General Tips for Plant Photography
As an amateur food-forest builder and garden lover, I had the same questions. Throughout my photography journey, I've used digital and analog tools to capture my beloved land and found specific tips along the way. Below are tidbits of knowledge for your capturing journey and how I log my botanical observations.
1. Achieve Texture
Attempt to capture textures that are not usually seen by the naked eye.
If you choose to photograph with the macro lens, it requires a steady hand, mental focus, and just the proper distance. You'll likely end up in Twister-style positions to get the shot. Always try different angles on the same subject because it's challenging to tell if a photo really has captured a focus point and pleasant light. It also gives me lots of options to edit from. For example, flip your phone upside down when you find things like lichen and tiny mushrooms so the camera is as close to the ground as possible to get a level perspective.
2. Best Time Of Day
Plants love the sun, so you should too. Dark, eery images of your botanical subjects will seem out-of-context and a bit off. Plus, your important details might blur out when using tainted light sources.
Embrace the natural, sunny, and cloudless days when available. Most photographers will tell you that the midday sun is the worst for images, and while that might be true for most contexts, not in this case. The more sun, the better.
However, that doesn't mean you're stuck in poor conditions the rest of the time. Take note of every fleeting, passing day’s details to make them a part of your story.
3. Seasonal Highlights
Plants are alive; similar to humans, we adapt to look and feel different across various seasons. Look for year-round opportunities in our Earthly biology. Just because it's Winter and the leaves have fallen doesn't mean it's any less beautiful than Spring's flourishment.
