How to Take a Great Still Flower Picture

This instructable will take you through the steps of taking still flower shots (specifically lilies). I took a recent trip to a lily farm and took some pictures, and I am going to give you some tips to help you take some really nice pictures.

Step 1: Setting Up for a Great Picture

Ok first things first you need to set up your flower for the picture. You will need a place with good lighting and a good background. I have uploaded a picture of my set. In my set I had a whole patch of flowers so I could get some flowers in the background.

Step 2: Using Macros and Super Macros

To take my pictures I used a feature called super macros. The macros and super macros effect allow you to zoom in for a picture and it will still focus. Some cameras do not have this special feature, but some do and for those of you who have this feature I would take advantage of it. To activate the macros effect there is usually a button with a flower symbol on it. To activate the super macros effect just hold down the macros button and it should go to super macros. The macros feature allows you to take pictures like the one below.

Step 3: Taking the Picture

Once you have set up the picture's scene and (if you can) have turned on macros/super macros you are ready to take the picture. Align the camera with the flower so you can see a clear nice view of the flower on the camera hold the capture button down have way and the camera should automatically focus the image. Once you are satisfied with the focus an view of the picture press the capture button the rest of the way and take the picture. Now you are ready to show your friends that you can take a fine picture of a flower.

Comments

[alcurb]

Thanks for the 'ible.

Something I didn't find in this 'ible that this technique can be performed with a regular macro setting. I have done it with my Canon Powershot. The trick is to set the camera to the the highest resolution setting. Then set the shutter speed and ISO to auto; open the iris (on manual) as far as it goes (lowest f-stop); use center-weighed focus on an interesting feature of the flower, and snap your photo.

The intent of opening the iris up is to throw the background out of focus to make the foreground subject more prominent. The intent for setting the camera to the highest resolution, is that with ordinary macro you can only get so close before it's impossible to focus on the subject. So after shooting the photo, the result is that the subject will look smaller in the frame. With the HiRes picture you can crop and resize the photo with hardly noticeable loss of detail.

I suspect that super macro automatically sets the camera for the effect.

[babybayrs]

I'm just studying my camera mannual. I have a question. Is it always better to get to super macros from macros for close up photos or it depends on the size of the object? According to the mannual, I can get as close as 3cm to an object with my camera. What decides how close to get to an object? Thanks.

[Ninzerbean]

Thanks for sharing, but I have to ask why the photos in a ible about photos, are sideways?

[ruprecht10]

yes, though only the first pucture is.

[Ninzerbean]

And the fourth, but you still didn't say why.

[ruprecht10]

Sorry, I forgot to rotate it when I uploaded it.

[babybayrs]

I found you can edit your Instructables at any time.

[bajablanca]

thanks so much ...such a simple procedure and I had never heard about it.

[Ghost Wolf]

Love the flower do you know what kind it is?

[ghodge]

The instruction are very helpful, especially for someone like me whoonly points and clicks.

[pmckracken]

Great photo! The focus and detail are incredible. Did you use a tripod or monopod when taking these photos?

[ruprecht10]

Thanks for the compliment pmckracken, and no I just held the camera in my hands and steadied it with out a monopod or tripod. Thanks.

[SMHLonWlf]

I got 2 cams, a Fuji F-P A350, and a Sony C-S DSC-S600, 5.2 & 6.0 MP, respectivly. the FinePix has macro, but the DSC S600 doesnt. BTW, anybody got any instructables on how to hack a Sony Cybershot S600 to, like, turn the Digi-zoom into a macro mode or something like that?

[ruprecht10]

Sorry I can't help but I don't know a hack for your sony camera. Good luck finding a hack. I hope I helped you with your picture taking skills.

[ruprecht10]

Please rate and comment on my instructable. Thank You.