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PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS

Quick Guide
Written by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 1

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 When cruising through a photo sharing app or Many macro photographers get lost in shooting
website, you are bound to see thousands of something close-up just for the sake of capturing
photographs of flowers. They are about as common something close-up. I am guilty of this too. The
as sunsets as a subject. results are not always stellar. But macro photography
allows for some unique advantages in isolating and
It is not surprising that flowers are so popular for drawing attention to a subject.
photographers to shoot; they display nature’s beauty,
texture, and color in a myriad of ways. In this guide, I will show you how you can use a
macro lens to create flower photographs that really
So, how do you take a very popular subject and “pop.” We will look at the following techniques:
add your own flare and your own style? One way to
approach flowers with a different twist is to shoot ·· How a narrow depth of field can help you isolate
using a macro lens. your subject when shooting flower macros

I must admit, when spring hits and all the flowers are ·· How to use light to best highlight flowers’
popping out in the backyard, there is nothing more attributes
satisfying than grabbing my camera and macro lens
and heading out to capture those beauties. ·· Ways to avoid unwanted blur in your macro
shots

·· Some suggestions for how to get creative when

shooting flower macros

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 2

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 3
 DEPTH OF FIELD

One of the wonderful things about shooting

flower macros is the amount of control that
you have over depth of field (DOF). Depth
of field refers to how much of the photo is in
focus. A shallow depth of field will have soft,
blurry parts with a very narrow piece of the
photo in sharp focus. A wide depth of field
will have most or all of the photo in sharp
focus.

Why is it so great to have a narrow depth of

field? Well, it means you can have influence
over what your audience “zooms in” on. If
you want your viewers to notice the stamens
of the flower, you can choose to use a very
shallow DOF and leave the petals and other
details of the flower soft and out of focus.

Our eyes are drawn to the sharp, ‘in focus’

parts of the photo. So using an f-stop of 9 or
less, for example, and moving close to your
subject (you are shooting macro, so you will
want to be close) can give you a shallow
DOF and allow you to “guide” your viewer
Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley to notice the things you want them to see.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 4

 Key Note: Getting close to your subject (around that allows more of the photo to be in focus. This process,
12 inches) and shooting with a low f-stop (f/6.3, for called focus stacking, has become very easy to achieve
example) will give you a narrow area of focus with today’s editing programs.
(millimeters, actually!), leaving things in the
You should be methodical when shooting a subject to
foreground and background soft and out of focus.
focus stack. Be sure to start with the nearest part of the
The cover photo is a good example of what a narrow subject (or start at the back, but work in order) in focus
DOF can achieve. Note how the closest flowers, in the and then zoom in a tiny fraction and take your next shot.
foreground, and background flowers are soft and blurry. I Depending on the size of your subject, it may take several
used the stamen of the light pink flower as my focus point shots to get the entire thing in focus.
to achieve this result.
If you are curious about what the depth of field is for your
Alternatively, you can choose to have more of your photo equipment, there are online calculators that can give you
in focus to guide the viewer’s eye through the photo and that information. You simply enter your camera and lens
show more detail. In macro photos, this can sometimes model, aperture, and distance from the subject. This data
be slightly more challenging, as a wider DOF, such as can help you in considering how many photos you need
f/22, usually involves a smaller aperture, less light, and to take for focus stacking, or how much of the subject will
not much more in the way of focus area. be clear when shooting.

The problem mentioned above can be overcome with a Key Note: If you plan to try focus stacking your
longer shutter speed, artificial light (such as a flash), or subject, be sure to use a tripod and make small
a higher ISO. A tripod is useful when shooting longer precise movements when zooming in.
exposure shots and I recommend you use one.
Recommended Reading: If you’d like to master
Another option is to take several photos of the same camera settings to create gorgeous, creamy, blurry
subject, with different parts of the subject in focus. During backgrounds, grab a copy of Photzy’s premium
post-processing, these shots can be “stacked” in a way guide: Beautiful Background Blur.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 5

 BACKGROUNDS

As mentioned above, a shallow DOF can be useful Key Note: Have some fabric or colored
for turning distracting details into an eye-pleasing craft paper in your macro kit for when the
blur. The same is true for backgrounds. Shallow DOF background is distracting or detracts from the
and proximity to your subject can soften hard edges photo.
and lessen distracting elements. A soft, blurred
background allows your viewer to zoom in on your Other flowers in the background can create a lovely
subject. effect as well, creating repetition of form and color.
Water droplets and bright, reflective materials can
Key Note: Soft, blurred backgrounds are create a wonderful bokeh effect for your background,
easy to achieve with a shallow DOF. as I will talk about later.

