Image by Anita Perminova
Spring is my favourite time of year.
I usually get into a bit of a funk every winter, so the first sign of spring has me bursting out of my rut and grabbing my camera.
One of my favourite things to do is add elements of spring to my shoots, whether they are engagements, weddings, family portraits, or even my own personal images. Spring signifies life, energy, and beauty, and these are all elements I love to share in my work.
I’m not going to lie – I grew up a little bit like Mogli! When I was about a year old, my parents bought a 90-acre mountain and an old school bus. The bus died about half way up the mountain, and that’s where I grew up.
Surrounded by forest, we cultivated a 2-acre garden. We had flowers and fruit trees, and I learned how important they are for our ecosystem and our souls.
This is where my love of all things natural was born. My photographic journey has been inspired by this experience. I’ve teamed up with some Click Pros to share some examples with you.
1. Adorn your subjects
Flowers can add a bit of texture, especially in black and white images! They are always used for decoration, so using them for adornments is a natural fit.
Your clients will love how they feel while wearing a flower crown. It can also be a fun project to make one with your children, and a great excuse for a creative photo shoot!
Image by Anita Perminova
2. Engage your subjects
I love these images, because they connect us directly to the feeling we get when spring arrives! Engaging and gently directing your subjects can help you recreate this feeling.
Have them pick and smell the flowers. Photograph the hands and emotions while capturing movement and light. The end product could be a short moving picture or a 4-image grid of this activity to provoke the senses.
Image by Gina Yeo
Image by Cynthia Dawson
3. Shoot through
You can experiment with shooting through screens, bags, and crystals, so why not shoot through some greenery to enhance an image?
Just as you would use a crystal to add interesting light to an image, you can shoot through greenery to add a colorful splash to the moment. Here, I used a nearby swamp weed to create intrigue and add a sense of environment.
Image by Ebony Logins
4. Storytelling
Get up close and personal with the details! Focus on the floral details of a big event for a finishing touch to a client gallery.
Image by Ebony Logins
You can also use floral details in lifestyle, flat lays, and product photography. In this image, the addition of flowers to the foreground draws your eye through connectivity all the way to the vase at the back of the image.
It adds texture, and depth. It also helps connect the viewer to the moment. The small, white flowers create a sense of serenity.
Image by Amanda Ruzicka
5. Framing
This is one of my favourite ways to incorporate nature in my work. The following image was taken in a park with a magnificent willow tree.
We could have placed them anywhere, but we chose to place them beneath the tree. As I took the shot, I pulled apart the branches. This technique gives the viewer a sense that they’re peeking into a special moment between the newlyweds.
Image by Ebony Logins
Let’s also have a quick chat about flowers… Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but I am pretty sure that flowers make us all pretty happy. I extend this happiness to all sorts of natural flora and love adding these little mood-boosters it to my work.
If you are really keen on learning more about flowers, you can start to tell a story on a whole new level. Sunflowers, for example, can signify love and strength. The cheerful colors of yellow and orange also work to brighten your mood.
I know you will enjoy adding flowers to your images. Give it a try next time you are out on a shoot or want to capture a moment with your family. The spring inspiration is all around you!
The post 5 beautiful ways to get the most out of your images with spring flora appeared first on Clickin Moms.
