Creative Flower And Plant Photography

This beautiful book explains the basics of composition and using your camera, but quickly moves on to show you how to try many different flower photography techniques, both indoors and out. Through clear step-by-step guides and stunning examples, it shows you how to capture the smallest flower portrait through to broad garden landscapes. There are ideas on how to develop a creative eye using available light, colour and background. The most important rules of flower photography are explained, and also how to break them. It shows how to use a light box in your home for flower portrait photography and still life and explains how to edit your photos and take them to another level. As well as practical advice it provides inspiration through a monthly photo gallery giving ideas of botanical subjects to capture throughout the year.

A master photographer shares his wisdom on the special challenges and possibilities flowers offer.

Capture stunning macro floral images with this gorgeous guide by acclaimed photographer Harold Davis. You'll learn about different types of flowers, macro equipment basics, and the intricacies of shooting different floral varieties in the field and in the studio. Harold also shows you techniques in the Photoshop darkroom that can be applied to flower photography to help you get the most out of your images. Beautiful and authoritative, this guide to photographing flowers is a must-read for every photographer interested in flower photography. Photographing Flowers will also win a place in the hearts of those who simply love striking floral imagery.

Make great photos of flowers, gardens, landscapes and thebeautiful world around us Gardens are everywhere, all around us. In this long-awaited guide to garden photography, noted botanical photographer and author Harold Davis tackles the subject of garden photography with an expansive brush. In this book, you''ll find techniques for photographing extreme macro subjects while becoming a better landscape photographer. From tiny flowers to vast landscapes, your photography can be enhanced using the techniques you will discover in Creative Garden Photography. What is a garden? The topic of garden photography encompasses a huge range of photographic styles and techniques that can be applied to almost any kind of photography. Learn to use this toolset from one of the acknowledged modern masters of photography. * Explore gardens, types of gardens, and how best to photograph them * Create stunning floral macros and high-key imagery * Learn techniques for adding impressionism to your photos * Use light and creative exposures to enhance your imagery * Master close-up focusing, depth-of-field, and focus stacking * Create your own custom field studio "in a bucket" * Complete exposure data and the story behind every photo "My goal as a photography teacher and writer about photography is to inspire andto help you become the best and most creative photographer and image-makerthat you can be." --Harold Davis "Harold Davis''s etherial floral arrangements have a purity and translucence thatborders on the spiritual." --Popular Photo Magazine "Davis is a pioneer and a new art form--part photographer, part digital illusionist." --Rangefinder Magazine "Harold Davis''s Creative Photography series is a great way to start a photographylibrary." --PhotoFidelity TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ENTERING THE GARDEN Understanding Gardens Garden Styles and Purposes Different Kinds of Garden Photography Garden Purpose and Design Informs Photography OF LIGHT AND GARDEN Sunrise, Sunset, Blue Hours, Golden Hour ON LOCATION: THE ROMANTIC GARDEN, SCHWETZINGEN AT SUNRISE, GERMANY ON THE IPHONE: SNAPSEED USING A TRIPOD Using a Tripod for More Creative Options Tripods for Garden Photography: Materials, Legs, Types of Heads Tripod Tips and Tricks BLENDING EXPOSURES TO EXTEND RANGE BLACK AND WHITE IN THE GARDEN Photographing the Zen Garden ON LOCATION: IMPERIAL GARDENS OF OLD NARA, JAPAN CONVERTING TO BLACK AND WHITE IMPRESSIONISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY Camera in Motion Subject in Motion with Camera Stationary Creative Exposures In-Camera Multiple Exposures Post-Production ON LOCATION: PHOTOGRAPHING MONET''S GIVERNY, FRANCE ON THE IPHONE: WATERLOGUE FOCUSING ON REPETITION Compositions with Repeating Garden Elements and Patterned Spaces Best Practices in Focus Depth of Field ON LOCATION: THE PARC DE SCEAUX, FRANCE FOCUS STACKING DRAGONFLIES, BEES, AND WASPS Stopping Motion Getting Close Dealing with Those that Sting Auxiliary Lighting: Reflectors, Macro Strobes, LED Lighting WATER DROPS AND SPIDER WEBS Refractions in Close-Up Photography Spider-Web Studio MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR GARDENS OF THE MIND PRINTING GARDEN PHOTOS NOTES & RESOURCES Off-Beat Garden Photography Tools Places to Practice Garden Photography Recommended iPhone Apps for Garden Photography iPhone Workflow ImageBlender NOTES AND RESOURCES GLOSSARY INDEX

