Fabulous Flower Photography with Kathleen Clemons

Fabulous Flower Photography

with Kathleen Clemons

Episode 115

The Appeal of the Flower

• Kathleen’s obsession with flower photography started with a class assignment where her only subjects available were the flowers in her hospital room.
• She loves the lines, shapes, colors and textures of the flowers, but she’s most attracted to the curves.

“The macro world is much easier for me - I see details.”

Tips for Flower Photography

• Choose good light

Soft - If necessary, use a diffuser placed between your light source and the subject.

Kathleen uses a plant clamp (Plamp ) to clamp her diffuser to a tripod (that isn’t holding her camera).

Even - Use a reflector to help add or even out the light on your subject.

A white foam-core trifold display board works well as both a background and to bounce light from the side panels.

Don’t introduce new lines from shadows to divide petals.

Indoors - The same rules apply.

Try to use diffused natural light from a window.

Set your white balance to compensate for fluorescent lighting if that is your only light source.

“Don’t ‘do it later in photoshop’, you won’t remember the color accurately.”

• Play with depth of field

Shoot through flowers - have foreground blossoms right up against the lens.

• Choose a good subject

“I’m always looking for something that makes that flower individual - different from those around it.”

• Know your gear

Extension tubes can help reduce the depth of field without the need for a new lens.

LensBaby has a line of lenses with selective focus, a “sweet spot” of focus surrounded by blur. The lens can be tilted to create distortion and depth.

- Composer - Velvet Series - Sol

- Edge Series (focuses on a slice rather than a spot)

• Crop in camera

Create the image that’s in your head - NOW.

If making large prints, this gives you ALL the pixels.

If you’re focused on not cropping, you tend to be more careful and deliberate with your shots.

• Include the background

Add textures for interest. Use a light hand, you want it to ADD to the image, not take over. (See Kathleen’s E-book on textures here.)

“You never want the texture to become a secondary subject.”

Finding Kathleen

Website - KathleenClemons.com

Facebook - Kathleen Clemons & Kathleen Clemons Photography

Instagram - @kathleenclemons & @kathleenclemonsphotography