[Photography] Lightroom vs Photoshop: Which Editing Program Is Best?

The post Lightroom vs Photoshop: Which Editing Program Is Best? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop are both powerful editing programs, but determining which to use – whether you’re a beginner, an enthusiast, or even a professional – can be tough.

And while the two programs are widely used by the photographic community, they each serve a unique purpose and feature essential differences. In other words, it’s important that you choose between Lightroom vs Photoshop carefully.

In this article, I explain everything you need to know about these two programs. I discuss key similarities and fundamental differences, and I conclude with a discussion of the best editing software for you.

Ready to pick a post-processing program? Then let’s dive right in!

Lightroom vs Photoshop: Overview

Both Lightroom and Photoshop are designed to do the same thing: edit images. How the programs go about handling that task, as well as how they’re designed to be used, is quite different – but if you are simply looking for software that will allow you to alter, tweak, and enhance your photographs, either one will suffice.

The two programs are capable of handling multiple file types such as JPEGs, PNGs, and TIFFs. Technically, Photoshop can’t edit RAW files directly, but it includes a RAW processor that’s highly sophisticated. In fact, both Photoshop and Lightroom use the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) processing engine to handle RAW image files, so you can expect similar editing capabilities when adjusting saturation, working with curves, correcting for lens distortion, and so on.

Both Photoshop and Lightroom are powerful additions to any photographer’s digital toolbox, but understanding what makes each one unique can help you choose the one that best suits your needs.

Both programs also feature an extensive set of editing and manipulation tools allowing you to do everything from basic edits like cropping and adjusting exposure to advanced alterations such as working with brushes, tone curves, and graduated filters. You will find a variety of built-in effects that’ll allow you to instantly apply black and white, sepia, and other artistic effects.

Bottom line: Photoshop and Lightroom are highly capable image editors. I know some photographers who use Lightroom exclusively and never touch Photoshop, as well as plenty of others who spend all day in Photoshop and never open Lightroom.

That said, it’s worth exploring the benefits and drawbacks of each program so you can pick the software that best suits your needs, starting with:

Lightroom vs Photoshop: File handling

Lightroom, unlike Photoshop, doesn’t actually edit photos, nor does it move your images to different locations on your computer. Instead, your image files remain untouched, and every change you implement is kept in a separate catalog file (a sort of recipe book of instructions for how each photo should be processed).

Therefore, when you apply an edit in Lightroom – such as an exposure adjustment or a saturation boost – the software simply logs the alterations in its database while leaving the original image intact. This is known as non-destructive editing.

For example, several months ago I sent my father a photo I took of him, which I had spent some time editing in Lightroom.

The edited image I sent my father.

But because I edited in Lightroom, the original file was left unchanged, and I can go back and re-edit the photo any time I want.

Another benefit of this approach is that the Lightroom catalog itself is generally quite small; it’ll often take up only a few hundred megabytes on your hard drive, even if you’ve imported thousands of files.

A basic diagram of the Lightroom workflow. Editing instructions are stored in the catalog file and no changes are made to your original images.

Photoshop, on the other hand, operates quite differently. When you edit a file, you’re always working on the original, unless you save a Photoshop PSD copy that is usually several dozen megabytes in size. A PSD file contains all of your edits, and in order to share the final image, it must then be saved as an easily displayable JPG, PNG, etc. In essence, if you want to perform non-destructive edits in Photoshop, you’ll end up with three separate files: the original camera RAW file, a PSD, and the final copy saved in a shareable format. The process works something like this:

A basic diagram of the Photoshop workflow. If you want to preserve an image, you must start by saving a separate PSD file.

To sum up, Lightroom and Photoshop’s editing processes look similar on the surface, but they come with one major difference: in Lightroom, all your edits are saved in a relatively small catalog file, while in Photoshop, all your changes are saved in unique files for every single picture you edit.

A Photoshop workflow will therefore require far more space, and you’ll end up with multiple versions of each image, too. So why would you want to choose Photoshop instead of Lightroom? In a word, power.

