Flowers & Plants

This image isn’t actually naturally lit, the window pane shadow was projected onto the backdrop using a gobo. Light painting was used to selectively light the subject, producing an attractive painterly aesthetic. The daisies on the vase mirror the subject matter, while the fallen daisy and books provide additional interest, balancing the frame.

This is a fine example of a classic flower portrait. The flowerhead was fresh from the garden, and laid upon a bed of crinkled tissue paper. Water droplets were applied using a mister and a one-light setup illuminated the subject. We like how the light gently highlights the crinkled tissue paper and the sharpness throughout the frame.

Backlighting this close-up of a leaf was crucial as it has highlighted the many textures, revealing a mosaic-like pattern. Ingeniously, the backlighting wasn’t achieved using artificial lighting, but by placing the leaf against a window on a bright afternoon. Great shot!

An in-camera double exposure was used to create this vibrant painterly image and what a fantastic image it is. Combining in-focus and out-of-focus images has resulted in an impressionist painting effect that certainly wouldn’t look out of place hung on a wall.

We like the use of colour here. Warm colours dominate the image, while red and green are opposites on the colour wheel, making them complementary. The red backdrop is a fantastic choice too, matching the reds on the tulips. A great image!

This image is all about the gorgeous backlighting, which has produced a rim light around the pulsatilla, highlighting the tiny details of the fine hairs that line the stem and leaves. A long focal length and wide aperture has created a super-shallow DoF to make the subject pop against the backdrop.

This image is all about the subject matter breaking the mould. With the majority of sunflowers in full bloom, it’s hard not to personify the closed-up specimen on the left-hand side as recoiling in shock. This is a fantastic technique when capturing photos, zoning in on an object that stands out. A great observation!

We like how the prominent placement and selective lighting draws the viewer’s eye immediately towards the flower in the centre of the frame. This is crucial since it could have been easily lost within the busy background. A great shot!

This deceased tulip was left to dry out and made the perfect specimen, since the flowerhead was left intact. We love how the delicate backdrop texture complements the delicate flower and the even lighting, which highlights the crinkled details. A great image!

This enticing abstract is a composite of orchid flowerheads. The translucent nature of the dead flowers enhanced by backlighting each specimen in turn on a light pad. The images were combined in Photoshop by changing the blending mode to overlay the flowers on top of one another, while creating the striking colour palette.

This image is all about the clever concept. A single example of life on a desolate world – distant planets connoting a science-fiction theme. Great care has been taken to produce an authentic-looking photo by blurring the foreground and background, while rendering the subject sharp to simulate depth of field.

The field of sunflowers makes for attractive foreground interest below a sunset sky. The golden lighting complements the yellow flowers and the angle of the frame allows the flowerhead on the right-hand side to dominate the image, defining a clear subject.

We really like the unique quality of this creative image. A Lensbaby Twist lens was used to create the distinctive swirling effect around the flowers. Vibrant colours were boosted in post, while the misty backdrop texture was added in Photoshop.

Backlighting this leaf was crucial as it has highlighted the many textures, revealing a mosaic-like pattern. Ingeniously, the backlighting wasn’t achieved using artificial lighting, but by placing the leaf against a window pane on a bright afternoon. A great shot!

A reminder to be aware of close-up subjects on a landscape shoot. These common-cotton grass specimens were found in the Făgăraș Mountains. A kit lens with good close-focusing properties was used to fill the fame with the delicate buds. The low angle makes them dominate the shot, framing them against the sky as if they were clouds.