Project 1 Long lens luxury

A telephoto lens is one of the best optics for shooting flowers, enabling you to concentrate on a limited zone within a chaotic area of planting. By finding an interesting bloom and shooting with your widest aperture, you can separate your focal point from an otherwise distracting background.

As you are limiting the depth of field, make sure you are focusing precisely on the point you want to be critically sharp, then allow the drop-off in sharpness to wrap the subject within pleasing diffusion, both in front and behind. You can even position your lens right against closer flowers if you want to create washes of colours to frame the flower you are focusing on.

Shooting when the sun isn’t too harsh will keep a subtle gradation in your lighting and avoid the ugly hotspots that can be created when harsh direct lighting reflects off shiny petals and leaves. Long lenses can be heavy to handhold so, if possible, mount your telephoto on a tripod via its lens collar.