Photography Tips for Succulents
Answering netizens' questions about floral photography, here are some tips for photographing succulents, which the editor will introduce next.
Photography is a very important subject, not only capable of recording beautiful things but also turning ordinary content into something incredibly beautiful. It's not as simple as some flower enthusiasts imagine, making simple plants look so beautiful and artificial. You can think of photography as makeup or beautiful clothes, the result being a plant that has been dressed up, which makes it quite understandable!
This article will only introduce the functions of a DSLR camera, so please pay attention.
I have always used the "M" mode (full manual mode), not to prove how skilled I am, but because a photography master told me before that using the M mode more often can gradually improve photography skills, so I've gotten used to full M mode.
Actually, I still don't fully understand cameras, especially the hardware, which I'm completely clueless about. Most of the time, I take photos based on my feelings. Here I'm just simply sharing my shooting experience for reference~ The three most basic camera parameters that everyone should understand are: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
【ISO】The higher the value, the brighter the brightness, usually used in overcast conditions or indoors with insufficient lighting. Too high a value can reduce the quality of the photo, causing many noise points. Generally, try to keep it below 400, and use 200 on overcast days. Otherwise, use 100 throughout for the sake of photo quality!
【Shutter Speed】This is explained in the camera manual, no need to elaborate...
【Aperture】Aperture is mainly for background blur. If you want a strong background blur to make the subject stand out more, set this value to the smallest (too much blur can be a bad thing, sometimes causing dizziness, so it's best to set an appropriate value based on the subject being photographed)
Additionally, there are several settings I use frequently: white balance, photo style, and focus.
【White Balance】This is mainly adjusted according to the weather. If it's sunny, the auto mode is fine. On overcast days, switch to the overcast mode, which will make the colors look better.
【Photo Style】This setting mainly adjusts the color saturation of the photo, for example, "portrait" mode tends to be more saturated. "Landscape" photos have very vivid colors. There is also a custom setting, which I currently use based on my own needs for color adjustment. This is important because Canon cameras tend to have a problem with color reproduction, usually偏向淡色调, and bright colors can come out very vivid, so adjustments need to be made for different colored plants.
【Focus】Most people probably use "auto focus," and so do I. However, there's a button on the focus that can change to different focus points, allowing manual adjustment of the focus position, which is quite fun~ You can make a certain part of the scene the focus point according to your preference.
(As shown in the diagram) The focus point is on the flower arrow of the flower, but you can also change the focus point to the plant, making the flower arrow and the flower blurred, or even focus on the jar in the upper right corner, which should make the photo more interesting.
When photographing succulents, to highlight the subject, use center focus, find a suitable angle aimed at the center of the plant or flower, set white balance to auto on a sunny day, select "landscape" for the photo style, adjust the aperture value to around 2.5, ISO to 100, and adjust the shutter speed based on the lighting conditions. Press the shutter button when your hands are steady, then check the photo to see if there's any difference in color compared to the actual succulent. If the color or lighting is incorrect, adjust accordingly and reshoot.
After multiple attempts, you'll get the hang of it. Taking more photos and comparing them is the best way to improve photography skills! I don't know how everyone else's habits are, but I try to make the color of the photo consistent with the plant, although it's not always possible.
Because there are too many colors framed in the photo, and the camera itself is not very accurate in capturing colors, there will always be some differences from the real thing, which is where the legendary "PS" comes in. As the professionals say, a good photo = PS + shooting, especially for us beginners using entry-level equipment, PS is extremely important.
However, the techniques involved are too deep, and there are many things I can't explain, so I won't go into them...
This was taken just after sunset, it was actually quite dark, and I had to set ISO to 1600 to get this result. Such photos are generally not suitable for viewing in large size~ They will have a lot of noise. It's not very suitable to photograph succulents in low light or at night, as plants need light to show their charm.
If you want to take artistic photos of succulents, choose early morning or late afternoon on a sunny day, when the sunlight is the mildest. Many wedding or portrait photos are also taken at this time. Especially shooting against the light, the succulent leaves' bright colors combined with the soft sunlight can make them look like golden saints.
Choosing to shoot against the light on a sunny day is also a good choice, but it's not recommended when the sun is too strong, as it may cause overexposure and make the plants look very rigid. I like days with a little bit of cloud cover the most, as the sunlight filtered through the clouds becomes very gentle, making it the most comfortable time to take photos.
However, as everyone knows, photography is really tiring, and following the sun around can be quite a challenge, especially for those who work every day, with little opportunity to take photos, and if it rains on weekends, it's even more tragic.
Prime lenses are not good for macro close-ups, so for smaller succulents, I usually use the camera's original lens to take photos. Compared to specialized macro lenses, the results are definitely not as good, but as long as I can capture a close-up of the succulents, I'm satisfied.
Especially when the colors are very vibrant, be sure to set the "white balance" to the "auto" mode and the "photo style" to auto as well. Do not add any more vibrant color functions, or the flowers and plants will look very bright and unrealistic.
It's best not to shoot in direct sunlight, choosing against the light is best, or wait until the sunlight has passed and choose a slightly shaded position to shoot.
The two photos below have very vibrant flower colors, and they still look quite red even with all settings on auto, without any PS treatment. For such flowers and plants, it's best not to PS them~ the original color is fine~ Overdoing PS can make them look unattractive.
When shooting panoramic views, you need to adjust the "aperture value" to make everything clear. Of course, if you only want to highlight part of the scene, continue to use a small aperture value.
【Shooting Background】This is very important. I'm particularly envious of those small potted plants placed on防腐木 for photography, as a simple setup can significantly enhance the content and aesthetics of the image. I think this has to do with one's sense of color and arrangement.
Especially for those who have studied art and drawing, I'm very envious~ When I take photos, I rarely pay attention to these things, but everyone has their own style~ Stick to your style and gradually improve and progress.
The above is a specific introduction to the photography tips for succulents (with photos), hoping everyone will like it!