How Do You Shoot Flowers?

[scott_ferris]

<p>Christine,</p>

<p>A macro lens has traditionally been able to reproduce a subject at 1:1 on the sensor. That is if you used a film camera and a macro lens, the object and its photographed image would be the same size on the film, before enlargement.</p>

<p>A close focusing lens is just one that can get a "reasonable" reproduction ratio for its focal length. Normally in the 1/2 to 1/5 life size on the sensor.</p>

[cmitchell]

<p>Thank you Dan and Scott for your answers. I never knew that. I learn something new every day hanging around here (which is why I hang around here...)</p>

[scott_murphy_photography]

<p>I prefer to use my 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor most of the time on my 35mm and D700. If the flower is very small, or I want to just photograph the center of it, I will either use an extension ring (the Nikon PK-13 gives 1:1), reverse the lens (closer to 2:1) or put it on a bellows reversed for really large magnifications. Usually just the prime lens is adequate for most flower photos. Depending on the size of the flower and the background, you want to use a small enough aperture to ensure the flower is in focus without making the background too sharp.<br /><br /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10373456-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><br /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10911411-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[Stock-Photos]

<p>Dave,</p>

<p>Flowers are so over-done, and are often boring images, in my opinion.</p>

<p>I recommend a lens (or P&S camera ) which allows extreme <strong><a href="../photo/8146079&size=lg">flower close-ups from unique angles</a></strong>. A swivel LCD is very handy for composing such shots.</p>

<p>More of my boring <strong><a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=740223">flower photos are here.</a></strong></p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Here are a couple of shots which again demonstrates that macro lenses are definitely not required for flowers. I agree with J. Harrington, but it doesn't seem to stop us taking them though...The 135/2L and the 24-70L are particular favorites of mine.</p><div></div>

[Robin Smith]

<p>another</p><div></div>

[glenn_stokes]

<p>I enjoy photographing flowers in 3D with a single DSLR and a 55mm lens, sometimes a macro lens, sometimes with macro adapter screw on. No need to worry about complex mathematics. With camera about a foot from the flower, Just put the camera on a slide rail on a tripod, keep it level, and move it from left to right about a quarter of an inch between each of about six or eight images. You can even do macro and move camera about 1/8 of an inch between shots (for a "bug's eye view of the flower). Focus, highlights, shadows, background are all creative options. Use the left most image as the anchor and then view a left/right stereo pair using shots 2,3,4,5,6 etc. as a new right side image. One of them will produce a perfect depth. Use the free StereoPhoto Maker software (windows) to assemble the left/right pair into a single JPG paired left/right image. View on computer with hand held stereo viewing tool. Or assemble the pair backwards with right on left side and left on right side, and look at the paired image in a "cross eye" fashion. It looks soooo real you can almost smell the fragrance. 3D flower photography is all the buzz. </p>

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>Just to add something else to the mix, this was shot with a 24mm/f2.8 prime, wide open, hand-held to the front of the camera in reverse, with the lens hood still attached (to act sort of like a extension tube). Talk about narrow DOF! The lens was so close to the flower that I had to clean pollen off of the rear element between shots. </p><div></div>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>Christine, Dan M-<br>

A macro lens is optimized optically for close focusing, is designed to be very sharp at its optimum magnification, and is designed to have both very low distortion and very low curvature of field. Having high performance optically means that most still do very well at infinity, which is what most lenses are optimized for.<br /> It's not just that it can focus closer than other lenses of its focal length. A macro will give better optical performance.</p>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>To amend the above post: pictures such as the red rose can still be quite satisfactory when made with a non-macro lens, as the magnification is still fairly small. When getting down to 1:2 or 1:1 a macro really shines.</p>

[simon_t1]

<p>I used both macro lenses and standard lenses. All depends on your intentions. Here are two examples, one with a 100mm macro and another with a standard 24-70mm.</p>

[simon_t1]

<p>with a standard lens</p><div></div>

[simon_t1]

<p>with a macro 100mm</p><div></div>