How to photograph the plants and flowers in your garden

We all take great pride and joy in the flowers we grow. Each flower bulb holds an abundance of opportunity, to bring your garden to life. To colour the world around you and fill your friends with just a little bit of green envy. 

Nowadays, with social media being so easy to use, your glorious garden can be shared in an instant - so why not share it on social media in style? 

This blog post is here to give you the fundamentals you need to be able to capture the beauty of your garden – and flowers – in all their glory. Whether you want to grab a quick pic of the beautiful orchids your mother gave you, or the sunflower that surprised you on the side of the road - We’re here to help! 

Now, we’re not going to get into the nitty gritty of photography, telling you to set your aperture to f2.8 and make sure that your ISO is set correctly. This is why they made compact cameras and Smart Phones with Smart Cameras – so we don’t need to know all that stuff. This is rather to give you ways to help you - the everyday gardener - take better photos. 

Don’t run away just yet. Things are just starting to heat up!

First of all, you want to have a clear idea as to what the subject of your photo is. Most garden photos we see have everything in the shot, from the soil to the top of the tallest trees - and even the random wooden box rotting away at the end of the garden because you’re too lazy to nag your significant other any more about getting rid of it. 

We love sharing the pictures you send us – gives us the warm fuzzies that you’re having success with what we provide. But if we’re going to show off your beautiful new Hyacinth placed on your desk, then the subject is, of course, your hyacinth. Not everything on the desk! Make sure that you capture the colours and beauty of the flower bulb. 

So, take a deep breath, make sure the flower is either in the middle or slightly to the right or left. There is something called the rule of thirds (think about folding a piece of paper into three, and use those lines as a guide). And if you make sure your subject is between where the lines intersect, it will naturally look better. This also leads us to our next point.

Don’t be afraid to get close. 

Our phones have an amazing ability to capture the really fine details of something if you hold it close to the subject. (If you know exactly what the subject is, whether it be the amazing bloom or the pot you’ve bought.) Make sure that shines through with your shot. You want people focusing on the same thing you are!

Try different angles. 

You don’t have to stand like a wooden board to take a photo. Bend those knees, take shots from above, from below, get really up close and personal with your plant and maybe even try to shoot through the leaves. This is the best way to see what works and get that photo your friends – and we - will be sharing in no time.

Capture the textures and shapes of your garden. 

What better reason to take photos of your garden than to capture its unique shapes and textures? Have you ever photographed an Amaryllis/Hippeastrum petal when the sun is hitting just right in the afternoon? Well, we can tell you - it’s a must. The way the petal captures light and bounces it back at the camera is just magic.