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In the time it takes to read this article, around 10 million photographs will be taken. Most will come from the smartphones of users who are compelled to constantly document their lives.

By contrast, award-wining American photojournalist Ron Haviv has mostly taken photos to document conflict. He has photographed more than 25 wars, from the US-led invasion of Iraq to conflicts in Afghanistan, Panama, Haiti, and most lately Ukraine

Born in 1965, he is co-founder of the photo agency VII and works with UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and the International Red Cross, in addition to numerous publications. 

While his thought-provoking images have become a way to raise awareness abour the horrors of war and violence, this was not initially by design.

“I wouldn’t say that I chose it ,” he told DW at the Global Media Forum in Bonn in June. “My first foreign assignment was in Central America covering elections in Panama that turned violent.”

Then everything changed.

“I took a photograph that became very famous. Seven months after I took the photograph, the United States invaded Panama. And the president of the United States spoke about the photograph as one of the justifications for the invasion,” he explained.

‘Raising awareness and education’

Haviv soon gained “an understanding at that moment that the photography that I could do, especially around conflict, could play a very serious role in conversation, in raising awareness and education.”

This sparked an interest in documenting historical events with his lens, including the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall or Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990.

But it wasn’t long before Haviv was dragged back into conflict zones, including the never-ending war in Iraq.

It was a steep learning curve for Haviv, and not just in terms of photography technique. He also had to discover that “it was imperative that there were people telling these stories to hold people accountable, not only for their action, but for their inaction,” he explained.

Photography ‘becomes evidence’

“In my career I have documented three genocides – Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.”

Within some of the cruelest of human acts, taking photos becomes ever more important.

“The photography moves past this idea of just being journalism, it becomes evidence. Photography can’t stop a war. Photography can’t start a war, but it can play a very important role in the dissemination of information and the way that decisions are made.”

In 2015, Turkish journalist Nilüfer Demir took an image that was to prompt responses from European leaders regarding a “human catastrophe.” The image of Alan Kurdi, the two-year old Syrian refugee who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea en route to Europe, lying face down in the sand, led many to ask the question of where the moral line should be drawn when photographers take such images.

‘The power of photography’

Haviv is in little doubt just how important these photos are. “I believe in the power of photography,” he said.

“I’m of the belief that the greater good overrides, that the story is important enough to be seen. Even if somebody’s crying or suffering, the photograph needs to be taken to show the world what’s happening.”

But what about the sensitivities, the intrusion? Haviv is unequivocal. “Having done this for more than 30 years,” he said, “I have never gone to a funeral of somebody that’s died through politics, war, famine, and been told, ‘No, don’t take any photographs.'”

People have instead demanded that he document the plight of their loved ones. “I have been physically dragged by a family member and said, ‘Photograph my son, photograph my child, show the world.'”

Fending off the threat of AI

But is the whole photography craft under threat from transformational technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)?

“What you should be expecting from people like myself is authorship of an idea,” he said in response to th threat of AI. “This is a story that I’m telling in depth, especially now. There is integrity, that this is not an AI production: This is reality.”

He continued: “I’m showing you a true representation of the way that I saw things. And you have to trust me because I am a valued person or I’m doing it with The Economist and you trust The Economist and therefore you believe what you’re seeing.”

With AI able to easily manipulate images, “we are moving more and more into this place where it will be very difficult to believe what you’re seeing,” Haviv said.

But there is a chance that such dystopian misrepresentations can be avoided.

“There is no place for AI in my world,” the photographer continued. “The goal is to keep AI out and it has to be done in partnership with the publications, in partnership with the camera companies, and most importantly, in partnership with the audience.”

He descibes a new initiative led by Adobe called Content Authenticity Initiative, whereby photo files will be given a blue check to confirm they have not been manipulated.

Haviv has been in the photojournalism business for over 30 years. Though many things have remained the same, technology now threatens the authenticity of the craft, meaning the way we see the world needs to be questioned more than ever.

Interview conducted by Manasi Gopalakrishnan

With nature’s renewed bloom, flower photography is the ideal medium for capturing the beauty of the flora that surrounds us. You only need to leave your house to be able to photograph flowers from every angle.

