When the wildflower season starts in Arizona, people come from all over to witness the beauty of the desert. Capturing that beauty on film (or on disk or card) can make the experience even more fun. Even those of us who use automatic cameras, and don't know the difference between an F-stop and a diffuser, can make our wildflower pictures even more interesting by following a few easy tips.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Lots of time required. Take it slow and enjoy!
Here's How:
- Decide if you are taking a picture of a landscape (mountains with flowers) or of a wildflower. Photographers agree that positioning your focal point somewhere other than the center of the picture can yield more interesting results.
- Use light from various positions, not just behind you. Walk around the wildflowers to see if the light can offer a dramatic effect.
- If you are taking a picture of just a wildflower, and not a field of wildflowers, get close to the flower. Look at it from all angles. Bugs or drips of water are good--they make the picture more interesting!
- Don't photograph the wildflower downward. Get down to the wildflower's level.
- If you have a tripod, use it. If not, hold the camera as still as possible. If there's a breeze, try to wait until it stops. You may want to take several pictures to see how the breeze effects the composition or focus of your shot.
- Noon (overhead light) is the worst time to take pictures of wildflowers. The morning is usually the best. If it is slightly cloudy (but not enough to need flash) it's perfect!
- If you are not a professional photographer, use the camera to make the wildflower experience even more fun, not distracting for those with you. Take it slow, and enjoy the beauty of the desert in bloom.
- After you've returned home and reviewed your photos, why not send in a few of the best to be included in the About.com Phoenix Desert Wildflower Photo Gallery?
Tips:
- If you are using a digital camera, take your wildflower pictures at the highest resolution possible. Make sure you know how many pictures you can take with the memory you have at that resolution.
- The beauty of digital is that if you don't like the picture you just took, you can erase it to free up that memory. Make sure you know how your camera works, though, so you don't end up erasing all your pictures by mistake.
- Take along a field guide so you can identify the wildflowers that you see along the trails and roads.
What You Need:
- Plenty of film or extra memory cards
- Extra batteries
