7 Photography Tips for Florists
Earlier this week I chatted in a live broadcast with the lovely Deirdre in Kay’s Flower School. This was part of their Professional Floristry Certificate Course. We chatted about how florists can photograph their own work and what are the best/easiest ways for them to do it. Afterwards, Deirdre asked me to put all my answers in to a blog post so here it is. I hope you find it helpful.
1. What are your top tips for taking photos of a flower arrangement?
- Find good lighting: Lighting is essential when taking photographs. Natural light is the best option, so try to take your photos near a window or outside in a well-lit area. Avoid direct sunlight or harsh shadows, as they can obscure details and colours. If you’re using window light try and position the flowers opposite the window and position yourself between the window and the flowers, with your back to the window.
- Choose the right angle: Experiment with different angles to find the best one for your flower arrangement. Try shooting from above, below, or at eye level to get a different perspective.
- Use a simple background: A plain, neutral-colored background will help your flower arrangement stand out and prevent distractions.
- Adjust your focus: Make sure your camera is focusing on the flower arrangement, not the background or anything else in the frame. Use the autofocus feature or manually adjust the focus to ensure sharp and clear images.
- Play with depth of field: Depth of field refers to how much of the photo is in focus. Try adjusting the aperture (f. number) to create a shallow depth of field, which will blur the background and highlight the flowers in the foreground.
2. What background should I use for taking my flower photos?
Ultimately, the choice of background depends on your brand and the look you want to achieve. Experiment with different options and see what works best for your brand and your flower photos.
- Solid Color Background: A simple and clean background like a solid color can make your flower stand out and add contrast to the photo.
- Natural Background: You can use a natural background like a garden, field, or forest to give your flower photos a more organic and natural look.
- Patterned Background: If you want to add some texture or interest to your photos, you can use a patterned background like a wallpaper or fabric.
Be mindful of your website background when selecting a background. Chose something that contrasts with your website background – so if your website is white, don’t pick white but can be a 5% tint of black if you want to keep it minimal. You can also edit the background after in something like Canva.
3. Should I have people in my photos of my flowers?
If the purpose of the photo is to showcase the beauty of the flowers themselves, then it may be better to exclude people from the photo to avoid any distraction. For example in your webstore.
However, if you want to capture the beauty of the flowers in the context of a human environment or activity, including people in the photo can add an interesting element of contrast or scale. Additionally, if you’re taking photos for social media, having people in the photo can help create a personal and relatable touch. I like to include hands or have the subject hold the bouquet so it doesn’t show their face.
Ultimately, the decision to include people in photos of flowers depends on the story or message you want to convey through the photo.
4. What advice do you have on photoshopping colours of wedding flowers?
My preference is not to edit the colours but ultimately whether or not to edit or enhance your flower photos is a personal choice, and depends on your artistic vision and the intended purpose of the photo.
In some cases, editing or enhancing a photo can help to improve its overall quality or bring out certain details in the image. For example, you may want to adjust the colour balance or brightness, remove distracting elements from the background, or apply a specific artistic effect to create a certain mood or feeling.
However, it is important to keep in mind that over-editing a photo can also result in an unrealistic or overly-processed look, which may detract from the natural beauty of the flowers. It’s important to strike a balance between enhancing the photo and preserving the essence of the subject matter.
You don’t want to mislead your client by thinking they can get something they can’t.
5. Do I need special lights for taking photos of flower arrangements?
While it is not necessary to have special lights to take photos of flower arrangements, having proper lighting can greatly enhance the quality of your photos.
When photographing flowers, it is important to have a good source of natural or artificial light that provides even illumination without creating harsh shadows or reflections. Natural light is generally preferred as it provides a more natural look to the photo, but if natural light is not available or suitable, artificial light can also work well.
If you are using artificial light, you may want to consider using a softbox or diffuser to soften the light and prevent harsh shadows. You can also experiment with the position and angle of the lights to create different effects and highlight certain features of the arrangement.
6. Should I just use stock images on my website?
Using stock images on your website can be a convenient and cost-effective way to add visual interest to your content. However, there are some potential downsides to using stock images that you should consider before making a decision.
One issue is that stock images can be overused, which can make your website look generic and less unique. Additionally, using stock images that don’t accurately represent your brand or content can confuse your audience and potentially harm your credibility.
Another issue is that using stock images can also raise copyright and licensing concerns. While most stock image providers offer licenses for their images, it’s important to carefully read and understand the terms of the license agreement to avoid any legal issues.
Overall, while stock images can be a useful tool for website design, it’s important to use them strategically and sparingly. Whenever possible, consider using original photos or hiring a professional photographer to create unique and high-quality images that accurately represent your brand and content.
7. Is it rude to ask photographers for photos from a wedding?
Personally, I’ve no problem with it as long as you link to my website from yours and tag on social media and don’t crop in or add filters.It is not necessarily rude to ask a photographer for photos of the flowers from a wedding, but it’s important to approach the request respectfully and considerately. Keep in mind that the photographer may have their own policies regarding sharing or selling their work, and they may not be able to fulfill your request for various reasons.
If the photographer is willing and able to provide you with the requested photos, they may charge a fee for their time and effort. The cost of the photos will depend on several factors, such as the number of photos, the resolution, and the intended use. The photographer may also have a specific pricing structure for additional prints or digital copies of their work.
To avoid any miscommunications or misunderstandings, it’s important to discuss the details of the request with the photographer upfront, including the number and type of photos you need, the intended use, and the cost. Be clear about your budget and expectations, and respect the photographer’s time and effort by compensating them fairly for their work.
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