Photoshop vs Lightroom: Editing capabilities

Lightroom is kind of like an all-terrain farm vehicle: It’s fast, nimble, and can be used for a variety of tasks like hauling small objects and towing little trailers. But it simply cannot match the sheer power of a massive farm truck when it comes to getting big, serious jobs done like transporting bales of hay, pulling a horse trailer, or ploughing in mud and snow.

Years back, Adobe realized that not everyone needed the capability of Photoshop, particularly photographers who needed to edit hundreds of images at high speeds. What this new generation of digital photographers demanded was the core editing tools of Photoshop – without all of the fancy extras – packed into one easy-to-use program (Lightroom).

Lightroom’s tools are basic but effective.

Because when it comes to editing capabilities, Photoshop is far beyond Lightroom. The program contains a dizzying array of filters, brushes, and other tools that allow you to perform hundreds of edits to your images. While Lightroom does offer a handful of excellent local editing options, Photoshop offers a level of precision that Lightroom can’t match.

But more than that, Photoshop operates by letting you create different layers on which your edits actually take place. You might use dozens of layers to edit a single image, and each layer can be modified independently of the others.

Lightroom, by contrast, works in a much more linear fashion. There are no layers, fewer editing tools, and less overall flexibility. This is great if you’re looking to make some basic edits and move on, but it’s not ideal if you’d like to spend hours carefully adjusting colors and tones in targeted portions of your images.

Note that both programs contain a History panel that lets you step back in time to any of your edits, but working with layers gives you infinitely more control over the editing process.

Photoshop uses layers, which can be intimidating for beginners but offer a versatility that Lightroom simply can’t match.

Let’s say you want to add a vignette to a portrait. In Lightroom, this is as simple as adjusting the Amount slider of the Post-Crop Vignetting tool, and while you can change a few basic parameters, there’s not an overwhelming number of options. It’s a quick, no-fuss solution that is incredibly useful for all sorts of photography situations, and if you want a bit more control you can always create a Radial Gradient.

In Photoshop, however, you would need to add an adjustment layer to your photo – probably Levels or Curves – and use it to darken the image. You’d then need to apply a mask to the layer so you only affect the outer edges, and you’d also have the option to modify the layer’s opacity or blend mode. That’s just the beginning, and while all these additional steps might seem hopelessly convoluted, the more you learn how to use the tools Photoshop has to offer, the greater degree of control you’ll have over the editing process.

In Lightroom adding a vignette is as simple as moving a slider. In Photoshop, it’s much more complicated, but you also get more control.

Thanks to its huge number of options and features (including support for text, 3D graphics, and even video), Photoshop is ideal for almost any image-editing situation, but it takes longer to learn and each process requires more effort. Lightroom essentially distills Photoshop down to the tools that photographers use most, which is one of the reasons it is so appealing to shutterbugs.

Lightroom vs Photoshop: workflow and image organization

Photo organization is where Lightroom really shines – in fact, the program offers an end-to-end workflow solution for photographers. Since it’s designed specifically to address the needs of photography enthusiasts and professionals, it handles everything from importing photos from your memory card to organizing, editing, sharing, and printing.

Lightroom also has support for keywords and virtual folders to help you keep track of your images, and you can even use it to create a slideshow, a photo book, or a print. Many photographers, including professionals, go weeks or months without ever opening Photoshop because Lightroom really does it all.

Lightroom’s Library module lets you quickly sort, organize, and manage all your photos.

On the other end of the spectrum is Photoshop, which doesn’t transfer files, won’t organize your images, and certainly can’t make slideshows or photo books. You can use the free Adobe Bridge software to handle some workflow-based tasks like importing photos and organizing the digital media on your computer, and when paired with Photoshop, it does offer a Lightroom-like workflow experience – but it’s not quite as streamlined as working in Lightroom alone.

At the end of the day, Lightroom is far and away the better choice if you’re looking for software that can handle your file organization. In fact, it’s one of the best image-organization programs on the market, and it’s often worth the subscription price for this reason alone. But if you need the power of Photoshop, then working with Adobe Bridge is definitely an option (or you can use both Lightroom and Photoshop for an integrated solution).