However, while taking snapshots of flowers is easy, getting the shot right takes a bit of skill. If you’re going to take macro photo of flowers, there are a number of conditions you’ll need to meet in order to succeed: the choice of lens, composition, settings, angles of view, time of day, and so on*.

Macro flower photography: Get as close as possible

Flower photography is divided into classic and macro photography. Macro photography, or simply macro, refers to an image with a magnification ratio of at least 1:1, that is, a life-size image.

Macro flower photography allows the photographer to get as close as possible to the subject, to enlarge it and capture every minute detail, even features invisible to the naked eye. It brings the miniature world of flowers (pollen, stamen, pistil, micro-insects, etc.) into perfect focus.

More technical than classic photography due to the demands of proximity, macro photography requires specific equipment, which we will look at below.

Flower photography: Before you get started

To get the best flower photo, it’s important to determine the following conditions:

• When best to shoot flowers?

• Where to photograph flowers?

• What are the optimal conditions for flower photography?

• When best to shoot flowers?

The optimal time to photograph flowers is in spring, when flowers and trees are in bloom. This is the best season to enjoy and capture nature’s explosion of color. Flowers can, however, be photographed all year round, since every season has its own species and its specific color palette.

On the day of the shoot, head out the door early in the morning, just after sunrise, or later in the evening, before sunset. These times of day are known as the “golden hours,” because the light is soft and warm, and it enhances the colors of flowers. Early-morning flower photography allows you to capture dew drops on the petals, adding an extra touch to the composition.

• Where to photograph flowers?

Found anywhere you look, flowers are the easiest photography subject to find. Whether at home or in your travels, you can find flowers in any garden, park, forest, on a mountain walk, near a beach, etc… You can also photograph flowers indoors, at home, arranged in creative ways (a bouquet, in a watering can, etc.).

While garden-grown plants and exotic wildflowers lend themselves best to photography thanks to their vibrant colors, we should not underestimate dead flowers. Wilted petals, filaments, and seeds offer a great opportunity for beautiful still life photographs.

• What are the optimal conditions for flower photography?

The ideal conditions for flower photography are overcast skies with no wind. The presence of clouds (the more overcast, the better) diffuses and softens the light, yielding a well-exposed, more natural and uniform image. Soft light also brings out the color and detail in your flower species. 

By contrast, on a bright sunny day, especially at midday, strong direct sunlight can exaggerate the contrast of your photos, deepening the shadows and obscuring the details (shapes, textures, imperfections, etc.). You need to pay attention not only to how strong the light is, but also where it’s coming from (behind, overhead, facing you) to properly manage the exposure of your flower photographs.

Make sure there’s no wind when you’re out photographing flowers. If it’s windy, you won’t be able to focus properly and get a perfectly sharp image because your subject is constantly moving. If you want to take a flower photo on a windy day, make sure you have a windscreen (a reflector or a simple piece of cardboard).

Finally, the presence of rain can enhance your flower photos, since flowers balancing drops of water offer creative photo opportunities. You can shoot during the rain or just after, before the drops dry. If you want to recreate the effect of rain or dew, you can bring a spray bottle and mist your flowers.

Although soft light is ideal, depending on your flower photography project, direct light can generate interesting effects. This is the case, for example, when flowers are backlit (sun located on the other side of the flower), which might create halos of light and highlight the translucent fragility of the petals. Similarly, a slight breeze can create an interesting aesthetic.

What equipment should I use for flower photography?

Flower photography is very accessible and doesn’t require any special equipment. However, if you want to take more elaborate photos, particularly for macro flower photography, you’ll need to equip yourself with quality equipment, whether in terms of cameras, lenses, or accessories.

• What camera to choose? 

For flower photography, you can use any type of camera: smartphone, compact, SLR, hybrid, film, etc. With the right settings, a great picture is in the bag. So you don’t need a professional camera. 

However, it is recommended that you use a camera that allows you to change lenses and that has a manual mode, so that you can adjust your settings and optimize your image. This is particularly important in the case of macro flower photography, where a reflex or hybrid camera is ideal.

• What lens to choose for flower photography?

