5 top tips

Give your floral photos some sparkle

1 Add water droplets

If you shoot your florals early in the day, you might get natural dewdrops forming on the flowers – but this isn’t going to happen in the afternoon, so add your own with a good oldfashioned water sprayer. All it takes is a quick spray of water onto the flower head. Don’t overdo it, or the flower will become saturated and droplets will merge too much. You simply want a nice spread of individual droplets to add some sparkle.

2 Reflect and shade

Even with surplus light on a bright summer afternoon, you’ll find a use for a reflector. For starters it will bounce some of that natural light into darker areas, filling the shadows and revealing more of the interesting hidden detail. It can also act as a simple sun blocker, creating even shade over your subject and helping you to avoid exposure issues. You don’t need a large reflector for floral work. In fact, if your reflector is too big, you’ll find it more of a hindrance than a help on breezy days!

3 Stop it from swaying

Ask a professional garden photographer what they hate most of all, and they’ll mention the wind! Even a slight breeze can wreak havoc with floral photography – and the taller or more spindly the flower’s stem is, the more it’s going to move. There are purpose-made gadgets to help out, but often all you need is a cane pushed into the ground and a twist tie to anchor it to the stem and prevent the flower moving too much.

4 Try colour backdrops

While a totally natural background is often aesthetically the best option when it comes to your floral photos, there are times when popping some coloured card behind your subject will give you a photo with added impact. Experiment with both complementary and harmonious colours to see which you like best.

You can attach your card to a couple of garden canes using nothing more than a clothes peg on each side, then position your makeshift studio background as required.

5 Soft-focus effects

To create a soft, almost dreamy effect in your photo, shoot through an old CD case smeared with vaseline. It will reduce contrast and blur the parts of the frame where the gel has been applied. Leave the main subject clear of gel, so it is still sharp. If you’re able to in the bright conditions, look at the results you’re getting on the rear display. While it might seem crazy to put a piece of cheap plastic in front of your expensive lens, it’s a technique that yields some surprisingly good results.