Sometimes the best solution involves both programs! I used Lightroom to import this photo from my camera and do some basic edits, then I used Photoshop to add more extensive tweaks.

Lightroom vs Photoshop: Which program is best for you?

By now, you undoubtedly realize that both Lightroom and Photoshop have their advantages and disadvantages. So which program is best? That really depends on you!

If you’re serious about image editing and you want to post-process each image with pixel-level precision, Photoshop is probably the better choice (along with Adobe Bridge to manage your files). It’ll let you apply all sorts of targeted adjustments using brushes, gradients, and more, and it’ll even let you apply focus stacks and do high-level compositing.

But if you’re looking for a program that offers basic to mid-level editing and that can also take care of all your image workflow needs, then Lightroom is the way to go. Its digital asset management capabilities are outstanding, and it’ll help you keep each and every one of your images carefully organized.

One more factor to consider is price. You cannot purchase either of these programs for a single fee; instead, you’ll need to pay monthly for an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription plan. You can currently purchase Adobe’s basic Photography plan for just $9.99 per month, and it includes both Photoshop and Lightroom (as well as 20 GB of cloud storage).

So if you’re not quite sure which program to use, consider buying a Creative Cloud subscription, then try out both products and see what you think!

Now over to you:

Which program do you plan to use, Lightroom or Photoshop? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Lightroom vs Photoshop: Which Editing Program Is Best? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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[Photography] 7 Tips for Tack-Sharp Handheld Photography

The post 7 Tips for Tack-Sharp Handheld Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Are you frustrated by the inconvenience of a tripod and prefer shooting handheld? Handheld photography boasts plenty of benefits – it’s far more accessible than tripod photography, it offers added flexibility, and it’s cheaper, too – but if you’re not careful, you risk coming home with memory cards full of blurry files.

Fortunately, it is possible to get stunningly sharp images with careful handholding, even if you like to shoot in low light. You just have to understand a few basic camera stabilization techniques, and you also have to be ready to adapt to tricky scenarios as required.

As a frequent handholder myself, I’m well-placed to explain the ins and outs of the technique, and in this article, I share clear tips and tricks for perfect results, whether you shoot birds, street subjects, portraits, landscapes, and more.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Use a fast shutter speed

It’s a basic rule of photography: the faster your shutter speed, the more you reduce the chance of blur caused by subject motion and camera shake.

Therefore, if you can boost the shutter speed without sacrificing other core elements of your photo, do it. In general, handholding at 1/250s and above (if your lens is shorter than 250mm) is very doable, especially if you use the techniques I share throughout this article. So whenever possible, make sure that you’re shooting at 1/250s – and jumping to 1/500s, 1/1000s, and even faster isn’t a bad idea, either.

Things get tricky, however, when the light is low. You may be unable to keep the shutter speed at 1/250s without boosting the ISO for an improved exposure, which can cause unpleasant noise to appear in your files. That’s when other handholding techniques become especially critical, such as:

2. Make sure your arms and hands are stable

Many photographers, especially when they’re just starting out, tend to shoot with the camera held out in various positions – but if you’re handholding and you’re worried about camera shake, it’s essential that you use a solid technique.

First, make sure that your elbows are tucked in at your sides, and make sure you place your left hand under the lens and your right hand around the body grip. I’d also recommend keeping your camera pressed firmly against your face (unless you’re shooting via the rear LCD, which is best avoided in low-light scenarios).

Finally, keep your knees slightly bent and your body balanced, and when you do push that shutter button, don’t jab at it; instead, press it gently. That way, you generate as little vibration as possible.

3. Stabilize your body against an object

Carrying a tripod is inconvenient, but did you know that you can mimic the effect of a tripod by becoming a human tripod? I’m talking about stabilizing your body and arms against a sturdy object, such as a car, a tree, or the ground.

(The ground is my favorite stabilizing object, as it’s reliably present!)

Depending on the length of your shutter speed, this technique may not be necessary – if you’re shooting at 1/250s, for instance, you’ll probably be just fine using the approach I shared in the previous tip – but when shooting handheld around dawn or dusk, or when working in heavy shade, it can make a huge difference.