Long focal lenses are the best choice in flower photography. They give you a narrow angle of view and blur the background to make the subject pop. They also allow for optimal focus, even when the lens is nearly touching the flower.

However, you can take beautiful flower photos with any lens, whether standard (e.g., 18–135 mm), wide-angle (less than 50 mm), or telephoto (between 90 mm and 600 mm). A wide-angle lens, for example, allows you to capture flowers in their environment, creating interesting distortion effects. 

In the case of macro flower photography, since you need to get as close as possible to your subject to capture all the details, you’ll need a macro lens. Usually with a focal length of 50 mm to 180 mm, macro lenses enable you to focus precisely on your chosen flower and achieve perfect sharpness, even at close range.

Whatever your choice of lenses, the important thing is to find one that is best adapted to your creative project and to measure the distance between you and your subject to optimize your focus. Experiment with your lenses (readjusting your settings every time) and figure out what works best for you.

• Accessories

To facilitate your flower photography, you can equip yourself with certain accessories, the importance of which will depend on your approach, the weather conditions, and your ideas:

• A tripod: Although not essential for flower photography, the tripod’s stability will help you steady your frame and stay in focus. In macro flower photography, a tripod, unaffected by movement, is essential to maintaining optimum focus and perfect sharpness.

• If the light is too bright, you can use a lens hood to shade your lens and ensure even illumination. You might also get a light diffuser to soften the light, or a reflector to help reflect the light back towards your subject (to accentuate contrast, intensify the color, etc.).

• Flash: To obtain ideal illumination when taking close-ups, use a small aperture. When the light is insufficient, the flash offers extra illumination. In macro photography, the flash helps to obtain natural light and compensate for the absence of light in extreme close-ups.

• Remote shutter release: If you’re using a tripod, it will allow you to shoot without having to touch your camera, once you have adjusted all your setting. Since it avoids vibrations or the risk of changing focus, a remote shutter release makes it easier to get a perfectly sharp flower photo.

• Flower photography settings

While you can go out and take a flower photo without thinking about the settings on your camera or smartphone, these settings are essential to improving your technique and getting interesting images. In flower photography, there are three main parameters to consider: aperture, ISO sensitivity, and shutter speed.

• The manual mode

While it’s perfectly possible to take beautiful flower photos in automatic mode, especially if you’re a beginner, only switching to the manual mode will allow you to improve your shots. Depending on your distance and the context of the photo (low light, wind, etc.), automatic mode might struggle to obtain an optimal focus.

In manual mode, you can finetune all the settings you need for a successful shot. Because of the very shallow depth of field in macro flower photography, manual focusing is a must to prevent any potential movement.

The aperture controls the amount of light entering your camera lens and is represented as an ƒ-number. When it comes to flowers, photography needs to emphasize the main subject, setting it apart from its background using blur. To foreground the flower, a shallow depth of field is required.

This shallow depth of field is achieved with a large diaphragm opening, recommended between ƒ/4 and ƒ/2.8, to isolate the flower from its environment. 

In macro flower photography, the very shallow depth of field means that a large part of your frame will be out of focus. You can then reduce the diaphragm aperture to ƒ/16 or ƒ/22 to obtain greater depth of field and thus better sharpness. This will, however, limit the light, which you will need to compensate with other settings.

To set your aperture, you can use your camera’s manual mode or use the Aperture Priority mode, available on many cameras. Run a few tests and find the aperture that best suits your flower photography project and ensures that your main subject is crisp and clear.

ISO sensitivity

Like aperture, ISO allows you to control the amount of light captured by your camera, yielding a more or less illuminated, detailed image. When it comes to flower photography, depending on the conditions (time of day, the weather) and your aperture and shutter speed, you will need to adjust your ISO sensitivity (a low aperture will require more light).

In general, if you’re photographing a flower on a sunny or overcast day, you won’t have to worry too much about ISO, which can be kept low (between 100 and 800) since the sensor receives enough light. In the early morning and late afternoon, on the other hand, you will need to adjust your ISO to capture as much light as possible and compensate for low levels of light. 

Depending on your needs, you can go up to ISO 3200 to get a very sharp image without too much risk of digital noise (grainy picture). Try several ISO settings to find the sensitivity that gives you the best results without graininess.

