Take Better Photos: Flower Fields Edition
I recently took a quick trip to Carlsbad, California, and got to test my *brand new* camera for the first time! While I was in California I also had to check out some Instagram-worthy cafes, tea shops, hotels, floral shops, and more. You can see some of these gorgeous places on my Instagram @alishylishy!
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One of my favorite scenic spots in Carlsbad? The Flower Fields! They’re open every spring from March to May when the flowers bloom. The Flower Fields is also a wedding and event venue, plus has a blueberry patch, greenhouses, gardens, and more. It was so much fun to explore.
Of course I had to take some photos of their flowers while I was visiting. If you have a local flower farm near you and want to take better photos of those pretty blooms, check out my tips below!
Tip #1: Shoot away from the sun
First, make sure the sun is behind you when you’re shooting your flowers. When the sun is behind the subject of your photo and pointing right into your camera, you’ll have to deal with harsh glare and overexposure.
Instead, pick an angle so that the sun is on your subject and behind your camera. You’ll get much better light that way!
Tip #2: Get low
Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty on the ground! When you’re shooting small subjects low to the ground, like flowers, get creative with your angle and framing.
If you lay flat on the ground and point your camera up toward a flower, for example, you can include the sky as your background. That can sometimes be much more interesting than shooting from your regular POV.
Pro tip: Using your smartphone to snap some pics? Turn it upside down (and keep your clean clothes off the ground) to create the same angle!
Tip #3: Shoot at an angle
If you’ve ever been to any kind of farm, fruit patch, or flower field, you know that everything is typically arranged in neat little rows so people can walk in between the plants and flowers. How can you take better photos of these rows so that the blooms look lush and full?
Shoot at an angle! Don’t position your camera so that it faces directly down a row and you can see the paths between each row.
Instead, walk around until you find a better angle, where all you see is the flowers and plants — not the dirt in between. You can see the differences in angles in this TikTok!
@lishcreativeAdd this flower field to your photoshoot bucket list ASAP #learnontiktok #phototips #phototrick #iphonephotography #behindthescenes♬ SUNNY DAY – Matteo Rossanese
Take better photos with a handy cheat sheet
Testing out a brand new DSLR camera for the first time? There’s a lot to learn when you start shooting with a new camera, and it’s super easy to get overwhelmed by all the settings.
To help you learn more about the three basic, most important settings on your DSLR — shutter speed, aperture, and ISO — I created my Manual Mode Cheat Sheet just for you! Keep a PDF on your phone or stick a printed copy in your camera bag to keep on hand for reference.
With the Manual Mode Cheat Sheet, you’ll always know what shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to use when you’re out and about on your next photography adventure. Get yours now!