Don’t be afraid to move around to find that great

background. But if it doesn’t appear, have a piece
of fabric or craft paper handy to place behind your
flower. Consider contrasting colors and textures that
complement your subject.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 6

 LIGHT

My preferred type of light when shooting flower One issue with macro lenses is how close you must
macros is natural light, but you can achieve some get to your subject and how often that proximity
very interesting results with artificial light as well. At comes at the expense of light. Many times, I have
times it is necessary to use a little artificial light to found my lens blocking the available light. One way
assist the natural light and add a punch of light to to combat this problem is to use a reflector.
spots where it is needed.
You can buy commercial reflectors or make your own.
I am in love with the soft light that comes through a Something as simple as a sheet of white paper can
window. I will often set up my flowers in a spot like be effective in reflecting light back at your subject. I
this and shoot away. The natural window light brings often keep a piece of white poster board handy for
out the textures and colors of your subject in ways just this reason.
that other light just doesn’t. If your window light
seems a little harsh, try hanging a sheer curtain to Key Note: Use a reflector to bounce light
diffuse it. back onto parts of your subject to bring details
out of the shadowed areas. A simple piece of
Key Note: Soft, natural light, like the kind white poster board can achieve this.
that comes through a window, is the best for
bringing out the texture and color of your
subject.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 7

 Another lighting technique I like
to deploy is backlight. You can use
artificial or natural light to achieve this.
Backlighting flowers can be particularly
useful in highlighting the transparency
and delicate appearance of petals.

Artificial light, shone on a subject with a

dark background, can be quite striking
as well. Be sure to angle your light in a
way that provides light for your subject
without lighting your background. You
can create your own “barn doors” (a
tool used for controlling where the
beam of light shines) by using a piece of
cardboard and placing it where you don’t
want the light to shine.

I highly recommend using an external

flash when photographing flower macros.
It will give you more versatility in where
you place your light, and you can achieve
a very natural looking light with little
effort. I often play at moving my external
flash closer and further away (or changing
the intensity of flash) to see how it affects
my shot.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 8

 AVOIDING BLUR

Flower macro photography is one area where I always use a Key Note: Avoid shooting in the wind, as even the
tripod, without exception. There are too many things working tiniest movements can cause blur in your flower macros.
against you to leave this one up to chance.
To be sure that you get the parts you want in sharp focus and
The tiniest movements – wind, vibrations from our feet when the blur where you want it, I recommend you use manual focus.
people walk, camera shake – can all cause blurry photos. This is especially important if you are shooting at a low f-stop.
You may want to focus, shoot, and check, just to be sure that
So, find a good sturdy tripod (avoid the cheap ones – listen to a you have the parts you want in sharp focus.
thrifty photographer: this is one area you don’t want to go cheap
on!) and learn how to use it. There is nothing worse than shooting a bunch of photographs
using automatic focus, only to find that the camera wasn’t
I have a setup that involves shortening and angling out the front focusing where you wanted it to.
two legs so that the tripod leans in to the flower I am shooting
as I want to get close for my macro shots. Sometimes I will put a I started out using only manual, then acquired a macro with
weight on the back leg for extra support. automatic focus. I used it only a few times and went back to
manual. You have much greater control over your composition
Did you notice I mentioned wind as a cause of photo blur? This and less chance of errors.
one is tough. I live in a very windy city and there isn’t much you
can do to deal with this problem easily. Key Note: For greater control over what is in focus, use
the manual setting on your lens.
You can wait for a calm day or take a cutting and bring your
subject indoors. Hopefully, if you choose the latter approach, the Recommended Reading: If you’d like to master camera
flower belongs to you or an understanding neighbor! settings to create gorgeous, creamy, blurry backgrounds,
grab a copy of Photzy’s premium guide: Beautiful
I have tried placing windbreaks around my subject, but even Background Blur.
the smallest movement can be an issue. Weigh the benefit of
waiting against the cost of a very difficult shoot and hopefully
you will find some patience.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 9

 GETTING CREATIVE

There are lots of ways to get creative and

make your flower macros stand out. From
shooting abstract to using props, there
are many ideas for taking your flower
macros from ho-hum to wow. I’d like
to share a few of my favorites with you
below.

GO ABSTRACT

Flower macros present a unique

opportunity for photographers to practice
abstract photography. By isolating a
fragment of a flower, you can draw
attention to color, texture, shape, and
form to convey a feeling or impression.

Personally, I love photographs that

make an impact without having your full
comprehension of what the subject is.
Sometimes you have an “aha” moment
when you realize that it was a daisy you
were looking at all along. Other times,
you are left with the mystery of that color,
form, or shape.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 10

 CHANGE YOUR ANGLE

How often do people photograph the

back of a flower? Try shooting your flower
from different angles – above, below,
beside. Try flipping it (or yourself) upside
down.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 11

 GET CLOSER

You’ve probably heard experienced

photographers advise, “fill your frame.”
Flower macros provide a unique
opportunity to get very close to your
subject. Have your flower touch the
edge of the frame or spill over it entirely.
Sometimes, when moving closer, you find
a more flattering composition.

How close can you get? That depends

on the length of your lens. The minimum
focus distance on my lens is around 11
inches, which is a typical distance.

Another advantage of getting closer and

having a narrow DOF is bokeh. In the
photo on the left, the bokeh is a result
of light reflecting off the far petals in the
photograph. I like the soft, dreamy effect
it conveys.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 12

 PLAY THE NUMBERS

Shoot flowers in bunches. Having lots of

flowers in focus, or in the background,
can make for great patterns and
repetition.

