrom for winning the
Porter’s/Tamron March 2007 Monthly Calendar Photo Contest! Betty’s winning entry in the “Expressions” category is ready for downloading as a 2007 monthly calendar at www.porters.com.

Visit our web site and check out the monthly themes for the rest of this year and send us your best shots!

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