• Shutter speed and exposure time

The third major setting to consider on your flower photography outings is shutter speed. Like the other parameters, shutter speed allows you to control the amount of light hitting the sensor by adjusting the length of exposure. Generally, and in flower photography specifically, the longer your focal length, the shorter your exposure time, especially in macro shots.

To secure a sharp shot that freezes the action and brings out the details of your subject, you will need to pick a high shutter speed, i.e., a short exposure time. We recommend setting your shutter speed between 1/200s and 1/1000s. 

The longer your exposure time, the more light your sensor registers, and the better it captures the movement of the flower and its surroundings (nearby branches, insects, etc.). If your exposure time is too long, you will likely end up with a blurred or streaky image. This effect is magnified on windy days.

• RAW format

If you’re planning to process and rework your photos on your computer, you should shoot in uncompressed RAW photo format. Unlike JPEG, which has a limited value in post-production, the RAW format preserves all the details of the scene.

How to prepare for your flower-photography outing?

Once you’ve chosen the right equipment and set up your camera properly, before you press the shutter release, you need to prepare your photos well: background control, frame, composition, etc.

• Plan your outing

Because flower photography depends so much on the location, the season and the bloom calendar, the time of day, and the weather conditions, it’s important to prepare your outing in advance. Check the forecast for sunshine, cloud cover, wind or rain, and so on.

This will make it easier for you to determine what equipment to bring (sunshield, reflector, spray, etc.), as well as what to wear. In general, choose clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty, so you can sit or lie down to frame your shot. You might even bring a small kneeling pad.

• Honing the background

To make sure your subject stands out and is immediately visible, you need to be attentive to your background. It should complement your flower, be uncluttered, so it doesn’t distract from your subject and overwhelm your flower photo. 

A busy background can have a large number of objects in the frame (stems, grass, branches, other flowers), a distracting human background (buildings, walls, fences), areas that are too bright or too vivid, spots of light, etc.

When photographing flowers, the shallow depth of field needed to bring the subject into focus calls for a blurred background. This harmonizes the photo, masking any flaws and immediately drawing attention to the subject. Depending on your photo projects, you can also fill the entire frame with your subject, thus minimizing the background.

To enhance or clean up your background, especially if it’s too busy, you can set up a solid-colored backdrop that will contrast with the bright or pale color palette of your subject and create a unique setting that will foreground and enhance your flower. You may also take advantage of other flowers in the background to create creative patterns of shapes and colors.

For highly creative flower shots, you can play with the depth of field and create a foreground blur, letting your subject recede into the background or shooting it over another flower. Play with distance and depth of field to achieve unique, interesting results.

• Framing and composing your photo

For successful and memorable flower shots, in addition to paying attention to your background, work on your framing and composition; in other words, set the stage for what happens in your image. 

There are no rules for framing or composition. Anything in your frame can contribute to a beautiful photo. The important thing is to know what you want to emphasize and to capture what you like.

Whether to obtain a wide shot, a close-up of a single flower or a bouquet, a profile or three-quarter view, a bird’s eye or worm’s eye view, in portrait or landscape mode, don’t hesitate to move around the flower and try out different angles. In general, it’s best to position yourself at the level of the flower, or close to the ground, for greater immersion and a more intimate, natural flower photo.

When composing your flower photo, show the extent of a field, look for details (petal transparency, textures, etc.), the presence of insects (bee, butterfly, ladybug, etc.), or play with contrast, colors, symmetrical shapes, etc.

• Unleash your creativity

Whether you use analog photography, black-and-white, accessories, or high color contrast; highlight the flower’s imperfections or create original mises-en-scène, the important thing in flower photography is to unleash your creativity and get exceptional shots that you bring you satisfaction.

• Respect nature

While flowers offer an incredible field of possibilities for taking photos and perfecting your technique, you mustn’t forget that you’re in a natural environment. Respecting nature means refraining from trampling, or pulling out, other flowers and grasses only to get closer to your subject and taking care not to disturb the wildlife around you. May your photos be the only trace of your presence.

Processing your flower photos

To perfect your flower photos, you might want to process and retouch them using photo processing software, such as Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. While reworking your photos is optional, it can enable you to correct flaws, balance or enhance the colors, and create original montages.

