Flowers and Plants

This beautiful group of cyclamens is a composite. The flowers were photographed individually on a light box and combined in Photoshop, using the multiply blending mode to create the semi-transparent effect. We love the pastel colours, how the flowers sit at different heights to balance the frame, and that the rule of odds has been used to perfect the composition.

Spraying a nearby window with water to capture the incredible bokeh was an ingenious idea. We also like how the bokeh is collected around the opening of the flowerhead, as if the bubbles are emanating from it. Add to that beautiful soft lighting and a crisp subject and this is an inventive and impressive shot.

This image is a beautiful example of a flower-focused landscape. The mist, lone tree and soft morning lighting are all hallmarks of a great landscape and the blanket of poppies in the foreground and mid-ground perfectly complements these elements. A fantastic image!

Motion isn’t something you’d necessarily usually associate with flower and plant imagery – let alone flowers photographed in a studio environment – but this image manages to incorporate still life and motion using ICM (intentional camera movement). A fantastic flower photograph!

This image started life as a photograph of sun-bathed poppies in front of a concrete wall, with deep shadows in the bottom-right corner. Post-production techniques were then used to transform the simple photo into a painterly work of art. We particularly like how the poppies have partially retained their photographic form, while also becoming part of the colourful concoction.

Flower and plant subjects don’t always have to look perfect. This flower pressed subject’s dried and shrivelled appearance adds additional character and the backlighting (via a light box) highlights the delicate nature of the subject's translucent petals. A stunning image!

The bokeh-filled background has been used to clearly separate the subject from the background. Normally the flowerhead would be facing the camera, but in this instance we like the unusual angle. The dash of green in the centre of the frame makes for an interesting addition, complementing the pink hues.

The diffused even lighting complements these delicate tulips perfectly. We like how the blurred tulip in the background balances the frame, while creating a welcome sense of depth. The off-white background goes perfectly with the flowers’ subtle pink hues. A great image!

The Nikon Z 7’s focus shift function was put to good use when photographing this incredibly detailed flowerhead. A whopping 30 images were combined in post-production to achieve front-to-back sharpness. We also like what would appear to be very tasteful colour popping, that really highlights the grandeur of the species pistil.

This image is proof that you don’t necessarily need a specialist studio setup to capture fantastic flower close ups. A Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S was used to fill the frame with the dahlia’s incredible array of petals and the flowerhead was shot square on to create a sense of symmetry. The subject was photographed at a garden centre and we can only assume diffused natural light was used to create beautifully even lighting.

At a glance, this sprawling meadow, filled with poppies and marigolds looks like an impressionist painting but it’s actually a double exposure. The painterly effect was achieved by capturing the first exposure in focus and using manual focus to render the second exposure blurry.

It’s hard not to enjoy this imaginative pairing. The image is called Listen to me and it’s not hard to see why; the windswept daisy on the right appears to be blasting a wall of sound at the slightly dishevelled daisy on the left. Clever narrative aside, the even lighting and dark background amplify the subject’s presence, leaving the viewer to focus entirely on the meaning.

Gorgeous lighting and an unusual still-life arrangement really makes this trio of flower pots stand out. The dark background was added later; the flowers were photographed as a silhouette so the subject could be easily selected in post and a replacement backdrop added thereafter. A photo of a temple wall was used as the backdrop, a very subtle texture, but one that really complements the rugged subject matter.

Capturing a kingfisher, with a fish in its mouth, while clasping a petal is no mean feat. But perhaps more impressive is how the fleeting subject is in perfect focus and tack-sharp. Add to that the gorgeous bokeh and this is a fantastic, action-packed wildlife/flower photo.

Flower photographs aren’t known for including any sort of action, but this downpour adds an interesting dynamic to a classic flower photo. The 1/500 sec shutter speed was enough to clearly freeze the droplets while creating enough motion blur to convey movement. A great image!