Photography Tips - Cloudy Skies and Shade Are Your Friends For Great Floral Photography

Do you ever go for an inspiration walk to take great outdoor photos only to come home and find most of the photos are full of glare and pale washed out photos? Your flower photos are looking faded and almost lifeless? I understand how that feels. We still need to get that exercise on sunny days too, right? At least for me, it is almost depressing to come home and have 200 photos that I can't use because the sun was too strong and those beautiful bright flowers turned into dull boring photos. At least with a digital camera you do not waste film.

Most likely you took those photos on a bright "cheerful" sunny day. While you might enjoy a walk in the sun working on your tan, your photography will be needing more work because of it. Even on a sunny day there is hope. You might find that some large trees or taller buildings cast shade and shadow. Do not forget that shadows from tall objects change as the day goes by. Check those places for things of wonder to photograph. Many people plant and forget flowers and they frequently survive better in those less noticed places where there is less competition from grass. You might have some short flowers under shrubs or even other taller plants.

A partly or mostly cloudy day is wonderful for taking floral photos. The colors will stay strong and you won't have to worry about shadows being harsh. A strong shadow is great for still life artwork, but a strong shadow is not so great for outdoor flowers.

The perfect time for going outside to take photos of flowers and almost anything else by the street is after a good rain. The leaves and petals will be dust free and water drops left after the rain can be very attractive on a close up or macro shot. Double flowers on long stems might get a little heavy so you might have to go back later for those images. If you go out after the rain stops be sure to bring a plastic or waterproof bag for your camera and wear a jacket with a hood in case it starts raining again.

Finally if all else fails, try going by the flowers you want to photograph in the early morning or late afternoon to see if you can get better lighting. At least you got some exercise and fresh air.