When I’m shooting handheld, I often get down on the ground. I’ll lie on my stomach and press my elbows firmly against the soil – that way, I can feel fairly confident when taking my image that things will remain sharp, even if I’m shooting at 1/60s or below.

I stabilized my elbows against the ground in order to photograph this aster.

If you don’t want to get down on your stomach, that’s okay. You have plenty of other options! As I mentioned above, you can lean against a car or a tree, and another option is to crouch down and put your elbows on your knees.

4. Use your lens’s (or camera’s) image stabilization

Does your lens or camera possess image stabilization technology? If so, switch it on!

Image stabilization technology – also referred to as vibration reduction, optical stabilization, vibration compensation, and optical steady shot – is built in by clever camera manufacturers. It reduces (or eliminates) camera shake in one of two ways:

If the IS technology is built into the camera, the sensor physically moves to counteract any camera shake that the camera experiences. If it’s built into the lens, an optical element inside the lens moves while the sensor remains in place.

Without image stabilization, capturing this urban abstract would have been very difficult.

Note that different cameras and lenses offer different degrees of image stabilization effectiveness. If you plan to regularly handhold in low light, it can be a good idea to check different reviews to ensure you get the most effective model.

The downside of image stabilization technology is that it does add to the cost of your equipment. Only some cameras and some lenses possess it, and they tend to be on the pricier side of things. But for those who dislike shooting with a tripod, it’s a worthwhile investment.

5. Shoot with shorter lenses

An oft-cited rule in photography circles is this: You can handhold your lens at a shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the focal length (that is, 1/focal length).

While this may sound complex, it’s actually pretty simple. To find an acceptably fast shutter speed, just take the focal length and make it into a fraction with a one on top.

For instance, if you’re shooting with a 100mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/100s or faster. When you’re shooting with a 400mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/400s of a second or faster. Finally, if you’re shooting with a 25mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/25s or faster.

While I’ve already talked about the value of using a fast shutter speed, the reciprocal rule offers another key insight: The shorter your lens, the more you can drop your shutter speed and still come away with a sharp shot.

This is for a couple of reasons. First, long lenses tend to be bigger and heavier, which means they’re more difficult to keep steady. Second, longer lenses magnify camera shake, resulting in blurrier pictures.

I used a wide-angle lens to capture this golden retriever in low light.

Therefore, if you don’t have a tripod to cut down on camera shake, try using a lens that is more forgiving. In other words: Use shorter focal lengths for more success!

6. Shoot in burst mode

If you’re photographing handheld, especially if you’re working in an unstable position, it can be a great idea to use your camera’s burst mode setting. This helps with handheld photography for two reasons.

First, if you jab the shutter button with your finger, it’ll generate camera shake. But when you use burst mode, you only press the shutter button at the beginning of your image sequence. Later photographs will be taken with very little camera shake because the shutter button won’t actually be pressed before the image is captured.

Second, when you shoot in burst mode, the mirror won’t cause extra vibrations. DSLRs have mirrors in front of the sensor, and when the shutter button is pressed, the mirror flips up, briefly exposing the sensor to light (to capture the image).

This mirror is an essential part of DSLR operation, but the flip can cause small vibrations throughout the camera (which is another form of camera shake). Yet when you activate burst mode, the mirror only flips up only at the beginning of the burst. The later shots aren’t affected by the vibrations caused by the mirror, and as a consequence, they’re sharper.

(This last point doesn’t apply to mirrorless cameras; as the name suggests, they lack a mirror entirely.)

To activate burst mode, simply set your camera to high-speed drive mode and hold down the shutter button. You should hear the rapid-fire sound of images being taken.

Burst mode was essential for getting this early-morning egret image!

7. Use the self-timer

Here’s my final tip for shooting handheld: If you’re in a pinch and you need to prevent even the slightest vibration, don’t be afraid to use your camera’s self-timer.

The self-timer allows you to press the shutter button without actually firing the camera; instead, you’ll need to wait for a specified number of seconds (generally two) before the image is taken.

I love using the self-timer when photographing flowers.

