Flowering Out Of The Blue
I love an orange Bird Of Paradise. Native to South Africa, it has a unique profile. With that individuality comes the challenge of capturing a good portrait. Like many flowers, it’s hard to photograph the sparkle of the petals. If there’s too much light, then the flower’s personality gets washed out. If there’s not enough light, then you miss the beauty.
I took on that challenge of getting a good portrait when I bought 3 Bird Of Paradise blooms from my florist. I wanted to photograph them in sunlight and inside using flash. The popular orange species is also called the Crane Lily, because together the long stem and blossom resembles a crane’s neck and head/beak.
Like the other Picturephant Blog posts, these tips and suggested settings will help you photograph other flowers beyond a Bird Of Paradise. During my photo shoot, I was especially taken by this particular blossom, shown here and in the next photo. Both images are powerful. You can decide which one you prefer. Let me know your by emailing [email protected].
I made the most of a clear blue sky before clouds rolled in. While holding the nearly 3 foot tall stem in my left hand, I shot with my camera in my right hand. I had to hold the Bird Of Paradise up at the proper angle for it to shine in the Sun. This shot got the job done. The strong sunlight enabled me to create contrast between the flower’s orange/blue/green and the sky’s clear blue. Simplicity was what I went for, so you could appreciate the flower’s beauty.
Bird In Black
I love shooting Bird Of Paradise blossoms with flash! This gives me control over light—and the ability to record sparkle. In my Flowers In A Flash Blog post, I explained my Over-aperturing technique. In Full Manual mode, I apply a ton of narrow aperture, combined with a low ISO and a maximum shutter speed using flash for the best mix of light, detail, and sparkle. For this shot, I used an aperture of f14, ISO of 200, and a shutter speed of 200 (the fastest speed my camera can shoot using flash).
The black background of my trusty blanket creates stark contrast. My flash did all the work. Be careful not to use too much flash, which would wash out the color and detail. By now, you know I pursue as much detail as possible. That’s why I Over-apertured.
I’m a mere few feet away, so could have easily used a wider aperture of f8. But that, coupled with flash, would have provided too much light for my sensor and produced little detail. Instead, I dialed up the narrow aperture to capture every line on each green leaf (spathe or bract), orange sepal, and blue petal (nectary). Over-aperturing also enables you to get super saturation. The unique orange and blue colors epitomizing a Bird Of Paradise are certainly worth the effort to photograph.
This shot is so rich, because the black background forces you to focus on the vibrant Bird Of Paradise. The flower is right before your eyes. My Over-aperturing crystalized what makes a Bird Of Paradise so special. My flash caught the sparkle. It’s stunning.
Birds In Front Of A Busy Cream Background
Picturephant Photo Blogs always stress being willing to experiment. I’m not afraid to show photos which didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. That way, you can benefit from what I learned. For a different look, I photographed the Bird Of Paradise blossoms against a cream stucco background. I think the busy stucco textured background takes away from the main subject. When appreciating a Bird Of Paradise, you need no distraction. This photo is an example of too much background. For more delicate flowers, a “less is more” photography approach to backgrounds works best.
Whether with settings, composition, background, flash, or other variables, be willing to try different approaches. Some approaches work better than others. But you won’t know unless you try. By keeping an open mind, you open your photography up to breakthroughs. When you try with your camera, you learn.
Group Portrait Of Two Hovering Birds
I experimented with groupings to showcase the sculptural qualities of this magnificent flower. Here, I used the blossom in the back to make the blossom in the front even more three-dimensional. I counted on my flash to generate strong shadows to contribute depth while projecting the front flower seemingly out of the frame. Sometimes, you don’t want your flash to generate strong shadows. Here was a time I wanted them.
Flock Of Two
I arranged two blossoms as companions— taking advantage of the diagonals made by each. Nothing is straight in this composition. Everything projects. Each blossom is placed on one side, while projecting towards the other. It’s a dynamic composition. When photographing flowers, shoot— and then rearrange. Your next floral arrangement might produce an even better composition than the one you just shot.
Three In Formation
Each blossom varied in height, which was easy to accentuate here. My layered composition not only has depth, but bursts with color. There is more green in this shot, compared to the others shown. Yet you are still drawn to the luscious orange.
Let Your Flowers Sparkle
Whether in front of blue sky or a black background, the Bird Of Paradise shines. More than anything, I wanted no clutter. The sole focus was on the flower itself. To get results, it came down to applying the right technique. Keep these tips in mind when photographing your flowers. Try multiple arrangements to get your best shots. You will reap the rewards of shooting, rearranging, and shooting more.
General Settings
Bird Of Paradise Against A Blue Sky: ISO 500, Aperture f13, Shutter Speed 1/800th Second
Bird Of Paradise Using Flash: ISO 200, Aperture f14, Shutter Speed 1/200th Second
Photo Tips
I’ll repeat my advice from my Flowers in A Flash Blog post: Let your flowers do the talking by eliminating all the clutter of a background. The blue sky was ideal. Inside, I used my trusty black blanket to totally contrast with the Bird Of Paradise— which really sparkled from the flash!
Keep your ISO down when using flash. Lowering your ISO brings less light into your camera’s sensor. But remember, your flash will provide all the light you need.
If you have a pop-up flash, which fires automatically, follow this recipe of low ISO + fastest shutter speed using flash + Over-aperturing. It’s best to use Manual mode for the most control. But if you’re not used to shooting in Manual mode, use Aperture Priority mode, where you set the aperture, and your camera determines the shutter speed. Your camera’s shutter speed will be limited by your pop-up flash.
Experiment with your aperture. You might not have a big Mirrorless Full-frame Pro camera like mine, whose sensor takes in more light. For your camera, I suggest starting at f13, and then try f14.
Remember the recipe for success: Low ISO + fastest shutter speed using flash + narrow aperture (like f14; not a wide aperture like f8)
Review & Refine! Keep checking your shots to see if your settings are good enough. The more you’re willing to improve your settings, the better a photographer you will be!
Take Flight With The Birds Of Prey 5 By 30 Inches Storyteller Photo.
This composite of 3 photos features beautiful and colorful Bird Of Paradise blooms.
Want To See More Flowers? Check Out The Flowers Gallery.
Want To See Roses? Check Out The Roses Gallery.
