Last Updated on April 26, 2021
Flowers are one of the most exciting subjects to photograph, for a couple of reasons. The first is that they’re so vibrant and alive with color.
This makes them compellingly photogenic, and it also means that you can take great photographs without having to resort to complicated lighting setups or special effects.
Second, using a macro lens you can get really close and fill your frames with flowers in glorious detail.
If you are interesting in taking amazing flower macro photographs read on for tips that will elevate your photography results.
Macro Flower Photography Tips
Learn to Focus
Focus is one of the most important aspects of photography. If you’re not focused your photos will come out blurry no matter how good they are.
Learn to focus on what you’re focusing on. If you’ve got a flower in front of an attractive background then it’s easy to get lost in the flowers and lose focus on the background.
This will give your flower images a soft, blurry look that is at odds with good macro photography.
Prime Lenses Are Best Used for Macro Photography
While you don’t always need a macro lens to get great flower macro photos, if you want the very closest shots they’re your best choice.
This is because with a prime lens the focal length is fixed and you can focus really close to your subject.
If you use a zoom lens with a close minimum focus distance you can get close but not as close as with a fixed focal length lens.
Get in Close
The closer you get the better. This will give your flower macro pics a crisper, more detailed look and feel.
Use a Tripod for Flower Macro Photos
A tripod is very useful when taking flower macro photos, especially when you’re shooting at night or with long exposures.
They help you get great shots without having to worry about camera movement affecting your images. Click on this link for Best Tripod for Macro Photography .
Compose Well
This might seem obvious, but it’s important when taking flower macro pictures.
Make sure that the flowers are framed well and the composition is pleasing to your eye before you take a shot.
This will make your flower macro photos far more interesting to look at and more beautiful than if they were shot quickly and without thought.
Use a Macro Focus Ring
This is best with a zoom lens but if yours doesn’t have one then use the distance dial on your camera and turn it until you can see the flower in perfect focus.
Use a Macro Filter for Flower Photography
Most macro lenses have some kind of protective filter built-in that protects the front element from scratches and damage, but they don’t protect the rear element from flare.
A macro filter will do this. There are great filters available that will protect your lens from flare and scratches.
Mirror Lockup (Manual Mirror-Up) Makes a Difference
When you’re taking flower macro photos it’s handy to have the mirror up so that you can see what you’re shooting through the viewfinder.
Most cameras come with a mirror lockup feature, which makes this easy. Just turn the mirror lockup mode on and you’re ready to go.
Shoot at Night
It’s much easier to compose compelling macro photos when it’s dark. You can make bigger compositions and focus more easily on the flowers.
This is especially helpful if you’re shooting flowers in a garden with lots of detail that can get lost in the bright light of day.
Shoot Long Exposures
Longer exposure times can help the details in your pictures to come out even more.
This is because when you’re shooting with short shutter speeds the sensor on your camera will blur the image a little bit and lose detail.
Use a Macro Extension Tube for Flower Photography
The macro extension tube will allow you to focus really close, but without using a macro lens. Some macro extension tubes will have a 1:1 magnification factor.
This means that they let you take close-up pictures of one flower in the middle of your entire frame, that’s really impressive!
Use a 4-Section Macro Lens for Flower Photography
A 4-section macro lens has a different focal length to each side, giving you the ability to focus on one area of your frame at different distances.
This will make your flower macros look amazing.
You can also use a macro lens with a close focus distance setting that allows you to use it on its own for shallow depth of field portraits. Combined they’re extremely useful for macro photography.
Bottom Line
These are the tips and tricks that I could think of to help you take great flower macro photos.
If you have any more recommendations then please leave them in the comments below.