• Processing in flower photography most often involves:

• Cropping the photo,

• Adjusting the exposure,

• Increasing contrast,

• Increasing brilliance,

• Adjusting the white balance,

• Harmonizing or enhancing colors,

• Correcting defects or imperfections (pollen, dirt, etc.),

• Reducing digital noise.

Play around with the different settings and experiment to get your perfect flower photo. Remember to edit your photos in RAW format for best results.

Now you know the ins and outs of flower photography. Take advantage of the natural surroundings to refine your technique, try out new perspectives and settings, and, above all, enjoy the beauty of plants and their individual characteristics.

*Article produced with the expertise of the MPB photo equipment resale, purchase and exchange site.

With nature’s renewed bloom, flower photography is the ideal medium for capturing the beauty of the flora that surrounds us. You only need to leave your house to be able to photograph flowers from every angle.

However, while taking snapshots of flowers is easy, getting the shot right takes a bit of skill. If you’re going to take macro photo of flowers, there are a number of conditions you’ll need to meet in order to succeed: the choice of lens, composition, settings, angles of view, time of day, and so on*.

Macro flower photography: Get as close as possible

Flower photography is divided into classic and macro photography. Macro photography, or simply macro, refers to an image with a magnification ratio of at least 1:1, that is, a life-size image.

Macro flower photography allows the photographer to get as close as possible to the subject, to enlarge it and capture every minute detail, even features invisible to the naked eye. It brings the miniature world of flowers (pollen, stamen, pistil, micro-insects, etc.) into perfect focus.

More technical than classic photography due to the demands of proximity, macro photography requires specific equipment, which we will look at below.

Flower photography: Before you get started

To get the best flower photo, it’s important to determine the following conditions:

• When best to shoot flowers?

• Where to photograph flowers?

• What are the optimal conditions for flower photography?

• When best to shoot flowers?

The optimal time to photograph flowers is in spring, when flowers and trees are in bloom. This is the best season to enjoy and capture nature’s explosion of color. Flowers can, however, be photographed all year round, since every season has its own species and its specific color palette.

On the day of the shoot, head out the door early in the morning, just after sunrise, or later in the evening, before sunset. These times of day are known as the “golden hours,” because the light is soft and warm, and it enhances the colors of flowers. Early-morning flower photography allows you to capture dew drops on the petals, adding an extra touch to the composition.

• Where to photograph flowers?

Found anywhere you look, flowers are the easiest photography subject to find. Whether at home or in your travels, you can find flowers in any garden, park, forest, on a mountain walk, near a beach, etc… You can also photograph flowers indoors, at home, arranged in creative ways (a bouquet, in a watering can, etc.).

While garden-grown plants and exotic wildflowers lend themselves best to photography thanks to their vibrant colors, we should not underestimate dead flowers. Wilted petals, filaments, and seeds offer a great opportunity for beautiful still life photographs.

• What are the optimal conditions for flower photography?

The ideal conditions for flower photography are overcast skies with no wind. The presence of clouds (the more overcast, the better) diffuses and softens the light, yielding a well-exposed, more natural and uniform image. Soft light also brings out the color and detail in your flower species. 

By contrast, on a bright sunny day, especially at midday, strong direct sunlight can exaggerate the contrast of your photos, deepening the shadows and obscuring the details (shapes, textures, imperfections, etc.). You need to pay attention not only to how strong the light is, but also where it’s coming from (behind, overhead, facing you) to properly manage the exposure of your flower photographs.

Make sure there’s no wind when you’re out photographing flowers. If it’s windy, you won’t be able to focus properly and get a perfectly sharp image because your subject is constantly moving. If you want to take a flower photo on a windy day, make sure you have a windscreen (a reflector or a simple piece of cardboard).

Finally, the presence of rain can enhance your flower photos, since flowers balancing drops of water offer creative photo opportunities. You can shoot during the rain or just after, before the drops dry. If you want to recreate the effect of rain or dew, you can bring a spray bottle and mist your flowers.

