He Buys Me Flowers

My husband has countless qualities that are wonderful.  One of the sweet things he does for me from time to time is he buys me flowers.  That shows he's thinking of me when we're not together.  I'll never forget the first time he bought me flowers.  He was picking me up at the airport and he greeted me with a dozen roses-bright pink, yellow, and purple.  It took my breath away and at that moment, standing near the baggage claim with people looking at our new, young love, we both realized we had found the one and we never wanted to let each other go.  Eleven years later, we haven't, and he still buys me flowers. 


Several days ago, he bought me a colorful bouquet and they add a nice burst of color on our dining room table.  It's January and the days are short, so the bright flowers are a reminder that one day soon spring will arrive and there will be flowers in bloom everywhere, again. 


At first I didn't photograph this bouquet, but today they opened up and just begged to be photographed. 


I thought I'd share some photography tips just in case someone buys you flowers or you treat yourself to a special bouquet.  If you have the urge to take some photos, here are some things to remember:

• Get in close and focus on just one flower, or two, in the bunch.  If your camera has a manual focus button, use it so you can determine which part of the photo is the sharpest.   New camera technology from a camera company called Light uses sophisticated depth-mapping technology, letting you adjust focus and depth of field after a photo is taken.

• Move around to the other side of the bouquet for another angle.  It may be the same flower, but the lighting will vary as you move around the room.  Of course, this refers to if you're shooting with natural light, which I recommend.  I shoot most of my food and product at home in my dining room which is next to a large window.  You can't beat natural light. 

• Get in close and photograph all the different flowers that make up the bouquet.  This yellow flower is a vibrant one and you wouldn't want to miss it.

• Make sure to take a photo a little less close-up to show several different flowers together. 

• For my last photo, I show another flower from a different angle, to give the picture depth.  I also showed the elements around the flowers, the window, to give the viewer a sense of place. 
• The fun part about photographing flowers is how the low depth of field really makes the flowers pop. 

I hope these tips help you photograph your own flowers.  These basic photography tips can help with any subject.  Just don't be afraid to get in close and capture the beauty of each moment.  You'll want them for later, I promise.