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France-based photographer Chris Richardson explains how to capture the beauty of flowers with a digital camera
Spring is here, birds are singing and flowers are coming into bloom. So what better time to get out your digital camera and start snapping all the delights that Mother Nature has to offer?
Photography of flowers isn’t difficult; your imagination is your only limitation. However, a few guidelines may help that perfect bloom really come to life.
Be creative 
Find an unusual angle and don’t be deterred if the weather isn’t perfect. Flowers announce their presence come rain or shine. Think of water droplets on leaves after a rain storm or the snow that makes a leaf or petal bend under its weight.
The formalised gardens of Chateaux in France and stately homes in the UK provide superb opportunities as do the tulip markets in Amsterdam. The Chelsea Flower Show in London later in the season is an excellent source of floral displays and the slopes of the Alps and Pyrenees are wonderful for wild flowers and terrific landscapes.
Moving in
Whether it’s a field of waving sunflowers or a perfect orchid, when you see your subject matter you should instantly recognise how to shoot it. Try different perspectives until you arrive at perfection.
If you have manual settings on your camera always use them. For close up work, the macro facility – available on most HP Photosmart digital cameras - is excellent, not just for fine detail but also for blurring out the background to draw the eye towards the subject.
If possible, avoid using auto-focus as it will be forever whirring in its attempt to lock onto the intricate folds and crevasses of the flower. And if you don’t have a macro facility, move the camera in closer to make your subject as large as possible.
Looking natural
One of the drawbacks of digital photography is that enlarging selected areas of an image is dependent on the number of pixels available. Using a camera with at least five megapixels such as one of HP’s M-series models should help alleviate the problem as should choosing a slower shutter speed setting.
Whether you use daylight or your own artificial lighting, remember that top light always looks the most natural. However, positioning your blooms with the light behind them will also exploit the translucent qualities of many species and bring out details.
Diffuse the light
Never use the direct flash from your camera but if unavoidable, cover it with some folds of kitchen grease-proof paper or similar, to diffuse the light. The auto exposure should compensate for the flash’s reduced output.
You can also compensate for the colour of a warm light bulb or a fluorescent tube either with the white balance (WB) setting on your camera or with your preferred imaging software such as HP’s Photosmart Essential.
Finally, always use a tripod where possible. Your images will be sharper and it helps in the structure and composition of your shot.
Top tips for shooting flowers
• Go manual Experiment with aperture and shutter speeds. Open up and narrow your depth of field. Try over-exposure and shooting against the sun
• Colour up Take your pictures to the computer and play around with the colour balance and saturation settings in your imaging software.
• Be brave If the wind is too great then let some movement into the frame and use it to your advantage. Or make a wind-break from a piece of card.
• Be different Convert your images to black and white. A filtered sky and some dark and contrasting blooms can make stunning images.
• Hide the background If photographing individual blooms or small groups remove any undesirable background using a white/black board or a cloth behind the flower.
Chris Richardson runs digital photography holidays in France. For more information visit http://pix2pixels.co.uk/.
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