This is useful for the same reason cited in the previous section: It prevents any camera shake generated when you press the shutter button.

So, next time you’re out in the field and you’re struggling to get sharp images without a tripod, try using the self-timer to reduce your camera shake! At first, it might make you frustrated – after all, who wants to wait two seconds for every photo? – but over time, you’ll learn to appreciate its value.

Handheld photography: final words

Many photographers think that tripods are essential, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s completely possible to capture tack-sharp images while handholding – in fact, it’s often an essential skill.

So remember the tips I’ve shared today, and start practicing your handheld technique. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert!

Now over to you:

Have any more tips for photographing without a tripod? Share them in the comments below.

The post 7 Tips for Tack-Sharp Handheld Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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[Photography] 11 Flower Photography Tips for Gorgeous Results

The post 11 Flower Photography Tips for Gorgeous Results appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anne McKinnell.

I love photographing flowers. It’s one of the most accessible forms of photography – after all, you can find flowers pretty much anywhere – plus it allows you to create a wide variety of images, including abstracts, close-up shots, landscape scenes, and more.

But while flowers are stunning subjects, creating great flower photography is about more than finding a nice flower and pressing the shutter button. You have to work in the right light, find a solid composition, choose the right camera settings, and post-process your files, all in pursuit of that top-notch final image.

Fortunately, I’ve been exactly where you are, and in this article, I share all the key tips and tricks I’ve learned, including:

• The best light for flower photography
• How to choose the right aperture
• A simple way to create a beautiful soft-focus effect
• My secret for amazing foregrounds
• Much more!

So if you’re ready to capture some gorgeous flower shots? Then let’s dive right in!

1. Photograph flowers in the right light

Did you know that overcast skies are perfect for flower photography?

It’s true. The soft light of an overcast day complements the delicate petals – plus, there are no shadows and no harsh bright spots, so you can get a nice, even exposure.

So if you’re planning a flower photoshoot, it’s often a good idea to check the weather first and aim to photograph on a cloudy day.

You do need to be careful, however. Toward the beginning and end of a cloudy day, the light gets pretty limited, which leads to unwanted blur (especially when shooting at high magnifications). So if the skies are overcast, aim to photograph at midday, then pack up before the sky gets too dark.

Of course, cloudy weather isn’t the only time you can capture great flower photos. Clear skies at golden hour – when the sun is low in the sky – can also make for great images. The setting sun will produce warm, soft light that’ll beautifully illuminate your subject, though you will need to be careful to avoid overexposure (the combination of bright light and colorful petals can be difficult to manage).

But while clear skies can work well early and late in the day, I encourage you to actively avoid shooting flowers around noon on sunny days. The high sun will beat down on the flowers, producing unpleasant shadows that rarely look good. Whenever possible, stick to softer, more flattering light!

2. Use backlight to make your flowers glow

As I explained in the previous section, you can create gorgeous flower photos around sunrise and sunset – which means you’ll need to consider the lighting direction. In other words, does the light come from in front of your flower? Behind your flower? Off to the side of your flower?

Different lighting directions will give different effects, and while you can get beautifully detailed shots by using frontlight, and you can create wonderfully dramatic images by using sidelight, I highly recommend you try out backlight.

Yes, it’s a bit unconventional, but backlight – which you can achieve by ensuring that the flower is between you and the sun – will make translucent petals glow, like this:

The effect is gorgeous, and it’s a great way to elevate your flower photography portfolio.

Try to photograph late in the day when the sun is close to the horizon; that way, the backlight will hit your flower petals directly, plus it’ll cast a nice, warm light over the rest of your image. (You might even be able to catch some rays of light filtering through the trees!)

3. Watch out for wind

When photographing flowers, wind is your enemy. It’ll blow your subjects in every direction, which makes it annoyingly difficult to focus (and if you’re shooting with a slow shutter speed, it’ll introduce plenty of blur).

The easiest way to avoid wind? Do your photography early in the morning when the weather is still calm. And a little wind is manageable; just bring a piece of cardboard or a reflector, then hold it up next to your flower.

