I’m an adventure photographer who loves to get lost exploring remote rocky mountain terrain, but I’ll admit something. I also have a domestic side. One of the things I love about is summer is gardening. I love flowers.
When I’m home, I spend hours in my yard planting, watering, weeding and cultivating poppies, bachelor buttons, nasturtiums, roses, lavender and many other blooming perennials. As a photographer and visually oriented person, flowers offer very pleasing appeal.
If you’re also a photographer gardener, you might want to check out Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis, which is a beautiful new book published this year by Focal Press.
This 207 page manual explores the intricacies and art of macro flower photography and shows you endless possibilities for capturing your own stunning flower imagery and shooting appeal floral arrangements. Covering both in-studio and outdoor location settings, Davis teaches the basics of macro photography equipment and explores a wide variety of techniques for creating different species and flower types.
He talks, gear, composition, focus, depth of field, creative approach, exposure, histograms, focus stacking, Photoshop post production and how to make use of different backgrounds; everything you need to know in order to create great flower imagery.
The illustrations in the book are simply beautiful. They draw you in with vibrant color and tight compositions and creative arrangements that will make you want to rush out into your own yard or into a nearby field to try out his techniques for yourself. Some of my favorites are the closeups of roses and the translucent photos that he lights from behind. Gorgeous.
As an added plus to the photography aspect of this book, Harold also approaches the material by teaching you about the life and science of flowers. He covers evolution, shape, ecosystems, cultural symbolism and historical significance with a friendly authoritative tone. He’s obviously loves his craft and both is knowledge and artistry come through with dedicated passion and enthusiasm.
Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harold Davis is a book that you can simply get lost reading, whether you’re reading it on the couch during a rain afternoon, or preparing to go shoot your own floral imagery. If you love flowers and photography, I promise, you will absolutely love this book. Pick up a copy and start exploring your own macro flower photography. And if you’re even in Anchorage, stop by my house and I’ll give you a tour of my own garden, although I have to give my wife credit for a great deal of the work. She has the greenest thumb on the planet.
Hi, I love to photograph flowers of all kinds. I have a fondness for daisy-like flowers and Columbines.
Favorite flower is whatever my wife likes, haha
I love the California Poppy… there are some in the neighborhood, but the best are big fields out in the wild. George Lepp did a fabulous book of just poppy images that I love to look through.
Flowers are my favorite subject. Wish I could see your garden.
My wife is an avid flower gardener. Of all the varieties we have grown I’d have to say that Sunflowers remain my personal favorite. larry AT eiss DOT net
My favorites are tulips in the spring.
I like any flower that has a variety of colors. They make for great photos. 🙂
Will I win? Fingers crossed.
I like photographing all colorful flowers, and a book such as this will help me get even better at it.
Fuchsia – but I’ll photograph every bloom I can!
I am interested in winning one of the copies of the book … one of my favorite flowers going back some time is the trillium.
My favorite flower is the Lilly but I love to photograph all varieties of flowers.
I love tulips. Not only do they signal the arrival of spring, but they duplicate themselves giving you more flowers every year.
Ok …we need to see photos of your garden:)
I really like sunflowers, big happy fields of sunflowers.
I love photographing Tulips and Pasque flowers.
My favorite flowers are anything daisy-like. Maybe this book will expand my intest into other flowers and how to shoot them more creatively.
I love photographing flowers. My parents have flower gardens all throughout the backyard. My favorites to photograph though are the Texas Wildflowers that bloom in the Spring time. Esp. The Bluebonnets!
I enjoy photographing and looking at orchids and tulips. This looks like a really interesting book.
Hydrangas, daisies, sunflowers, yet i always go back to the lovely roses!
Calypso Orchid
Had a great time in college exploring the Mission Mountains in MT to find these little beauties.
Sunflowers, although I’ll shoot pretty much anything.
LOVE shooting any kind of flowers but if I HAVE to choose just one, well I can’t. I’m a flower gardner and I love finding unusual types for our area to plant and photograph. Always on the lookout for a new or odd variety. I’m so holding my breath on winning a copy of this book!
Thanks for the opportunity, glad I found your site.
I particularly enjoy violas, or Jonny Jump-ups. They would grow in such size and color varieties and create beautiful pictures when you are lying on the ground shooting up close.
[…] I was also inspired to do this after reading the book Photographing Flowers by Harold Davis that I recently reviewed. In it, Harold discusses techniques like this one, as well as a number of other great ways to […]