Got a field of flowers? Get down low, find

one standout specimen to shoot, and let
the rest become a lovely soft background.

If you are shooting a small group of

flowers, try and shoot in threes for a more
pleasing composition.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 13

 COLOR IT UP

Look for contrasting colors to make your

flower “pop.” Or shoot in all cool or all
warm colors.

TRY BLACK AND WHITE

You don’t see too many black and white

flower photos out there. I really enjoy
playing with black and white when
shooting flowers. Sometimes you will
notice things like texture or tone that
you may not “see” when looking at your
subject in color.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 14

 USE A PROP

Try shooting your flower on or in

something interesting. Vases are great,
but why not use something different?
Flowers sticking out of a watering can
spout, a spoon full of flowers, or flowers
laying on something reflective will amp up
your photo and make it more interesting.

The image on page 3 was shot using a

thimble-sized teacup and a shallow depth
of field. Get creative, have fun, and make
something memorable.

SHOOT THE IMPERFECTIONS

Most people look for perfect specimens,

but imperfect flowers have character
and interest that perfect flowers lack. For
interesting juxtaposition, try shooting a
perfect specimen beside one that is old
and imperfect. Or a flower bud against a
Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley
mature flower.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 15

 YOUNG AND OLD

Don’t wait for flowers to come to full

bloom before you photograph them.
Shoot buds that are just opening, and
flowers drooping and dropping their
petals. People seldom stop to smell (or
photograph) the roses that are spent;
their petals falling to the ground. Or what
about a flower that has gone to seed?
Create a shot that makes viewers look
twice!

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

Try shooting right after it rains. Beads of

water collect on the surface of the flower,
creating interest. And water drops in the
background create great bokeh.

Try adjusting your aperture a bit to see

how that bokeh changes. The quality (size
and softness) of your bokeh can change
with a small adjustment in aperture.

No rain? Try “misting” your flowers using

a hose nozzle.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 16

 WELCOME GUESTS

Insects frequent flowers, so don’t be

surprised if you catch a shot of one
visiting! I am often (pleasantly) surprised
to find a spider, ant, or bee hanging out
on a flower that I am photographing. Go
with it – you may catch a great shot, even
if it wasn’t in the plan.

Recommended Reading: If you’d

like to master camera settings to
create gorgeous, creamy, blurry
backgrounds, grab a copy of
Photzy’s premium guide: Beautiful
Background Blur.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 17

 TIDYING UP

I don’t often talk about post-processing, but there through the viewfinder. They often show themselves
is a tool I use without fail when editing my flower in post-processing when viewed on the larger screen.
photographs. That tool is the spot-removal tool.
So once you have loaded your photos and begun
Flowers have this beautiful, and sometimes annoying, the weeding and editing process, take some time to
thing called pollen. Pollen is fine and may even be enlarge your photo and hunt for distracting bits of
the thing you choose to focus on, unless it ends up pollen, dirt, and other debris.
on a part of the flower that distracts your viewer from
the thing you want them to see. Use the spot healing tool to clean up these pieces, as
they can be very distracting when viewed at a larger
Flowers can also have tiny specks of dirt and dust size and detract from your photo as a whole.
that you won’t see on your camera review screen or

CONCLUSION

One thing I will recommend to anyone starting out Hopefully this guide has also given you some ideas
shooting flower macros is to spend some time on to get out there, shoot macro, and create some
photo sharing sites looking at shots of flowers. You amazing flower photos. Have fun!
will see what works, what doesn’t, and what has
been done a thousand times. You will also see some
outstanding photos that will give you ideas.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 18

 Self-Check Quiz: 5) Try to avoid shooting on _______________
days, and always use a _____________ to get
1) What are two things you can do to achieve sharp images.
a narrow depth of field when shooting
flowers? 6) Bokeh can be achieved by using a
_____________ depth of field and getting
2) What piece of equipment is useful for _____________ to your subject.
providing light to shadowed areas of your
subject? 7) To be sure you are getting the right
part of your photo in focus, use the
3) If your window light is too harsh, use a _________________ setting on your lens.
____________ to diffuse it.
8) What is an effective post-processing tool for
4) Focus stacking can be achieved by taking removing unwanted pollen or dirt in your
several shots of your subject at different photo?
focal lengths and then “stacking” them
using post-processing software. What piece 9) List five ways you can get creative when
of equipment should you always use when shooting flower macros.
doing this?

PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS WITH A MACRO LENS // © PHOTZY.COM 19

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we're here to help you every step of the way! Here are 3 of our most useful (and
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sheets that will help you the #1 thing holding your downloadable (pdf) tutorials on
understand the basics. photography back. everything you can imagine.

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Check out our friends at DailyPhotoTips.com they'll send you 1 solid photography tip
to your inbox, 5 days a week. So you can start your day right, with actionable tips to
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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Congratulations! You’ve completed
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IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

Leanne Cleaveley is a hobby photographer, part-time LEARNING AND IMPROVING
elementary school teacher, and full-time mother and wife.
She loves reading, gardening, crafting, and music – and
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE
contemplates ways to find more time in the day to pursue her VISIT PHOTZY.COM
hobbies. Her photographs can be found on Flickr.

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