If you prefer not to get up early, or if you need to take photos on a windy day, you do have a second option:

Bring your flowers inside. You don’t need a complex studio setup to get beautiful shots indoors – just put the flowers near a window and find a solid backdrop to set behind them. I photographed the flower below by taking it inside and placing it in front of a white sheet:

4. Get closer

Here’s one of the easiest ways to create stunning, unique flower photos:

Get as close as you can. In other words, don’t just settle for a nice frame from a few feet away. Instead, endeavor to fill the frame with your subject!

You can do this in a number of ways:

First, you can use a telephoto lens and zoom in on the flower. You’ll want to pay attention to the magnification ratio of the lens because some lenses just can’t focus especially close. A ratio of 1:1 is outstanding, though you’ll only find that on dedicated macro lenses – but you can still achieve good results with a ratio of 1:2, 1:4, or even 1:6. (If you’re not sure how much magnification your lens offers, you can look it up online, or you can do some tests.)

If you’re lucky, your telephoto lens will focus close, and you can use it for beautiful flower shots. But what if you can’t get as close as you’d like?

You have several choices. You can use extension tubes, which mount on your camera and let the lens focus closer. Or you can use a close-up filter, which attaches to the end of your lens and works like a magnifying glass.

Honestly, both of these options come with pretty significant drawbacks; extension tubes are inconvenient, while close-up filters reduce image quality. Sure, they work, and if you’re just getting started with flower photography, either method will help you take interesting close-up shots.

But if you want to really improve your images, I’d recommend a dedicated macro lens, which will let you capture intimate images without the need for accessories. These lenses can be purchased for reasonably low prices (especially if you grab a wider lens in the 40mm to 60mm range). They’ll let you get extremely close to your subject, and they tend to offer outstanding image quality, as well!

5. Try using a reflector

Here’s a quick tip:

Shaded flowers can make for some stunning photos, especially when you combine a shaded subject and a well-lit background in the early morning or late evening.

But this sun-shade effect can result in an underexposed flower (or an overexposed background) if you’re not careful. The trick here is to keep your flower relatively bright; that way, you can reduce the dynamic range of the overall scene, and your camera will have a much easier time capturing the full array of tones.

So if your subject is in the shade, use a reflector to bounce some light. You can purchase a cheap pop-up option online or simply carry a piece of white card. Simply adjust the position until you get some nice light on the flower, then snap away! (Bonus: A reflector will also make your flowers appear more vibrant!).

6. Avoid a cluttered background

In flower photography, the background can make or break the image. A uniform background can look great – whereas a cluttered, distracting background will draw the eye and prevent the viewer from appreciating your main subject.

So before you hit the shutter button, take a minute to contemplate the area behind your flower. Look through the camera viewfinder, and ask yourself:

Does my background complement the flower? Or does it distract?

If the background adds to the image – or, at the very least – doesn’t detract from it, then go ahead and capture your image. But if the background does seem even slightly distracting (e.g., there are jagged branches or unsightly patches of color behind the flower), then it’s probably a good idea to adjust your shot.

One option is to change your position until the distractions are gone. For instance, you can get down to the ground until the flower is surrounded by clear sky, or you can move slightly to the right or the left to get rid of problematic areas.

Another move, however, is to use a shallow depth of field to blur the distractions away, as I discuss in the next section:

7. Use a shallow depth of field

Shallow depth of field flower photos can look great – but what is a shallow depth of field, and how do you achieve it?

A shallow depth of field features only a sliver of sharpness. If you use the effect carefully, you can capture images that feature a sharp flower but a blurry background:

As you can perhaps imagine, this does make nailing focus more difficult. Since the plane of sharpness is so narrow, there is very little room for error – but for most flower shooters, the beautiful effect is absolutely worth the effort.

To get a shallow depth of field, make sure to use a wide aperture (i.e., a low f-number) such as f/2.8 or f/4. (This will also allow you to use a faster shutter speed, which will increase the probability that you capture a tack-sharp shot.)

You should also aim to get as close as you can to your subject; the closer you are to the in-focus area, the stronger the background blur.

