Finding and Photographing Wildflowers the Low-Impact Way

Photography is an art, but so is finding a subject without destroying the local ecology.

I will show you how to find wildflowers and photograph them without harming the environment. These suggestions work anywhere; the pics I will be sharing were taken, literally, in my own back yard.

Step 1 Choose a Camera

There is no pic for this step, as it obviously varies greatly on personal taste, resources, and skill. I do suggest that you keep the following in mind when making your camera choice:

• Ease of Use...it's nice to have something uncomplicated so you aren't required to lug equipment around on your hike
• Macro Settings...you'll want to use these most of the time. Practice with them, if possible, before making your purchase and definitely before making any long, once-in-a-lifetime trips
• Rechargeable Battery...you're reducing waste, and personal experience tells me these keep their charge longer. The square type is best; rechargeable AAs and AAAs don't seem to be any better for holding a charge over time than disposable counterparts

Comments

[mechanicalanimals]

Hey, hippie_mama! (wow, it's weird to be posting for the first time ever)
I really like your photos! I love close-ups of flowers, and I've taken quite a few myself! :)
I especially like native flowers of Canada!
I'm always worried about correctly identifying Queen Anne's Lace, because it looks an aweful lot like hemlock!
Queen Anne's lace has a small purple flower in the dead centre of the plant...
maybe it is there, and just not visible in the photo, or I just can't see it... but for anyone into foraging (responsibly, of course), be careful!

The difference is one between a tasty root and sure death! Hahaha!

[hippie_mama]

Thanks for the compliment, and very good point on Queen Anne's Lace vs Hemlock. Besides the small purple flower (which does seem to be missing here), the flowers of QAL are also more closely clustered than in Hemlock. Those are virtually the only visible differences though, and both are subtle enough to be missed on casual observation, (or could even vary between individual plants), so it is important to keep that in mind, and maybe even get a second opinion before consuming any wild plants :)

[pahillbilly]

Great way to go, especially with rediculous gas prices.On the same note, when photographing fall colors don't overlook low trees and shrubs. Sure, maples, etc are beautiful but so are the little guys

[Haunt]

i've been doing this exact thing for years, and i've taken some amazing shots. terrific instructable.

[hippie_mama]

Thanks! The steps may be obvious and straight-forward, but humans can generally use the reminder to be gentle.

[laminterious]

I like this. Reminding everyone to look around their own house for beauty, to be careful how you walk, pick up trash while you are out there, and how to find out what plants you found. As well as encouraging exercise and getting more familiar with your immediate areas, as well as cleaning it up at the same time. +1 and fav-ed