I’m all about using photos as part of homemade greeting cards and with Easter and Mother’s Day fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to discuss ways you can create your own greeting cards with your favorite pictures.
Most readers know that my young daughter is the subject of 95% of my photographs (her grandparents who live 5,000 miles away appreciate this immensely), which is why I decided to turn my attention to another photo subject—a more generic item that all readers could use to decorate their cards—flowers.
Beautiful blossoms are great to use on personalized Mother’s Day or Spring-themed cards. What’s more, great close-up shots of flowers can also be turned into gifts as framed enlargements or canvas prints.
So, what do you need to know to capture the perfect close-up shots of fantastic flowers?
LIGHTING
Avoid using your flash as much as possible. It’s better to employ as much available natural light instead. Natural light will give your picture a softer feel compared to a flash shot.
BACKGROUND
Try to use a neutral tone in your background. Doing so will make the flower pop more in the picture. Also, when shooting a bouquet of flowers, try to focus in on one or two rather than the entire group.
If you are shooting outdoors try to shelter the flowers from the elements. You don’t want to compromise the integrity of a naturally growing rose bush (or sacrifice the natural light), but it is a good idea to block the wind or anything else that can cause the flower to move. This will help avoid a blurry picture.
Prior to shooting carefully examine all angles of the flower. During your examination take note of the different perspectives you can document. You may want to try shooting the flower at an angle where the blue sky is your background, or from the side to hide a dry petal or other flaw in the blossom.
CAMERA SETTINGS
I use my camera’s MACRO mode when shooting close-ups of flowers. (Most cameras have this setting.) The MACRO mode helps to focus very close shots. Otherwise, you could try using an aperture opening of f8 or f11 in MANUAL mode. Doing so increases your depth of field. Other tips include using a tripod to steady your shot and employing your camera’s self-timer feature. This helps to cut down on blurry shots. Pressing the button often can move the camera slightly and result in fuzzy photos.
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