Finally, aim to increase the distance between the flower and the background. More distant backgrounds will be rendered with greater blur, and while the depth of field technically won’t change, it generally looks great. You can look for subjects that sit far in front of background elements, or you can get down low to the ground to ensure the background is composed of distant trees.

8. Keep a part of your flower sharp

If you want to master the shallow depth of field effect, it’s important that you keep part of the flower sharp so that your viewer’s eye has an anchor point. Otherwise, people won’t know where to look, and they’ll quickly dismiss the image and move on.

So do what’s necessary to keep a portion – even if it’s just a small portion – of your images crisp. If you’re shooting in good light, raise your shutter speed and focus carefully. If you’re shooting in poor light, use a tripod and a remote release to avoid camera shake, or boost your ISO as required.

Remember: Even if there doesn’t seem to be wind, flowers always move a little. It’s often a good idea to check images on your camera’s LCD. Make sure you zoom in, and if your flower isn’t sharp, try raising the shutter speed a stop or two.

Finally, check your focus. If necessary, focus manually. Make sure you’ve sharply rendered the most important parts of the flower, such as the petals and the flower center, before you move on to other subjects and compositions.

9. Change your point of view

If you’re after unique flower photos, don’t just take a standard shot. Sure, you can start with conventional angles, but once you’ve captured a few safety images, move around and try some different perspectives and focal lengths.

For instance, shoot the flower from below to capture an interesting point of view. You may get pretty muddy in the process, but if all goes well, you’ll create a beautiful image featuring a rarely-seen angle. (Getting down low will also help you frame your subject against a white, blue, or even orange sky.)

You might also try shooting down from above, getting unusually up close and personal, or zooming out for a wider environmental image. The key is to experiment as much as possible, review the results, and try again – with modifications – the next day.

10. Focus through another flower

The shoot-through approach is loved by quite a few professional flower photographers, and for good reason:

It looks really, really cool, especially when you get a lot of colorful foreground blur. Like this:

But how does it work?

You simply find a flower you want to photograph, then adjust your position until another flower sits between the lens and the flower. (The closer the foreground flower is to the lens, the better the look.)

Ultimately, the secondary flower will become a blur of color, and your final image will have a more professional feel.

Make sure you pay careful attention to the position of the foreground flower – it’s important that you don’t completely overwhelm the main subject with a wash of blur. You can also experiment with different apertures and see how they modify the effect.

11. Don’t forget about post-processing

Flower photos can look pretty incredible straight out of the camera, even if you shoot in RAW (which I highly recommend). But if you want the best results, you should definitely spend a bit of time processing your images.

You see, a few tweaks in editing software can dramatically improve the tones, colors, and overall feel of your shots. The particular adjustments you use will depend on your preferences and goals, but it’s often a good idea to subtly boost the saturation or vibrance for enhanced colors. You might also consider raising the shadows to bring some detail into the darker areas of your shots, dropping the highlights to recover any missing detail in the lighter areas, and boosting the contrast for some extra pop.

Once you become more familiar with flower photo editing, you can test out more dramatic color alterations, and you can play with local adjustments (where you selectively darken and lighten portions of the shot to help lead the viewer’s eye in a certain direction).

Tips to improve your flower photography: conclusion

Well, there you have it:

Eleven easy tips to take your flower photos to the next level.

Hopefully, at least one or two of the tips speaks to you – and you feel inspired to get out and start shooting! Remember that flower photography is a wonderful passion, and if you work hard enough and test out different approaches, you’re bound to get some great results.

Now over to you:

Do you have any flower photos you’re proud of? Which of these tips do you like the most? Share your thoughts (and images!) in the comments below.