The essential guide for digital macro photographers everywhere The art of macro photography-photographing small objects or super close-ups of small sections of big objects-yields fascinating results, but shooting at this level brings its own set of challenges. Now you can shoot close-ups with confidence and creative flair with this information-packed guide. Renowned photographer Harold Davis provides pages of field-tested techniques on focus, depth-of-field, exposure-even the appropriate equipment to use for this unique niche of digital photography. The book includes stunning and intriguing examples of his work to illustrate concepts. Walks you through the basics of macro photography, whether you're capturing an insect, a flower, a close-up of the texture of a pine cone, or more Shows you how to overcome the challenges of this type of photography, such as using the appropriate equipment and how to handle focus, depth of field, and exposure Takes you beyond the fundamentals to help you develop your own creative style Informs and inspires you with the author's own stunning examples of macro photography Join the vast and beautiful world of small photography with this essential guide.

This beautifully illustrated book will appeal to all those whose passion is to capture the essence of blooms. -- p.[4] of cover.

Make great photos of flowers, gardens, landscapes and the beautiful world around us

Gardens are everywhere, all around us. In this long-awaited guide to garden photography, noted botanical photographer and author Harold Davis tackles the subject of garden photography with an expansive brush. In this book, you’ll find techniques for photographing extreme macro subjects while becoming a better landscape photographer. From tiny flowers to vast landscapes, your photography can be enhanced using the techniques you will discover in Creative Garden Photography.

What is a garden? The topic of garden photography encompasses a huge range of photographic styles and techniques that can be applied to almost any kind of photography. Learn to use this toolset from one of the acknowledged modern masters of photography.

• Explore gardens, types of gardens, and how best to photograph them

• Create stunning floral macros and high-key imagery

• Learn techniques for adding impressionism to your photos

• Use light and creative exposures to enhance your imagery

• Master close-up focusing, depth-of-field, and focus stacking

• Create your own custom field studio “in a bucket”

• Complete exposure data and the story behind every photo

“My goal as a photography teacher and writer about photography is to inspire and to help you become the best and most creative photographer and image-maker that you can be.”
—Harold Davis

“Harold Davis’s etherial floral arrangements have a purity and translucence that borders on the spiritual.”
—Popular Photo Magazine

“Davis is a pioneer and a new art form—part photographer, part digital illusionist.”
—Rangefinder Magazine

“Harold Davis’s Creative Photography series is a great way to start a photography library.”
—PhotoFidelity

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ENTERING THE GARDEN
Understanding Gardens
Garden Styles and Purposes
Different Kinds of Garden Photography
Garden Purpose and Design Informs Photography

OF LIGHT AND GARDEN
Sunrise, Sunset, Blue Hours, Golden Hour

ON LOCATION: THE ROMANTIC GARDEN, SCHWETZINGEN AT SUNRISE, GERMANY

ON THE IPHONE: SNAPSEED

USING A TRIPOD
Using a Tripod for More Creative Options
Tripods for Garden Photography: Materials, Legs, Types of Heads
Tripod Tips and Tricks

BLENDING EXPOSURES TO EXTEND RANGE

BLACK AND WHITE IN THE GARDEN
Photographing the Zen Garden

ON LOCATION: IMPERIAL GARDENS OF OLD NARA, JAPAN

CONVERTING TO BLACK AND WHITE

IMPRESSIONISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY
Camera in Motion
Subject in Motion with Camera Stationary
Creative Exposures
In-Camera Multiple Exposures
Post-Production

ON LOCATION: PHOTOGRAPHING MONET'S GIVERNY, FRANCE

ON THE IPHONE: WATERLOGUE

FOCUSING ON REPETITION
Compositions with Repeating Garden Elements and Patterned Spaces
Best Practices in Focus
Depth of Field

ON LOCATION: THE PARC DE SCEAUX, FRANCE

FOCUS STACKING

DRAGONFLIES, BEES, AND WASPS
Stopping Motion
Getting Close
Dealing with Those that Sting
Auxiliary Lighting: Reflectors, Macro Strobes, LED Lighting

WATER DROPS AND SPIDER WEBS
Refractions in Close-Up Photography
Spider-Web Studio

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

GARDENS OF THE MIND

PRINTING GARDEN PHOTOS

NOTES & RESOURCES
Off-Beat Garden Photography Tools
Places to Practice Garden Photography
Recommended iPhone Apps for Garden Photography
iPhone Workflow
ImageBlender

NOTES AND RESOURCES
GLOSSARY
INDEX