Although soft light is ideal, depending on your flower photography project, direct light can generate interesting effects. This is the case, for example, when flowers are backlit (sun located on the other side of the flower), which might create halos of light and highlight the translucent fragility of the petals. Similarly, a slight breeze can create an interesting aesthetic.

What equipment should I use for flower photography?

Flower photography is very accessible and doesn’t require any special equipment. However, if you want to take more elaborate photos, particularly for macro flower photography, you’ll need to equip yourself with quality equipment, whether in terms of cameras, lenses, or accessories.

• What camera to choose? 

For flower photography, you can use any type of camera: smartphone, compact, SLR, hybrid, film, etc. With the right settings, a great picture is in the bag. So you don’t need a professional camera. 

However, it is recommended that you use a camera that allows you to change lenses and that has a manual mode, so that you can adjust your settings and optimize your image. This is particularly important in the case of macro flower photography, where a reflex or hybrid camera is ideal.

• What lens to choose for flower photography?

Long focal lenses are the best choice in flower photography. They give you a narrow angle of view and blur the background to make the subject pop. They also allow for optimal focus, even when the lens is nearly touching the flower.

However, you can take beautiful flower photos with any lens, whether standard (e.g., 18–135 mm), wide-angle (less than 50 mm), or telephoto (between 90 mm and 600 mm). A wide-angle lens, for example, allows you to capture flowers in their environment, creating interesting distortion effects. 

In the case of macro flower photography, since you need to get as close as possible to your subject to capture all the details, you’ll need a macro lens. Usually with a focal length of 50 mm to 180 mm, macro lenses enable you to focus precisely on your chosen flower and achieve perfect sharpness, even at close range.

Whatever your choice of lenses, the important thing is to find one that is best adapted to your creative project and to measure the distance between you and your subject to optimize your focus. Experiment with your lenses (readjusting your settings every time) and figure out what works best for you.

• Accessories

To facilitate your flower photography, you can equip yourself with certain accessories, the importance of which will depend on your approach, the weather conditions, and your ideas:

• A tripod: Although not essential for flower photography, the tripod’s stability will help you steady your frame and stay in focus. In macro flower photography, a tripod, unaffected by movement, is essential to maintaining optimum focus and perfect sharpness.

• If the light is too bright, you can use a lens hood to shade your lens and ensure even illumination. You might also get a light diffuser to soften the light, or a reflector to help reflect the light back towards your subject (to accentuate contrast, intensify the color, etc.).

• Flash: To obtain ideal illumination when taking close-ups, use a small aperture. When the light is insufficient, the flash offers extra illumination. In macro photography, the flash helps to obtain natural light and compensate for the absence of light in extreme close-ups.

• Remote shutter release: If you’re using a tripod, it will allow you to shoot without having to touch your camera, once you have adjusted all your setting. Since it avoids vibrations or the risk of changing focus, a remote shutter release makes it easier to get a perfectly sharp flower photo.

• Flower photography settings

While you can go out and take a flower photo without thinking about the settings on your camera or smartphone, these settings are essential to improving your technique and getting interesting images. In flower photography, there are three main parameters to consider: aperture, ISO sensitivity, and shutter speed.

• The manual mode

While it’s perfectly possible to take beautiful flower photos in automatic mode, especially if you’re a beginner, only switching to the manual mode will allow you to improve your shots. Depending on your distance and the context of the photo (low light, wind, etc.), automatic mode might struggle to obtain an optimal focus.

In manual mode, you can finetune all the settings you need for a successful shot. Because of the very shallow depth of field in macro flower photography, manual focusing is a must to prevent any potential movement.

The aperture controls the amount of light entering your camera lens and is represented as an ƒ-number. When it comes to flowers, photography needs to emphasize the main subject, setting it apart from its background using blur. To foreground the flower, a shallow depth of field is required.

This shallow depth of field is achieved with a large diaphragm opening, recommended between ƒ/4 and ƒ/2.8, to isolate the flower from its environment. 

In macro flower photography, the very shallow depth of field means that a large part of your frame will be out of focus. You can then reduce the diaphragm aperture to ƒ/16 or ƒ/22 to obtain greater depth of field and thus better sharpness. This will, however, limit the light, which you will need to compensate with other settings.

