Successful photographs of flowers are about seeing the way light interacts with the flower. A bold blanket statement–but clearly it is backlighting that makes this close up of Japonica Lily of the Valley buds interesting.
Obviously, there are other things that make a flower a flower photograph special: composition, focus, color, and the interest of the flower itself. But without the play of carefully observed light, all this other ingredients don’t matter much.
The other day I picked Julian up from school and ran an errand with him. On the way home, we stopped at Berkeley Hort, where I photographed the Lily of the Valley in the setting sun, the cactus flowers shown below, and a succulent in the sun.
View this photograph larger.
View this photograph larger.
