How to photograph flowers, close up and colorful

Daily Herald photographer George LeClaire offers his tips on shooting colorful, close-up photos of your garden flowers with your compact digital camera.

Compact digital cameras have a macro mode selection that allows users to shoot unique wide-angle photographs physically closer than larger single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.

To select macro, set the mode dial to macro (tulip icon) or to scene and rotate the control dial until the macro scene selection appears on the screen. Or the macro scene selections may be accessed through the function control button and control dial.

The camera will automatically set the focus range to one to 10 centimeters (1/4 inch to 4 inches), achieving good technical results when using no zoom.

You get better results if you move in to a few centimeters and don't use any zoom, said Angelica Bautista, technical sales representative at Calumet Photographic, which has stores locally in Oak Brook and Chicago and is on the Web. Point-and-shoot cameras have an optical function that allows them to shoot closer wide-angle images than professional wide-angle lenses, Bautista said.

Some Olympus cameras and others disable the zoom in macro mode to make them easier to use, according to Olympus Imaging America technical support.

Placing a camera within centimeters of a flower while not blocking sunlight is a little tricky, but the result can be a remarkable perspective.

Once you compose your picture, keep the camera completely still while you shoot to avoid motion blur. You can place the camera on anything that'll keep the camera steady, like the ground, a bench, or a tripod.

Cameras in macro mode take an extra second to focus. Hold the shutter button halfway down to allow the camera to lock in the focus, then push the button the rest of the way to take the picture.

Overcast days are great for photographing flowers because of the even balance of light. On sunny days, you may need to use the exposure compensation control to avoid blown out highlights. To select this control or scale, push the button on the back of the camera labeled (+-) or push the cameras function control button and look for (+- ev) in menu. The control ranges from +2 to -2 and normally is in the center at 0. To make your next pictures darker set the scale to -1 or -2.

To record the true color of a flower, you may need to set the white-balance setting to daylight or sun instead of automatic white balance, AWB. This can be accessed through the function control button.

To add a personal flair, you can use colorful construction paper as your background or spray water drops on the flowers. Try photographing the flowers from a different angle, such as from behind or below. An umbrella comes in handy to block the wind.

Macro photography opens up a new world of interesting photographic subjects. Common subjects and textures take on a whole new scale.

• Send us your macro flower pictures and we'll add them to our gallery at dailyherald.com. Include your name, town and where you shot the photo and e-mail it to dhphotos@dailyherald.com.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo gallery</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=310631">Examples of flower pictures <span class="date">[8/3/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <p class="factboxheadblack">Want to learn more?</p> <p class="News">Daily Herald staff photographer is offering classes at various locations, many of them free. Advance registration is required. </p> <p class="News">• Sept. 8: 7 p.m. at the Skokie Library, How To Use Your Digital Camera, free, (847) 673-7774 or <a href="http://skokielibrary.info/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp" target="new">skokielibrary.info/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp</a></p> <p class="News">• Sept. 29: 7 p.m. at the Prospect Heights Library, Family Photography, free, (847) 259-3500 or <a href="http://phpl.info/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp" target="new">phpl.info/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp</a></p> <p class="News">• Nov. 5: 7 p.m. at the Warren-Newport Library in Gurnee, How To Use Your Digital Camera, free, (847) 244-5150 or <a href="http://wnpl.info/programs.aspx" target="new">wnpl.info/programs.aspx</a></p> <p class="News">• Nov. 2 and Nov. 9: 7 p.m., Dundee Township Recreation Center in East Dundee, How To Use Your Digital Camera, $40 for both sessions, <a href="http://dtpd.org/pages/adult.html" target="new">dtpd.org/pages/adult.html</a></p> <p class="News">Nov. 22: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chicago Area Photography School at Elgin Community College, Photojournalism Tips for Everyday Pictures, small fee, (847) 884-0132 or <a href="http://chicameraclubs.org/caps.shtml" target="new">chicameraclubs.org/caps.shtml</a> </p> <p class="News">• September to December, 7 p.m., various digital and photojournalism classes at various fees at the New Trier Extension, Northbrook, (847) 446-6600 or <a href="http://newtrier.k12.il.us/page.aspx?id=6954" target="new">newtrier.k12.il.us/page.aspx?id=6954</a></p>