Wildflower season is in full bloom (yes, pun intended) I thought it would be a good time to share my best tips for capturing this natural confetti as it adds a burst of vibrancy to our landscapes. Successfully photographing these beauties can be both rewarding and challenging (or downright frustrating), but these five tips will help you walk away with your best images of wildflowers blooming in the great outdoors.
Tip 1:
Becoming a Wildflower Whisperer - Know your flowers
Understanding the flowers you’re photographing is a crucial part of the process. Different wildflowers bloom at different times during the year and also during the day. Research the species in the area you’re capturing and their blooming seasons, usually this has to do with elevation and summer weather patterns like wind, snowmelt, heat and of course rain. Some wildflowers may open and close with the sun while others only open at night. Knowing when and where to find your floral subjects will ensure you catch them at peak bloom. Get out your magnifying glass and do you research, Sherlock Holmes!
Left: Flowers in Death Valley (and most deserts) depending highly on winter/spring rains, not harsh winds and late heat. Super blooms happen about once a decade and are rare!
Right: The same is true for high deserts, sometimes snowmelt might be a factor, yes even in the desert!
Tip 2:
Compose with the Landscape in Mind - Embrace the Rule of Thirds (and Fifths, and Sevenths…)
We all love a good close-up, but don’t forget to incorporate the the surrounding landscape. Really tell that story of the place you are in, the wildflowers are only a small part of that tale, include mountains, rivers, trees, etc. to provide context and scale. This way we highlight the flowers as part of the larger natural environment, while telling a more compelling visual story. Vast fields of flowers can feel like the subject is all over the place using the rule of thirds, leading lines, texture, color and visual space as tools can help you convey that story in a less chaotic way.
Summer alpine flowers (like these in Colorado) are a great time to also capture the Milky Way too!
Tip 3:
Chase the Golden (Flower) Hour - Light is your bestest friend in the whole world
This could be true for almost every landscape image we take, but it is especially true when we have wildflowers in the shot. The quality of light can make or break any photograph, therefore you want to capture during the golden hours where warm light enhances the natural colors of the wildflowers, this is just after sunrise or just before sunset. If moody shots are more your style, overcast days can also be great, as the diffused light reduces harsh shadows and highlights. Either way you will want to avoid the harsh midday sun at all costs, this will wash out colors and create unflattering shadows.
Bonus Tip: For my astrophotography enthusiasts out there, blue hour is also a great time to capture these little buddies and bonus points if you find a night blooming flower, like a Giant Blazingstar (Mentzelia Laevicaulis) shown on the right common to western North America. If the wind is not in your favor try using a higher ISO and faster shutter speed.
Tip 4:
Embrace the Element - Wind… Friend? Or Foe?
If you’ve ever taken photos in our great outdoors, you don’t need me to tell you that nature is unpredictable and sometimes (ok most times) you have to work with what you got. A gentle breeze can add a sense of motion and life to your photos, but strong winds are challenging for obvious reasons. Use a fast shutter speed to freeze the movement of flowers swaying in the wind, and yes, this might also mean you need to up that ISO to get to an ideal shutter speed. You will also likely need to use a higher aperture when you’re focus stacking to capture a greater depth of field. Alternatively, you can choose to embrace the blur to convey the dynamism of a wildflower meadow dancing in the breeze.
Wildflower Season in some areas can also align very nicely with monsoon season, this offers a unique opportunity to capture some pretty epic weather conditions.
Tip 5:
Experiment with Different Perspectives - Get Low, Get Low, Get Low
Don’t just stick to the usual eye-level shots, this is what we see all the time, get creative with your angles. You can easily make the flowers appear larger and more imposing against the landscape but getting low and close to your subject with a wide angle lens. Conversely a higher than eye-level vantage point can provide a sweeping view of a wildflower field. Climbing a nearby hill or even a drone (where permitted) can offer unique perspectives that highlight the vastness and beauty of the scene. Experiment with your tripod height and your focal length, these are creative choices we can play with as artists to capture a scene in a more meaningful way.
Both images above captured with a wide angle lens. The right was lower to the ground than the left, but both still below eye level.
Now Go Out & Practice!
Photographing these little bursts of colorful life is an exhilarating blend of artistry and adventure. By knowing your wildflowers, composing thoughtfully, harnessing the light, embracing the elements and experimenting with perspectives, you’ll be well on your way to capturing the beauty of these floral displays. But the biggest tip I can give you is to head out into the wild and let some blooms inspire your creativity, Happy Shooting Friends!
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