FANTASTIC FLORALS

Achieve fantastic results with a simple set-up of flowers in a vase, plus some budget-friendly props that you’re likely to have at home already

Flowers are fantastic subjects for still-life because they’re readily available – you may even have a wondrous arrangement in your garden! They’re full of colour and look fantastic, too. You can also pick up a brilliant assortment of flowers at your local supermarket cheaply. Get an arrangement with plenty of different colours that you can experiment with, and look for ones that are in good condition: wilted flowers don’t make good photos.

Here we’re going to show you some handy camera skills that you can use to elevate your flower still-life images. The best news is that you don’t need an expensive studio setup: it can all be achieved on a strict budget.

PRO SHOT FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

This image shot with a 100mm macro lens demonstrates how a simple setup can create a striking still-life image. No fancy lights were used here: a large window to the left of the flowers provided all the lighting and contrast we needed for a fantastic shot.

PRO ADVICE KEEP YOUR PROPS CLEAN

Save time editing by making sure your flower vase is free from dirt and greasy fingerprints. Use a camera-cleaning air blower to gently blow away any specks of dirt on the flower petals so that you don’t have to spend time fixing your shots in post.

TOP TIP USE A REFLECTOR