3 Fantastic florals

Achieve fantastic results with a simple set-up of flowers in a vase, plus some budget-friendly props that you’re likely to have at home already

Flowers are fantastic subjects for still-life because they’re readily available – you may even have a wondrous arrangement in your garden! They’re full of colour and look fantastic, too. You can pick up a brilliant assortment of flowers at your local supermarket from just £3. Get an arrangement with plenty of different colours that you can experiment with, and look for ones in good condition: wilted flowers don’t make good photos.

Here we’re going to show you some handy camera skills that you can use to elevate your flower still-life images. The best news is that you don’t need an expensive studio setup: it can all be achieved on a strict budget.

PRO SHOT Flower arrangement

This image shot with a 100mm macro lens demonstrates how a simple setup can create a striking still-life image. No fancy lights were used here: a large window to the left of the flowers provided all of the lighting and contrast needed for a fantastic shot.

PRO ADVICE Keep your props clean

Save time editing by making sure your flower vase is free from dirt and greasy fingerprints. Use a camera-cleaning air blower to gently blow away any specks of dirt on the flower petals, so you don’t have to spend time fixing your shots in post.