Composing Photos

Composing Wildflower Photos There are lots of books and other websites that talk about nature photography. And there is lots of good advice. On this page, I will simply mention a few of the main ideas of things I consider when getting a photograph. What Catches My Eye?    As I walk through the woods, I keep my eyes open for all kinds of possible subjects. On this page, I will talk mostly about wildflowers.    Sometimes I have a specific idea and I set out intentionally to get a certain type of shot. But most of the time, I'll simply be walking along a trail and see something beautiful, and then I feel inspired.    This shot of Rue Anemone (right) was such a case. The clump was beautiful. I wanted to photograph it. I started by capturing the image of the clump, then I closed in tighter. Still I was not happy with certain aspects of the image, like the way one flower seems to just hang there on the edge of the frame. So I shifted to a vertical framing, and this one did the trick for me. I wanted to show not just the beauty of the flower, but also wanted to show the general structure.--the "three plus one" arrangment of the flowers, with the single top flower rising above the others, and three more flowers forming a whorl just below it.    This yellow trillium (below) was a challenge at first. I decided to be creative and go for a more artistic shot, rather than the type of shot you might find in a field guide. I intentionally cut out the leaves, and zoomed right in on the flower. The first attempt included some brown leaf litter in the background. Though it was ok, I knew I could do better. I shifted the position of the tripod, carefully, to avoid crushing any other plans. By shifting my perspective just a little, I went from an acceptable shot to a shot I liked a lot.

. What Catches My Eye? . This is

This Sequence Shows Several Ways of Framing the Shot

Using a Diffuser A diffuser helps soften harsh sunlight. Sometimes it makes the image a little to "flat" but usually it helps reduce distracting contrast that can occur when a shot is taken in full sun. Sunny Versus Cloudy Day Above are two shots of the same patch of large white trillium. The top left shot shows the flowers on a sunny day. Notice the specks of sunlight throughout the frame. This can be distracting. The bottom right shot shows the same basic patch of flowers the following day when the sky was mostly covered in clouds. The clouds produce a more even light, which helps simplify the shot. The Diffuser Softens the Light When used in full sun, notice how the diffuser (above) creates a partial shadow, allowing some light to pass through. As a result, harsh shadows are softened and contrast is reduced. Using a Reflector A reflector adds a little light to a subject that is a bit too dark or flat. Sometimes on a sunny day, I use a reflector with a diffuser. The diffuser softens the light and removes harsh shadows, but the reflector adds a little side-light on the subject, and also some warmth. At other times, I use a reflector to brighten the darker areas (like tha shadows) of a shot. Diffuser Versus Diffuser/Reflector On this sunny day, little bit of warm reflected light can really bring out the texture and details of the spring beauty flower in the partial shade of a diffuser (above left) as compared to the same shot diffused but without the reflector. Full Sun Versus Diffuser/Reflector Full sunlight (above left) can be rather harsh, especially for a flower with white petals. Yet diffused light can be flat. A good combination is shown here (above on the right) where I diffused the sunlight and added a reflector.

Early AM Sun Versus Diffuser As with the bloodroot flowers shown above, sometimes I let the sun shine on the subject, especially if it's early morning or late afternoon. At those times, the sun is low in the sky and not too harsh. Sunlight of this type can add a level of depth and detail that would be lost if the light were diffused by either clouds or a diffuser. Using a Diffuser on this Orchid As shown with these orchid photos, full sunlight can add a lot of contrast (left), and as a result it can be distracting. By using a diffuser to soften the light (right), the shadows are less pronounced and the shape and texture of the plant can be seen more easily. Look carefully at the shadow across the large leaf. But beware. At times, however, the diffuser can flatten an image and make it less appealing, so if that appears to be the case, I might add some soft warm light with my reflector (see below). Depth of Field As shown with phacelia above, the diffuser softens the light and removes obvious shadows. The decision on whether to use a diffuser depends in part on the intent of the shot. I PLAN TO INSERT A PICTURE OF MY REFLECTOR SOON. PLEASE BE PATIENT. Diffused Sunlight Versus Diffuser/Reflector This primarily green photo shows the bud of a trillium. The top left shot shows the sunlight coming in from the top. It was a hazy day, so the light was not too severe, however, I didn't like the glare on the leaves and it seemed that some side-lighting would be nice because the bud itself appeared flat. So I held my silver/gold reflector somewhat low and to the left, and tilted it until the reflected sunlight shined on the side of the bud. This added warmth (from the golden color of the reflector) and depth, and really made the bud stand out. Warm Light of Sunrise The quality of light can make the difference between a good photo and a great photo. Sunrise and sunset are two of the best times to do photography. During mid day, diffusers and reflectors can help with some subjects, but clearly diffusers would be useless with something as large as this mud formation in the Badlands!

Changing Aperture on Phacelia This is an extremely closeup shot of a complex flower about the size of a dime. As a result, I suggest using a narrow aperture of f-22 or f-32 for the sake of maximizing the depth of field. In this shot, the background is not an issue. More important is simply whether the details of the flower can be seen, and whether they are in focus. Clearly, a tripod is essential to hold the camera steady for 1/3 to 1/2 second. Also, I had to wait for a lull in the wind. Depth of Field

Changing Aperture on May Apple At f-11 (wider aperture) the background gets thrown out of focus to some degree, leading to a less complicated and distracting image, as compared to f-22 (narrow aperture). Since it was easy to get the entire sprout in focus using either aperture, I would suggest using f-11 in this case to simplify the image and bring out the subject against its background. As shown to the left, I typically I focus on the closest part of a flower, but that depends on the shot. There are a few exceptions to the rule. For example, if some portion of the petals on the ege of the frame are closer than the stamen, I might not bother to try and get them into focus too.