Macro photography of flowers is a style you can succeed in with experience and practice, and one of the problems with this method is light. In this article, I tried to teach you macro flower photography lighting in a simple way.
Do you want to spend extra money on lighting fixtures?
Suppose you want to buy macro photography lighting. In that case, there are products such as Macropod led macro light and Adaptalux flash lighting arms, which I will not discuss, and the seller’s sites have given enough information about them.
I recommend you the best quality free natural light for macro photography!
Natural light is the best quality light for photography. I have experimented with artificial light sources in macro photography examples. Artificial light creates shadows in some areas of the flower, an issue that is minimized in natural light.
Natural light has a robust source called the sun! And spread throughout nature. You can shoot with sunlight anytime; remember that midday sunlight has a different white balance than morning or afternoon sunlight.
The amount of white balance should be in harmony with the color of the flower and the photography scene to get the desired result.
You will hear this repeated sentence a lot that daylight at 10 am and 6 pm is the best light for macro photography!! But on the contrary, I took my best photos at noon. The only difference, as I mentioned earlier, is the issue of white balance.
Photographing flowers when the light source is in front
In the standard mode, the photographer facing the light source does not photograph because it causes a light imbalance in the photo. But if the light source is behind the flower, you can take a beautiful image in a particular mode. ( Visit Fine Art Floral Photography article to watch more flower photos. )
Shooting in low light and using dark mode
Photography in low light is sometimes good, like taking photos in dark mode. Dark mode can be considered a unique effect that makes the image catchy; Intentionally, some parts of the flower will be dark, and others will have limited light. Also, the photography scene will generally be in semi-dark mode. Don’t forget to use a tripod.
Macro photography with too much light, overexposure
Sometimes, depending on the color and shape of the flower, overexposure not only does not damage the image but also causes an attractive effect.
Using flash
If you are in a situation where the ambient light is low, use the flash without worry and shame! The result will be great. The camera’s flash is quite enough, and there is no need to spend extra.
Building an inexpensive home studio for macro flower photography lighting
For the light source, you can use a reading lamp; the more, the better. More light sources will reduce the number of shadows on the flower.
The reason for the creation of shadows is the flower’s three-dimensional shape, one part preventing the light from reaching the other part.
Another way to reduce by creating shadows is to use reflection. The light usually shines on the subject from one or two sides and must be reflected to the flower from two or three sides.
Diffusing the light emitted from the reading lights will significantly improve the quality of the photo. First, make a wooden box in the dimensions of the flowers that you usually take pictures of. After that, stick to the mirror’s plates from the inside so that they reflect the light.
Instead of mirrors, you can use white woods that are shiny and reflect light, or even easier; you can use glossy white cardboard.
Conclusion
Natural light in different situations is the best for macro flower photography lighting. If you need to use artificial light, you can build a cheap studio with wood, mirrors, and reading lights.
Sources
visualwilderness.com/fieldwork/understanding-light-to-create-impact-in-flower-photography