Ron Bigelow Photography Articles
Digital Photography - How to Capture Great Wildflower Photos
by Ron Bigelow
There are few subjects that draw photographers as much as wildflowers. Why shouldn't it be so? After all, wildflowers seem to offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast. It's no wonder that so many people photograph wildflowers. However, like any other area of photography, creating wildflower images that rise above the ordinary requires knowledge and skill. Thus, this article looks at seven ways that can be used to create great wildflower images.
Pristine
In order to create great wildflower images, one must start with the proper components. In this case, the proper components are the wildflowers. However, not just any wildflower will do. The wildflowers must be in pristine condition. Wildflowers that are not perfectly fresh, have marks, or have been partially eaten by bugs should not be used.
Center of Interest
A great wildflower photo needs a strong center of interest. The center of interest is the thing that grabs the attention of the viewer. For example, the center of interest might be a ladybug on one of the wildflower pedals or a brightly colored wildflower center. The point is that the center of interest not only serves to grab the viewer's attention but also to hold it. Without a strong center of interest, the viewer quickly loses interest and moves on to something else.
Great Composition
After identifying a strong center of interest, the next step is to determine the composition of the image. The composition of an image consists in how the various objects in the image are arranged with respect to each other. There are many different approaches to composing an image. One approach that is easy yet produces excellent results is the rule of thirds. When using the rule of thirds, a photographer simply mentally divides the image into thirds (both vertically and horizontally). The photographer then places the center of interest such that it is located at one of the points where the lines cross.
The rule of thirds can create some create compositions. These compositions usually have a balanced yet dynamic feel to them. Conversely, placing the center of interest at other points in the image can sometimes create weaker compositions. As an example, when the center of interest is placed at the center of an image, the result may be a weak image that has a static or less dynamic feel.
Use Subtraction
Now that the center of interest has been identified and properly placed in the image, the rest of the elements in the image should help strengthen the center of interest. In other words, they should help direct the viewer's attention to the center of interest. This is where the art of subtraction becomes important.
The art of subtraction involves removing everything in the image that does not support the center of interest. For instance, if there is a stick or rock at the edge of the viewfinder that does not help the center of interest in any way, the image should be recomposed to remove the stick or rock from the image.
The art of subtraction is one of the best ways to strengthen an image. This is because any object that does not support the center of interest will distract from it by drawing the attention of the viewer from the center of interest.
Move in Close for a Great Image
Moving in close helps to make the center of interest larger and more dominant. It also removes unnecessary detail along the edges of the image.
Contrasting Colors
Our human perceptual system is naturally drawn to contrasting colors. This is a natural reaction. It is basically hard wired into our perceptual system. Photographers can use this natural response to create great wildflower images. We just need to look for wildflowers that have contrasting colors or look for groups of wildflowers where the individual wildflowers have color that contrasts. Such wildflowers create much more powerful images than wildflowers that have only a single color.
Leading Lines Increase Impact
This is a very powerful technique. In an image, leading lines point toward the center of interest. Leading lines actually do two things simultaneously. They strongly direct the viewer's eye to the center of interest, and they emphasize the graceful nature of the wildflower in an image. Leading lines can be formed by the edges of the wildflower pedals, by colors of the wildflowers, or any other line or object that points toward the center of interest.
In Summary
These techniques should help you create great wildflower images that rise above the ordinary.
If you would like to learn even more about photographing flowers, please check out Ron's full length flower article at Photographing Flowers . Want to learn more about taking powerful images? Visit Ron's free site at Ron Bigelow Photography to learn the skills that you can use to become a great photographer.
There are few subjects that draw photographers as much as wildflowers. Why shouldn't it be so? After all, wildflowers seem to offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast. It's no wonder that so many people photograph wildflowers. However, like any other area of photography, creating wildflower images that rise above the ordinary requires knowledge and skill. Thus, this article looks at seven ways that can be used to create great wildflower images.
Pristine
In order to create great wildflower images, one must start with the proper components. In this case, the proper components are the wildflowers. However, not just any wildflower will do. The wildflowers must be in pristine condition. Wildflowers that are not perfectly fresh, have marks, or have been partially eaten by bugs should not be used.
Center of Interest
A great wildflower photo needs a strong center of interest. The center of interest is the thing that grabs the attention of the viewer. For example, the center of interest might be a ladybug on one of the wildflower pedals or a brightly colored wildflower center. The point is that the center of interest not only serves to grab the viewer's attention but also to hold it. Without a strong center of interest, the viewer quickly loses interest and moves on to something else.
Great Composition
After identifying a strong center of interest, the next step is to determine the composition of the image. The composition of an image consists in how the various objects in the image are arranged with respect to each other. There are many different approaches to composing an image. One approach that is easy yet produces excellent results is the rule of thirds. When using the rule of thirds, a photographer simply mentally divides the image into thirds (both vertically and horizontally). The photographer then places the center of interest such that it is located at one of the points where the lines cross.
The rule of thirds can create some create compositions. These compositions usually have a balanced yet dynamic feel to them. Conversely, placing the center of interest at other points in the image can sometimes create weaker compositions. As an example, when the center of interest is placed at the center of an image, the result may be a weak image that has a static or less dynamic feel.
Use Subtraction
Now that the center of interest has been identified and properly placed in the image, the rest of the elements in the image should help strengthen the center of interest. In other words, they should help direct the viewer's attention to the center of interest. This is where the art of subtraction becomes important.
The art of subtraction involves removing everything in the image that does not support the center of interest. For instance, if there is a stick or rock at the edge of the viewfinder that does not help the center of interest in any way, the image should be recomposed to remove the stick or rock from the image.
The art of subtraction is one of the best ways to strengthen an image. This is because any object that does not support the center of interest will distract from it by drawing the attention of the viewer from the center of interest.
Move in Close for a Great Image
Moving in close helps to make the center of interest larger and more dominant. It also removes unnecessary detail along the edges of the image.
Contrasting Colors
Our human perceptual system is naturally drawn to contrasting colors. This is a natural reaction. It is basically hard wired into our perceptual system. Photographers can use this natural response to create great wildflower images. We just need to look for wildflowers that have contrasting colors or look for groups of wildflowers where the individual wildflowers have color that contrasts. Such wildflowers create much more powerful images than wildflowers that have only a single color.
Leading Lines Increase Impact
This is a very powerful technique. In an image, leading lines point toward the center of interest. Leading lines actually do two things simultaneously. They strongly direct the viewer's eye to the center of interest, and they emphasize the graceful nature of the wildflower in an image. Leading lines can be formed by the edges of the wildflower pedals, by colors of the wildflowers, or any other line or object that points toward the center of interest.
In Summary
These techniques should help you create great wildflower images that rise above the ordinary.
If you would like to learn even more about photographing flowers, please check out Ron's full length flower article at Photographing Flowers . Want to learn more about taking powerful images? Visit Ron's free site at Ron Bigelow Photography to learn the skills that you can use to become a great photographer. Click to set custom HTML
