Flower Power

Well the April showers did not disappoint, and whether it’s blooming trees or beautiful gardens, the May flowers are here. Stop and smell the roses, and then take a couple shots for good measure! Here are some ideas and tips to imbue your photography with flower power!

Get higher
The most common angle for shooting flowers seems to be straight on, and while this angle does provide the most classic flower profile, consider a different angle and see where it takes you. Get down really low and shoot UP, capturing sun and blue sky (or taller flowers and green trees) in the background. 

Shooting up yields a striking blue background, the sky!

Or get up high, stand on a chair, a ladder, climb a tree,  (carefully!), or just stand up and see what the different perspective yields.

Stand out in a crowd
Shallow depth of field is probably the most satisfying way to photograph a single flower or small group. By isolating your subject against delightful bokeh you highlight the beauty of that single bloom. To do this you’ll need a lens that can achieve this effect, like a Sigma 50mm 1.4 or the Sigma 18-250 f3.5/6.3. Or try isolating for color, for example look for the one renegade yellow blossom among all the red ones, or the single flower blooming in an unlikely place.

All together now
We've all seen the images of the Dutch tulip fields, where large blocks of color are made up by millions of individual blossoms. If you can’t travel to the Netherlands for a shot like that, try to imitate it where you are. Here’s where a higher angle can make it look like the expanse of flowers is larger than it really is, and maybe a little reminiscent of that color block appearance.

Flowers +
Despite the whole April showers bringing flowers thing, when it comes to photographs, sunshine and flowers just seem like the perfect couple. But as we mentioned in our post about Macro photography, sometimes after a rain is better time to shoot, as if you’re shooting close up you can have the added interest of tiny water droplets on the flower petals. But if the day is sunny, don’t fret, there are still ways to add some interest to your flower image. If you shoot at a low angle, you can capture some sun flare, and let’s face it is there anything that says summer better than a shot of a field of flowers and some sun flare?

Shallow DOF and sun flare can add dramatic flair to a simple image of a flower.

You can also ask a friend to pose at the edge of the frame, adding scale and interest to an otherwise static image. Or if you’re shooting from your full height, how about an image that includes your feet? The tips of your shoes are always a fun, personal way to add yourself to an image without crossing into “selfie” territory.

Up close
Last month we discussed some great tips for macro photography, including flowers, so if you missed it, *shameless plug* here’s the link. If your bag contains a macro lens, you're in business, if you don't have one and are looking to start out on a budget, check out the Sigma 18-250mm f3.5/6.3

Lighting
Sometimes Mother Nature doesn't cooperate when it comes to lighting, so reflectors are a good way to add a little bit of control to natural light. Use flash carefully, as it can wash out the colors, but if you need the extra boost, pair it with a diffuser like this LumiQuest UltraSoft to soften up the light.

With a dose of creativity, minimal gear and maybe some sunscreen, you can make evocative images that might inspire you to stop and smell (and shoot) the flowers more often!

See the Light Vol 6 Natural Light at Events

All of us get invited to parties and events. If the hosts know you are a photographer, they may think, "Hey, he’s got a nice camera, let's ask him to take some photos." I see quite a few photographers at events with their flash units on top of their cameras with the latest modifier on it. I always chuckle a bit because I've always hated how those photos look. They're mostly the "Everyone say cheese" variety. Instead, go without a flash and use the available light in the venue. Sure, it may be horrid, dark or yellow or green, but make do with what you've got. Look for authentic expressions and interactions.... Pump up your ISO, take it off Auto and look for a story. 

Light, expression, environment.

"Wonder"

My friend Ken and his wife had a party for their new daughter. And even though they never asked me to photograph the event, whenever a close friend invites me to an important event, I try to capture a few images for them. So as I watched him walk around the venue with his pride and joy, I noticed that when he faced his daughter toward the Western windows, this beautiful light would frame her face. So I simply placed myself in a position next to one of the tables so I could capture her awash in beautiful light as she gazed over her father's shoulder. Some photographers may ask someone to stand in good light and I can understand that method. But my preference is to just

let it happen organically. Light, expression, environment.

