Photographing Plants

Learn how to grow your garden photography skills! We gathered advice from Jill Boback, English Gardens Art Director, whose skills in photography collide perfectly with her passion for gardening. You’d be surprised by the amazing photographs that can be taken on your phone.

Shoot in soft light.
When the sun is out and temperatures are on the rise, exploring your garden to find the perfect picture is typical. However, bright sun can cause harsh shadows on your subject. “Brighter areas may appear to be over-exposed. Take photos when the sun goes behind clouds, in the early morning at sunrise, or in the late afternoon during sunset. This creates a softer light,” explains Jill.
Use gridlines to your advantage.
This is the easiest way to improve your phone’s photos. Turning on gridlines allows you to photograph according to the “rule of thirds.” This is a basic composition principle. If you place particular points of interest within the intersections of these lines, your photograph will appear much more balanced and level.
Photograph from a low angle.
“One of the biggest mistakes when photographing plants or flowers, is disregarding the background,” says Jill. A busy or distracting background can take away from the elegance of a flower. Shooting from a lower angle allows you to get more sky behind your subject.

Shooting from a lower angle also provides a unique perspective. Most people view flowers from a standing position, but by crouching down you are portraying an angle of flowers not often viewed.
Incorporate negative space…
Negative space refers to the area around and between your subjects. When you include a lot of empty space, the attention is then drawn to your flower.

Incorporating negative space also forces you, the photographer, to step back and view the entire scene in front of you.
…Or don’t.
Flowers are full of intricate details that are not apparent until you get up closer. By moving in closer, you avoid a poor background and often create an impactful photo. Sometimes phones struggle with focusing if they are too close to the subject. If the entire photo is blurred, pull the phone back and tap the screen to focus it. If your phone refuses to focus, include more of the flower and simply crop away edges when touching up the photo.
Go inside.
Not all plant photography has to be done outdoors. Jill explains, “Photographing flowers inside can actually be easier as you have control over the scene and lighting.” Place a piece of white cardstock behind a bouquet to simplify your background if you have busy wallpaper. For a natural look, use window lighting rather than artificial light from lamps.
Be creative.
Flowers are great manipulative subjects! Utilize your creativity in the photographing process. “Images are more evocative than text, so make your photos say something,” exclaims Jill.