7 Macro Flower Photography Lighting Tips

Macro photography of flowers is a style you can succeed in with experience and practice, but one problem with this method is light. In this article, I tried to teach you macro flower photography lighting simply.

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 the best quality free natural lighting for macro flower 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.

Click on the link below to view my gallery and photos in macro photography style:

Fine art floral photography

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.

To achieve the desired result, the amount of white balance should be in harmony with the color of the flower and the photography scene.

You will often hear this repeated sentence: daylight at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 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 Macro Photography to read more. )

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. Remember to use a tripod.

Macro flower photography with too much lighting, overexposure

Please look at Fine Art Floral Photography Gallery for more images

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 with low ambient light, use the flash without worry and shame! The result will be great. The camera’s flash is quite enough, and extra spending is unnecessary.

Building an inexpensive home studio for macro flower photography lighting

You can use a reading lamp as the light source; 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 on 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 you usually take pictures of. Then, stick the mirror’s plates to the box from the inside so that they reflect the light.

Instead of mirrors, you can use shiny white wood that reflects light, or, even easier, 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