See the Light Series Vol 5: Natural Light with Mark Kitaoka

"I only use natural light..."

Yup I remember saying that very same thing in an intentionally arrogant tone. Truth be told, I didn't know how to use artificial light whether it was from a strobe or hand held flash. Sure I had dabbled with them, but didn't understand the first thing about using either very well.

I began my photographic journey doing street shooting. No artificial light, no reflectors, no scrims, just what being in the right place at the right time had put before me. After that initial fear of shooting strangers going about their daily lives wore off, street shooting became invigorating. Looking for the 'right' person, in the 'right' situation, in the 'right' light meant being visually vigilant and above all being patient. To this day it is still my favorite type of photography, but I've been both blessed and cursed to not have the time to pursue it as often as I have in the past.

So for the next couple posts, I want to talk about shooting tips in natural light whether you're street shooting or creating a portrait.

I have developed my own rule for shooting whether by natural or artificial light. I call it "The LEE" principle: Light, Expression, Environment. Make sure your image tells a story either using light, expression or the environment and you're on your way, but your best shots will incorporate all three factors. Let’s look at the LEE principle in available light/street shooting.

How to get over the jitters about photographing strangers on the street is an article all unto itself, so I won't go into it here. The main elements you should consider when looking at potential street scenes:

1. Tell a story, including the environment is as important as your subject. If you frame too tight, you lose the story in the shot. If you want to go in tight you can always crop, but try to get the entire story in camera. Park yourself in an interesting place and WAIT.

As I was waiting for a musician I was photographing I decided to hang out on Market Street in San Francisco. After about ten minutes I noticed this interesting man

approaching the bus stop, so I simply waited until he got into a position where I could frame him with the art across the street. Light, expression, environment.

"Suspicious"

2. Observe the light and determine what you hope to achieve before taking a shot.

For this image I went into San Francisco one Saturday morning and waited as I watched people crossing California Avenue on Kearny Street. I waited until I observed these five people walking and snapped the image as they were in this formation. It was almost noon so I knew the subjects would be silhouetted, but that was my plan for this shot. Light, expression, environment.

"Intersection"

3. Wait for the right action or expression. Remember a great expression with bad light or a boring environment will not get you the shot you want.

Window shots are my favorites and this one was taken during a street fair. I had to wait 15 minutes for the sun to travel to an angle to light the two women and the dog as they watched the people in the fair below their apartment. I was quite worried that this shot would be missed if they moved from the window. But I waited until the sun was just right and took this shot. Light, expression, environment.

Off the street, the LEE principle still works:

I literally HATE any time in the early morning. So getting up before 11:00AM takes an act of Congress or the potential for gorgeous light. In this case the two models in this photo were simply asked to run through a field of grass at around 7:00am amid gorgeous fog. When the light is diffused like this, the whole world seems gorgeous. Because the environment and light are almost a sure thing, your direction to the subject for expression and activity will make or break your shot. Light/expression/environment.

"Bliss"

Bodies of water make incredible reflectors! In this shot I had the subject in a rowboat and asked her to row parallel to the sun. I wanted her backlit to give an angelic feeling to the image. I asked a fellow photographer to spray water from a garden hose into the air and spot metered on her hair to give me the exposure I needed for the light. Light/expression/environment.

"Enchanted"

My friend Russell was dismantling the recording studio he had operated for over 30 years. He asked me to photograph the process so he could have memories of his decades of recording so many artists. I told him that the story would not be complete without taking an environmental portrait of him, so I wandered around his studio to find the right spot. In his upstairs storage room was an old chair surrounded by lots of gear being packed and was lit by window light. Light/expression/environment.

"Fin"

In the next two installments, I'll talk about natural light in event shooting and reflectors. Happy Shooting!