To set your aperture, you can use your camera’s manual mode or use the Aperture Priority mode, available on many cameras. Run a few tests and find the aperture that best suits your flower photography project and ensures that your main subject is crisp and clear.

ISO sensitivity

Like aperture, ISO allows you to control the amount of light captured by your camera, yielding a more or less illuminated, detailed image. When it comes to flower photography, depending on the conditions (time of day, the weather) and your aperture and shutter speed, you will need to adjust your ISO sensitivity (a low aperture will require more light).

In general, if you’re photographing a flower on a sunny or overcast day, you won’t have to worry too much about ISO, which can be kept low (between 100 and 800) since the sensor receives enough light. In the early morning and late afternoon, on the other hand, you will need to adjust your ISO to capture as much light as possible and compensate for low levels of light. 

Depending on your needs, you can go up to ISO 3200 to get a very sharp image without too much risk of digital noise (grainy picture). Try several ISO settings to find the sensitivity that gives you the best results without graininess.

• Shutter speed and exposure time

The third major setting to consider on your flower photography outings is shutter speed. Like the other parameters, shutter speed allows you to control the amount of light hitting the sensor by adjusting the length of exposure. Generally, and in flower photography specifically, the longer your focal length, the shorter your exposure time, especially in macro shots.

To secure a sharp shot that freezes the action and brings out the details of your subject, you will need to pick a high shutter speed, i.e., a short exposure time. We recommend setting your shutter speed between 1/200s and 1/1000s. 

The longer your exposure time, the more light your sensor registers, and the better it captures the movement of the flower and its surroundings (nearby branches, insects, etc.). If your exposure time is too long, you will likely end up with a blurred or streaky image. This effect is magnified on windy days.

• RAW format

If you’re planning to process and rework your photos on your computer, you should shoot in uncompressed RAW photo format. Unlike JPEG, which has a limited value in post-production, the RAW format preserves all the details of the scene.

How to prepare for your flower-photography outing?

Once you’ve chosen the right equipment and set up your camera properly, before you press the shutter release, you need to prepare your photos well: background control, frame, composition, etc.

• Plan your outing

Because flower photography depends so much on the location, the season and the bloom calendar, the time of day, and the weather conditions, it’s important to prepare your outing in advance. Check the forecast for sunshine, cloud cover, wind or rain, and so on.

This will make it easier for you to determine what equipment to bring (sunshield, reflector, spray, etc.), as well as what to wear. In general, choose clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty, so you can sit or lie down to frame your shot. You might even bring a small kneeling pad.

• Honing the background

To make sure your subject stands out and is immediately visible, you need to be attentive to your background. It should complement your flower, be uncluttered, so it doesn’t distract from your subject and overwhelm your flower photo. 

A busy background can have a large number of objects in the frame (stems, grass, branches, other flowers), a distracting human background (buildings, walls, fences), areas that are too bright or too vivid, spots of light, etc.

When photographing flowers, the shallow depth of field needed to bring the subject into focus calls for a blurred background. This harmonizes the photo, masking any flaws and immediately drawing attention to the subject. Depending on your photo projects, you can also fill the entire frame with your subject, thus minimizing the background.

To enhance or clean up your background, especially if it’s too busy, you can set up a solid-colored backdrop that will contrast with the bright or pale color palette of your subject and create a unique setting that will foreground and enhance your flower. You may also take advantage of other flowers in the background to create creative patterns of shapes and colors.

For highly creative flower shots, you can play with the depth of field and create a foreground blur, letting your subject recede into the background or shooting it over another flower. Play with distance and depth of field to achieve unique, interesting results.

• Framing and composing your photo

For successful and memorable flower shots, in addition to paying attention to your background, work on your framing and composition; in other words, set the stage for what happens in your image. 

There are no rules for framing or composition. Anything in your frame can contribute to a beautiful photo. The important thing is to know what you want to emphasize and to capture what you like.

Whether to obtain a wide shot, a close-up of a single flower or a bouquet, a profile or three-quarter view, a bird’s eye or worm’s eye view, in portrait or landscape mode, don’t hesitate to move around the flower and try out different angles. In general, it’s best to position yourself at the level of the flower, or close to the ground, for greater immersion and a more intimate, natural flower photo.

