Keep your landscape dressed to impress with these large flowers
Story and Photos by Keri Byrum
Taking photos of flowers in your garden is easier than ever. Big, bold blooms are a joy to share with friends and family and a fun way to showcase your garden. These tips will help you grow plants with photogenic blooms that are easily captured on your phone’s camera.
Think Big
The best plants for sharing online are the same ones that catch your eye in the garden. Large, showy flowers are easy to photograph and full of color. A big Hibiscus bloom is a photographer’s dream! These large flowers come in almost every shade of the rainbow and are big enough to photograph easily.
Keep in mind the appeal of old-fashioned favorites too. Annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) offer bright colors and look perfect against a blue sky. An added bonus: their long-lasting flowers are often visited by pollinators.
A Camellia blooming in a wintertime Southern garden is a welcome sight. The many, many varieties offer large flowers in a wide range of colors and forms. These flowers often grow at eye level, great for photographing.
Perhaps the award for showiest bloom should go to the Hydrangea family. Whether native oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia) or the mopheads (H. macrophylla), these Southern staples not only make a beautiful display summer through fall, but the dried heads are quite attractive as well.
Passionflowers (Passiflora spp.) are a dynamite plant for photographing. Available forms range from the bright red hybrid ‘Lady Margaret’ to the fabulous fringed purple and white flowers of the native P. incarnata. Passionflowers have an exotic feel, but are easy to grow. And as a food source for several butterflies, this plant serves double duty.
Where to Share
Instagram is quickly became one of the most popular social media networks. This photo-sharing site is perfect for gardeners. Your garden will be the star as you showcase the highlights of the day.
On Pinterest, “The world’s catalog of ideas,” you can create a board (or several boards!) of garden photos, plants you want to try, or just a wish list for the garden of your dreams. There your photos can inspire other gardeners.
This season share your landscape with more than your neighbors. Taking photos in your garden is as easy as pulling out your phone to capture the moment. Your images are a great way for gardeners around the world to enjoy the beauty of your garden.
PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
• Get close to your flowers for the best shots. Move your camera closer rather than zooming in for photos that are bright and crisp. Even if you don’t love the entire landscape, a photo of a single flower always looks great.
• The soft light in the morning and on cloudy days add depth to your photos so all of the flower’s details are seen.
• Adjust the focus. On most smart phones, the focal point can be adjusted by touching the screen where you would like the focal point.