DON'T RUSH, BE PICKY!
Whether you're at a flower show or in a garden, it is likely that there are a large number of beautiful flowers and plants for you to photograph. The most obvious "pretty" looking flowers aren't always the best subject. Don’t rush to photograph the first blossom you see. Be patient. Find flowers with the best combination of form, color, lighting and background... and try to be unique.
COMPOSITION : IMPORTANT!!!
Pay extra attention to the position of your subject in the cameras viewfinder. Placing the subject dead-center of the picture is often the first instinct and usually a big mistake! It is not always the most pretty composition (although there are exceptions to this rule). Try vertical framing, as well as horizontal. Try something risky, think about the angle at which you're shooting and vary the position in which you place the main subject.
BIGGER IMPACT USING ISOLATION
For the best impact it is always best to isolate your subject (this applies for many kinds of photography). Find an angle that minimizes distracting background objects and elements, such as other flowers or spectators. A wide lens aperture ( a lower-numbered f-stop on and SLR camera) will enhance this effect by softening or blurring the background and making the subject stand out in the photo.
EXTREME CLOSE-UPS
Subjects can look completely different when viewed in extreme close-up. Photographing a flower extremely close-up can turn the image into a piece of art, full of colours and amazing detail. Use your viewfinder indicators to move in as close as possible, while still maintaining sharp focus. If you are using a 35mm SLR camera, your macro (close-up) capabilities can be extended with accessories such as a macro lens, a macro teleconverter, or even screw-on supplementary close-up lenses or extension tubes for your present lenses.
USE A TRIPOD
A lot of flower shows and gardens are indoors where lighting isn't always at its best, you may be forced to use slow shutter speeds. In situations like this, hand-holding your camera might result in shakes and blurred photographs. If its possible, get yourself a tripod to steady your camera. If you can’t use a tripod, try to steady your camera in other ways- like resting it on a steady surface, on a bean bag or your coat; brace the camera against a wall; or at the very least, take a firm stance while shooting, with your legs slightly apart and your elbows braced. When using and SLR camera on a tripod, cable a release can significantly reduce unwanted vibrations.
PATIENCE AGAIN!
You're working with nature, you can try but there will always be things that are out of your control. For example, photographing flowers outdoors can mean you'll be faced with small breezes that might set the flowers in motion. Likewise, breezes can be caused indoors by the opening of a door or the brisk movement of people. For sharp picture, you must be prepared to wait for all movement to cease before releasing the shutter.
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