When composing your flower photo, show the extent of a field, look for details (petal transparency, textures, etc.), the presence of insects (bee, butterfly, ladybug, etc.), or play with contrast, colors, symmetrical shapes, etc.

• Unleash your creativity

Whether you use analog photography, black-and-white, accessories, or high color contrast; highlight the flower’s imperfections or create original mises-en-scène, the important thing in flower photography is to unleash your creativity and get exceptional shots that you bring you satisfaction.

• Respect nature

While flowers offer an incredible field of possibilities for taking photos and perfecting your technique, you mustn’t forget that you’re in a natural environment. Respecting nature means refraining from trampling, or pulling out, other flowers and grasses only to get closer to your subject and taking care not to disturb the wildlife around you. May your photos be the only trace of your presence.

Processing your flower photos

To perfect your flower photos, you might want to process and retouch them using photo processing software, such as Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. While reworking your photos is optional, it can enable you to correct flaws, balance or enhance the colors, and create original montages.

• Processing in flower photography most often involves:

• Cropping the photo,

• Adjusting the exposure,

• Increasing contrast,

• Increasing brilliance,

• Adjusting the white balance,

• Harmonizing or enhancing colors,

• Correcting defects or imperfections (pollen, dirt, etc.),

• Reducing digital noise.

Play around with the different settings and experiment to get your perfect flower photo. Remember to edit your photos in RAW format for best results.

Now you know the ins and outs of flower photography. Take advantage of the natural surroundings to refine your technique, try out new perspectives and settings, and, above all, enjoy the beauty of plants and their individual characteristics.

*Article produced with the expertise of the MPB photo equipment resale, purchase and exchange site.

London, UK

Jason Lyon, an engineer, examines Loo Garden, a temporary subterranean creation designed to represent a future, healthier River Thames, in a section of the Thames Tideway tunnel commonly known as the Super Sewer

Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

A wildlife photographer has been arrested in a Tasmanian forest for protesting the logging of trees where he has taken photos of the critically endangered swift parrot.

Rob Blakers was arrested on Tuesday at the same spot where he previously took an amazing photo of 12 swift parrots in one tree. He estimates that there were 30 around him at the time — about 4% of the remaining population.

“It was extraordinary. I have only spent a few years looking for swift parrots, but this was far above anything else I’ve ever seen,” he tells The Guardian.

However, Blakers was outraged when the Tasmanian government logging agency began felling trees in the Eastern Tiers, a two hour drive from the capital of Hobart.

He joined with the Bob Brown Foundation and a group of protesters entered the area where Sustainable Timber Tasmania was cutting down trees. The police were called and asked Blakers to leave, when he refused he was arrested.

Blakers, who is a renowned nature photographer in Tasmania, says he is “furious” with the logging.

“My reaction was: how dare they? How can they just so brazenly ignore all of the science, all of the advice they have received, and just go in and smash this forest?” He tells The Guardian.

Blakers has been visiting that area of Tasmania for the last three years to document swift parrots, often climbing trees to get a shot of them in the canopy.

He says he has seen consistent aggregations of swift parrots in numbers not seen anywhere else in the world.

“Flocks of up to 30 birds were observed on several occasions, with 12 parrots photographed in a single tree on Christmas Eve,” he says.

“On many mornings and evenings, their calls were the dominant sound of the forest. At least one nesting site was confirmed, but there were almost certainly more.

“Parrots were flocking and feeding in both the canopy and at ground level. This was prime swift parrot habitat and an extraordinary natural phenomenon.”

At the time of logging, there were no swift parrots in the area as they spend winters on the Australian mainland and come to the forest in the summer to nest.

“Two weeks ago logging began in this forest. I spent two full days last week urgently attempting to contact Forestry Tasmania. There was no response to my calls,” he says.

“In the last few days I have returned to this forest to document the damage. The southeast portion of the coupe, which was alive with swift parrots through the summer, has been substantially logged.”

Blakers says the timber agency has broken its own rules after logging trees 114 feet (35 meters) from the nesting tree he captured in a photo. Under the agency’s rules, there is supposed to be a buffer of at least 164 feet (50 meters.)