My Flower Image Gallery

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A Flower Image Gallery

We all love flowers, and I am no exception. I also like gardening and garden design... and photography! Over the years I have made many pictures of flowers, especially garden flowers. Some of my favorites are roses and peonies.

Now I have made a selection of my best flower images available through an excellent online image gallery. Prints are made on demand, using museum-quality inks and papers.

Many different kinds of framing and matting are available. To make things easier for you, I have already chosen a mat and frame which I personally think may be the best choice for each picture - but you can make a different selection if you prefer your own style.

In any case, the end result is a custom-framed piece of artwork which looks really great, since the mat and frame is taylored to match the exact dimensions of the print.

To see an overview of my art galleries, go to: 

   http://TheCandidImage.imagekind.com

The flower image gallery, which I call "CandidFlowers", then appears as one of the choices on that page.

Another thing I like to mention is that I've used some of my flower images in a screensaver. This free screensaver also has a spiritual message; it is inspired by the "Conversations With God" books by Neale Donald Walsch.

I call it Dream Interview With God - it is a story of what it could be like if you met "God" in a dream and asked some deep questions you've been pondering for a long time. The answers are un-conventional, and inspired by the abovementioned book series by Neale - especially the first volume.


On a different note... I just found a new website about one of my favorites: vintage bicycle posters. I simply love these posters, maybe because I like to ride my bicycle.

My Flower Image Gallery as RSS Feed 

Click on images to see larger, nicer, version

[Only a few images included in the feed, to prevent loading problems]

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One of My Favorites: a Tree Peony Flower 

Here is an example of how one of my flower images may be matted and framed. I prefer a dark overmat to most of my photographs, since this makes the colors of the image itself stand out better.

Recommended Books Featuring Flower Images 

Flowers as art...

Searchings: Secret Landscapes of Flowers, Volume III

Very beautiful flower images, great work!

Amazon Price: $29.20 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

The Infinite Rose

Breathtaking images, made in a studio.

Amazon Price: $12.71 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Mapplethorpe The Complete Flowers

Flower images by the famous artist Robert Mapplethorpe.

Amazon Price: $109.50 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

How I Make My Flower Images 

Some tips...

The biggest issue when making any kind of photographic image is to get your subject of interest to stand out, free from distracting non-interesting stuff.

For instance, when making pictures for my flower image gallery I take great care to choose how I position the camera, to avoid having distractions show up.

A short focal length lens is great for achieving a sense of close presence, but the disadvantage is that it also captures a wider background area. You then have an increased risk of getting distracting details into the picture.
(For more image composition tips and other related stuff, visit A1 Photo Tips.)
Using a long focal length lens gives a bit of a "tunnel effect"; you are now standing farther away from the subject and it will appear more flat. On the other hand, the background area will be more narrow and therefore easier to manage.

You may need to test different angles and different focal lenghts (virtually all cameras nowadays have zoom lenses) - to find the optimal effect.

Recommended Flower Photo How-to Books 

Fine Art Flower Photography: Creative Techniques And The Art Of Observation

A how-to book with inspiring images.

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Flowers - Up Close: Photography through a Macro Lens

How to sneak up close on the rose...

Amazon Price: $45.49 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

More Tips On Making Great Flower Photographs 

On the importance of light...

My first tips were concerned with finding the right angle and controlling background clutter. Here I will say a few words on lightning.

Many people still consider bright sunlight to be the ideal light for making great-looking pictures. I totally disagree there. Bright sunlight is one of the most difficult types of light to handle. I seldom make pictures in direct sunlit conditions.

Direct sunlight produces harsh, ugly shadows. Both the camera and our own eyes have difficulties with the stark contrasts produced by direct sunlight. If you want an outdoor portrait of a person to look good - by all means avoid placing the person with the sun in their face!

The same goes for flowers - they don't look their best either, when shot in direct sunlight. Actually, I have made several photos in my flower image gallery around sunset, when the light is soft. Cloudy days can be great, too - although very dark clouds take away so much of the natural light that it becomes a problem.

OK, I am not saying you should never make pictures in direct sunlight. This type of light can also be used to your advantage. But it is not an easy lightning condition to work with.

Your Thoughts 

Squidoo members: welcome to give some nice feedback!

C5Photography wrote...

Nice work and decription of how you work. It is nice to hear how people do things. Looks like we share similar styles: http://www.squidoo.com/c5photography-flowers/

ReplyPosted August 10, 2007

rksmythe wrote...

Great lens. I love photography and flowers make great subjects. Keep up the good work.

ReplyPosted August 09, 2007

rksmythe wrote...

Great lens. I love photography and flowers make great subjects. Keep up the good work.

ReplyPosted August 09, 2007

New Link List 

Candid Photo Tips
Just another photography blog

by sunnyman

I have been active as an artist for the last 20 years, and figured I might use Squidoo to share some of my work.

Enjoy!

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