Flowers represent nature's most diverse palette of colors, intricate patterns, varied textures, and distinctive shapes. Join us for this interactive, hands-on course designed to help you develop advanced skills in photographing flowers with creativity and intention. You'll learn to capture both traditional representations and experimental approaches, including portraiture of individual blooms as well as detailed studies of delicate botanical structures and forms. The techniques you'll master include representational approaches that show flowers naturally, abstract interpretations that emphasize form and composition, and graphic styles that highlight bold design elements.
This course covers key topics, including:
- Techniques for perceiving and photographing flowers with creative intention
- Composition principles and advanced photographic techniques
- Hands-on practice sessions with multiple image-capture stations
- Live editing demonstrations showcasing creative workflow processes
Throughout the course, you'll examine real-world professional photography and observe the editing techniques used to transform raw images into polished final work.
During the interactive hands-on portion, participants rotate through different stations, each dedicated to exploring a distinct photographic approach and style. This section offers the most engaging and rewarding aspect of the course, allowing you to experiment with framing, compose bold arrangements of colorful flowers, and test novel techniques in a supportive environment.
Station setups may include working with rich black velvet backgrounds for dramatic contrast, using black plexiglass to create stunning mirrored reflection effects, positioning flowers in front of illuminated light pads to showcase translucence, shooting through sheer tulle fabric to achieve soft, dreamy effects, and using strategic backlighting to produce beautiful bokeh and atmospheric backgrounds with flowers and arrangements.
You'll leave the course with high-quality, exhibition-ready images, repeatable techniques and processes you can apply to future flower photography projects, and a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty of flowering plants and blossoms.
Please bring whatever camera system you are most comfortable using for close-up and macro work, whether that's a smartphone, tablet camera, or traditional DSLR camera. The class will include a dedicated editing session at the end, and you're welcome to bring a laptop or iPad for the editing portion, or work directly from your phone. The editing software we'll use includes the free Snapseed application available on iPhone and Android platforms, and optional Adobe Lightroom for more advanced editing.