Table of contents

Macro Photography

• GENERAL
  • Getting Started Guide to Macro or Close-Up Photography
  • 5 DIY Macro Photography Hacks for Stunning Macro Photos (on a Budget)
  • 7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography
  • 5 Rules in Macro Photography and When to Break Them
  • 5 Surprising Macro Photography Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity
  • 5 Quick Tips for Outdoor Macro Photography
  • Five Common Macro Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them
  • Backyard Macro Photography Safari
  • 5 Macro Photography Tricks to Make Your Images Stand Out
• SETTINGS
  • Sometimes Close-ups Are Better From Far Away
  • 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know
  • A Guide to Working with Different Focal Lengths for Macro Photography
  • 3 Ways To Get Sharper Close-Ups
  • Tips for Depth of Field Control in Macro Photography
  • Does Mirror Lock-Up (MLU) Help Macro Shots?
• LIGHTING
  • A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Light in Flower Photography for Awesome Photos
  • Lighting Tips for Macro Photography
  • How to Use Natural Light for Macro Photography
  • How to Create Gorgeous Flower Images using a Flashlight and a Reflector
  • The Cheapest and Easiest Lightbox for Macro Photography
  • How to Use a Reflector and Diffuser to Enhance Flower Photographs
  • Macro Lighting Advantages Of The Canon Twin Lite MT-24EX
• COMPOSITION
  • Guide to Choosing Subjects and Compositions for Flower Photography
  • 5 Tips for Killer Macro Backgrounds
• GEAR
  • Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide
  • 6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget: An introduction to Close-up Filters
  • Getting Up Close with Close-Up Lenses
  • How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows
  • Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
  • How to Shoot Abstract Flower Photography using Close-Up Filters
  • Extension Tubes: Close Up Photography Lesson #2
  • How to Choose the Perfect Macro Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget
  • Alternatives to Buying a Dedicated Macro Lens for your DSLR
  • Mirrorless, DSLR or Point and Shoot: Which Camera is Best for Macro Photography?
  • Cheat Sheet: Macro Lenses – How Much Magnification Do You Need?
  • Equipment for Macro Photography – Video Tips
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 10 Flower Photography Tips for Gorgeous Results

    • 1. Photograph flowers in the right light
    • 2. Use backlight to make your flowers glow
    • 3. Watch out for wind
    • 4. Get closer
    • 5. Try using a reflector
    • 6. Avoid a cluttered background
    • 7. Use a shallow depth of field
    • 8. Keep a part of your flower sharp
    • 9. Change your point of view
    • 10. Focus through another flower
    • 11. Don’t forget about post-processing
    • Tips to improve your flower photography: conclusion
    • 1. Photograph flowers in the right light
    • 2. Use backlight to make your flowers glow
    • 3. Watch out for wind
    • 4. Get closer
    • 5. Try using a reflector
    • 6. Avoid a cluttered background
    • 7. Use a shallow depth of field
    • 8. Keep a part of your flower sharp
    • 9. Change your point of view
    • 10. Focus through another flower
    • 11. Don’t forget about post-processing
    • Tips to improve your flower photography: conclusion
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Photographing Flowers
  • How to Photograph Beautiful Winter Snowdrops (or Other Flowers)
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Abstract Flower Photography
  • How to take Great Flower Photos without a Macro Lens
  • How to Shoot Super Macro Photos
  • Just Dew It – Fun with Macro Dewdrop Photography
  • Getting Started with Abstract Macro Photography
  • Abstract Macro Photography Idea
  • Tips for Doing Macro Underwater Photography
  • 8 Tips for Photographing Wildflowers
• CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
  • How to do Photography of Frozen Flowers
  • Unique Flower Photography Using Multiple Exposures
  • Creative Macro Photography – Using Fairy Lights
  • Creative Macro Photography – A Guide to Freelensing
  • Photographing Flowers with The Bucket Method
• POST-PROCESSING
  • How to Focus-Stack Macro Images using Photoshop
  • How to Give Your Macro Photography a Fine Art Touch in Post-Processing
• INSPIRATION
  • Why You Need to Know the History of Flowers in Art and Photography
  • 27 Amazing Macro Snowflake Images Shot with a DIY Camera Set Up
  • It’s a Bug’s Life – 27 Super Macro Photography Images
  • 41 Delicious Flower Photographs
  • 20 Spectacular Macro Photography Examples
  • 9 Breathtaking Macro Images by Photographer Miki Asai
  • Behind the Scenes of Marvellous Macro Insect Imagery
  • It’s a Small World – the World of Macro Photography
  • A Collection of Photos of Nature’s Smallest Creatures – it’s a Bug’s Life

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