The best time of day for flower photography is early morning or early evening when the sun is low in the sky. Midday sun can be too bright, which can result in a number of problems, such as overexposure or harsh shadows being cast onto the flower, washing out any or all detail. Ideally, cloudy days are probably the best time to photograph flowers; the overcast skies will diffuse the sunlight, creating a softer, more natural photo.
Another technique you can try is to take pictures of flowers at night. Using your imagination and different light sources (flashlights, external flash units, you camera’s built-in flash, flood light, etc.), experiment and see what you come up with. You may be happily surprised with the results! Don’t forget to place your lights in different locations and at different angles too. To help you master this technique, check out these night photography tips.
What if you can’t avoid taking pictures when the sun is at its highest? There are some ways to work-around this for when you must photograph flowers in direct sunlight. If you’ve got somebody who can help, one way you can do this is, have them hold something above the flower to block the direct light. Different objects will produce different results, so experiment with items like a t-shirt, cardboard, wax paper, a cookie sheet, etc.
Additional ways to avoid the harshness of direct sunlight when creating flower photos can be learned by reading the next two tips provided in this article series.
