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I am much better at gardening than I am at photography, so please don't judge me on my photography skills! This is a night blooming cereus that I grow. These flowers are about the size of a dinner plate. From bud to bloom takes about 26 days. It blooms at night after dark and then is gone (totally wilted) by the next morning. A magical flower with a hauntingly beautiful scent.
Here is a shot I captured back in 2006 with my first dslr, a 3 megapixel Canon D30. I love to manipulate the background blur so that it becomes an artistic part of the composition. One trick I've used is to use a close-up attachment lens (diopter). They are pretty inexpensive. They both allow you to shoot closer to the subject and shorten the depth of field, giving that beautiful pillowy-soft background blur. In this image, I used an inexpensive old Sigma 28-135mm lens with a pretty cheap screw-on close-up lens.
I can't wait for the spring. With all that snow dumped on us, this should be a great spring for flower photos.
Okay, most of the photos on this thread look like professional stuff, but with the caveat that I'm a beginner, I'll post a pic I took just before sunset this evening. It wasn't very bright out, but I lay down on the ground to get several pics of my snowdrops in bloom. They are only about 3" tall. En masse, they create a sea of white at the back of my yard ~ true harbingers of spring!
Okay, most of the photos on this thread look like professional stuff, but with the caveat that I'm a beginner, I'll post a pic I took just before sunset this evening. It wasn't very bright out, but I lay down on the ground to get several pics of my snowdrops in bloom. They are only about 3" tall. En masse, they create a sea of white at the back of my yard ~ true harbingers of spring!
Okay, most of the photos on this thread look like professional stuff, but with the caveat that I'm a beginner, I'll post a pic I took just before sunset this evening. It wasn't very bright out, but I lay down on the ground to get several pics of my snowdrops in bloom. They are only about 3" tall. En masse, they create a sea of white at the back of my yard ~ true harbingers of spring!
Nice shots! We're all doing this because we enjoy it so beginners are certainly welcome! The fact that you were willing to lay down to get these shots is a good sign. It means that you are willing to do the hard work of getting the best composition. Good flower photography can't be done without getting your clothes dirty. You will progress quickly since you're not afraid to step out of your comfort zone to get the shots you want!
May a make a suggestion? The second shot holds alot of promise because there is a stronger center of interest. Try to compose so that the eye is drawn to a strong single subject rather than a bunch of flowers. If your camera focuses closer, get it as close as you can to your subject. It will blur the background more, eliminating distracting elements.
Here is a sample of what I mean (see below). Notice how 1 tulip is in sharp focus while the rest are blurred? If you are using a DSLR, you can buy a very cheap set of screw-on close-up lens adapters (make sure you get the right size for your camera lens) that allow you to focus much closer to a single flower. It will also reduce the depth-of-field, giving you a nice blurred background. Hope this helps and keep submitting your pics!
May a make a suggestion? The second shot holds alot of promise because there is a stronger center of interest. Try to compose so that the eye is drawn to a strong single subject rather than a bunch of flowers. If your camera focuses closer, get it as close as you can to your subject. It will blur the background more, eliminating distracting elements.
Thanks for the tip, Design. That's what I was going for, but the pic you see is the closest zoom I could get. This spring I expect to have more time to mess with the new DSLR, actually read the owner's manual (ha ha) and check out the software that came with it. This was just a point and shoot with an automatic setting. I appreciate your input!
Here is a sample of what I mean (see below). Notice how 1 tulip is in sharp focus while the rest are blurred? If you are using a DSLR, you can buy a very cheap set of screw-on close-up lens adapters (make sure you get the right size for your camera lens) that allow you to focus much closer to a single flower. It will also reduce the depth-of-field, giving you a nice blurred background. Hope this helps and keep submitting your pics!
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Is the screw-on close-up lens adapter to be used instead of an expensive macro lens? I would've loved to get the macro lens, but it was outside my budget. I'll have to check out the adaptors.
I did try a couple of shots, just for the heck of it, with the "portrait" setting, and expected a blurred background, but I couldn't tell much of a difference between that and the regular setting or the macro setting.
I can't wait to work with the camera when I have more time. I have long work days and commute time, so I don't have much free time. Hopefully, soon.......!
Okay, Design7......here are a few I took just a short while ago.
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Night blooming cereus
