Wildflower Photography

“The possibilities awaiting the wildflower photographer are limited only by imagination and openness to new techniques.”

By Ira J. Schneller

Spring is finally here and if you’re like most nature photographers your thoughts have turned to photographing wildflowers. It seems that no matter how many wildflower images we have in our files, we keep adding more every spring. Last year, I photographed over three dozen species, yet I’ll be out there in the field again this spring to shoot more. The techniques used to photograph our native flora are many, ranging from specialized macro setups to extreme wide-angle compositions.

The most powerful technique of all, however, is personal experience. Read my advice, but then get out there and burn film. That’s the best way to learn how to photograph anything.

Equipment. Probably the best camera for wildflowers is the one you already own, but if you’re planning to buy a new one, consider an SLR with the following features:

• Depth of field preview: To pre-judge the zone of sharp focus and to check the background.

• A mirror lock-up: To pre-lock the reflex mirror before making the exposure to prevent vibration when shooting at high magnification.

• A port for cable or electronic release: For vibration-free photography.

• Automatic exposure with override: To fine-tune the exposure settings and compensate for subjects of light/dark tonality, etc.

• A 100 percent viewfinder: For a full view of everything the film or the sensor records, especially helpful in preventing distractions that jut in on the edges of the frame.

Lenses. You can make good wildflower images with any focal length, but the majority of shots will fall somewhere in the 24-300mm zoom range.

Tripods. A sturdy tripod is the “American Express” of nature photography; don’t leave home without it! Whichever model you choose, make sure it is sturdy and rugged and that the head can be lowered close to ground level. (Buy a short center post or saw off the original one if possible.) For rigid support that means a tripod that weighs 5-lbs. or more or a quality carbon fiber model with a solid ball head. I find these easier and less cumbersome to use than the pan-tilt heads.

Film. With slides, you get the best image saturation and sharpness with a slow film from ISO 50 to 100. I like Fujichrome Velvia (ISO 50) for its extreme sharpness and rich, saturated colors. I also like to use Kodak E 100 VS (ISO 100) when I need a faster shutter speed or more depth of field. I’m currently shooting 75 percent of my work digitally with a Canon 10D, and film with a Canon A2E.

Filters. A polarizer is useful for increasing image saturation and for removing distracting reflections from wet foliage. However, the loss of up to two stops of light is always a consideration. Warming filters (81A or 81B) counteract the bluish cast that often occurs when shooting in the shade or on gray days.

Dealing with wind. A breeze moving the subjects creates the biggest challenge a wildflower photographer faces. There are several things you can do to retain your sanity, however (aside from flash to freeze motion):

1. Shoot early in the morning before the wind picks up. Late evening is sometimes calm, too, but the light usually fades before the wind.
   
   
2. Choose a faster film. Increasing film speed from ISO 50 to ISO 200 gains you two full stops in shutter speed. That can make the difference between sharp and not sharp.
   
   
3. For shots of single flowers, sharpen one end of a dowel rod and stick it into the ground to intersect the stem. Carefully twist a pipe cleaner around the stem and stake. Avoid wire or string as they can damage the plant. There are other devices you can buy that clamp onto your tripod on one end and clamp onto the flower stem on the other end.
   
   
4. Choose a slower shutter speed, such as ¼ sec. Windy days and long exposures can combine to make interesting, impressionistic images.
   
   
5. Place a windbreaker around the subject that can serve as a background or use a reflector/diffuser that does double duty.
   

Macro techniques. The most inexpensive method of achieving higher magnification is to attach a supplementary close-up lens (also called a “plus diopter”) to a zoom lens in the 75-300mm range. The most commonly available double element “achromatic” accessories of this type (with highly corrected optics) are Nikon’s “T” series, and the “CU 500D” and “250D” series from Canon. If you find another brand, make sure it is a two-element design for optimal quality. There is no loss of light when this optic is screwed onto the front of the lens.

Macro lenses are the sharpest and most convenient method for achieving high magnification, but they also are the most expensive and they do not allow you to change composition by zooming the lens. The latter is a primary advantage of the zoom/supplementary close-up lens combination. Macro lenses normally come in focal lengths ranging from 50-200mm. The longer focal lengths provide much greater working distance and background control, crucial elements in macro photography. You can add a teleconverter to shorter focal length lenses and achieve the same results, albeit with a corresponding loss of light. Extension tubes may also be used to increase the magnification as they allow all lenses to focus closer than their stated minimum distance.

At high magnifications depth of field is very shallow so make sure to align the film plane (the back of the camera) with the most important plane of the scene. If there is no obvious plane, just choose the single most important element of the scene and focus on that.

Background control. There are five methods to create those poster-like backgrounds that everyone likes so much. One, or a combination, should be applicable to most any close-up situation:

1. Choose a longer focal length lens. This narrows the field of view, effectively eliminating much of the distracting background.
   
   
2. Choose a subject far removed from the background for a non-focused effect.
   
   
3. Shoot at a higher magnification. The higher the magnification, the less the depth of field, rendering the background more out of focus.
   
   
4. Choose a larger aperture (smaller f/stop) for less depth of field.
   
   
5. Use an artificial background if all else fails, poster board perhaps.

Controlling Natural Light. When shooting close-up scenes you can take control of the lighting and manipulate it to suit your needs. Diffusion umbrellas or screens can be held between the subject and the sun. Reflector panels can eliminate the harsh, contrasty lighting on sunny days by bouncing extra light into critical areas of the scene to fill in shadows. Reflectors are available in gold, silver, and white. Gold provides a pleasing warm cast, while the white and silver have little effect on the color.

Conclusion. Remember, any advice is meaningless if not applied correctly to each photographer’s style. In other words, don’t take everything you read as gospel until you get out and try it for yourself. The possibilities awaiting the wildflower photographer are limited only by imagination and openness to new techniques. Try everything, then settle on what works for you.

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As always, if you have any questions or comments about this or other photography subjects, contact me at ijschneller@msn.com or call 215-781-6360.

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Ira's selected wildflower images