Crocosmia lucifer
FLORA
I’m not a horticulturist or any sort of gardener, I can’t even be trusted with a neighbours cactus, but photographing flora has become a bit of an obsession. The challenge is simple; to capture the diverse beauty of the natural world – shape, texture, colour and form.
There are several techniques available to the botanical photographer: studio still life photography. The bold experimentation of scanography. Back lit photography which reveals the delicate translucency of leaves and flowers. Field photography, which captures flora in situ – recording natural design. Or utilising one of image making’s earliest techniques, the humble photogram.
Sycamore spinners
Sow Thistle
African Lily
Wild Poppy
Gerbera
Photographing flora in a studio still life setting can be as challenging as any portrait. Although we do not need trouble ourselves with establishing a rapport with our sitter, we do need to concern ourselves with the issue of wilting. Flora subjected to the studio lights soon take on the persona of an L.S Lowry figure – time is of the essence!
Leaf Skeleton
Allium
Peace Lily
Poppy seed heads (lith print)
Spring flowers (scanogram)
Fern (vernation)
Dandelion clock
Daffodils
Oxeye Daisies
Scanography is an art based technique which uses a flatbed scanner as a camera, enabling the botanical photographer to give a creative twist to their repertoire. Objects touching the glass of the scanner are in sharp focus, from which the focus rushes quickly away. This incredibly narrow depth of field, combined with increased colour saturation can produce stunning results.
Grape Hyacinth (scanogram)
Roses (scanogram)
Heather (scanogram)
Wild grasses
The true beauty of flora can be extracted by lighting the subject from behind/beneath (backlit), the translucent qualities of petals and leaves can produce breath-taking results. I use an old overhead projector, with the camera mounted on a copy stand perpendicular to the subject. A simple technique which can produce stunning minimal, high key results.
Back-lit photography
Fern (photogram)
Globe Thistle
Tulips
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Horse Chestnut
Botanical photography is a technically diverse discipline, which can be every bit as challenging as portrait or fashion photography, but is often overlooked as a mainstream photographic genre.
Foxglove
Pink Lily
Sycamore spinners (motion blur)
Tulip stems
Poppy seed head
Dandelion clock
Sunflower