Life

Gardening: Six expert tips to help you take better photographs in your garden

Rosie Nixon, flower photographer and Dobbies plant expert
Rosie Nixon, flower photographer and Dobbies plant expert Rosie Nixon, flower photographer and Dobbies plant expert

IF YOU'VE never been too good at taking pictures of your beautiful blooms to share on Instagram, flower photographer Rosie Nixon offers some tips to help you brush up on your skills.

"I'd always recommend that gardeners take pictures of their garden – it's a great way to track progress and helps you become more aware of what's actually going on in your garden," Nixon says.

"Green fingers or not, I'd encourage anyone to grab whatever camera you have, get outside and start capturing your garden coming to life. There's so much going on and things can change so quickly that they're easily missed."

1. Rise and shine

Early mornings, evenings and hazy or cloudy days are the best times to take your garden photos.

2. Move closer

Get closer by kneeling or lying down and looking at your garden on the screen of your camera phone or camera viewfinder.

3. Consider your subject

Take your time and let your eyes roam until you see something that interests you. Look at a few of the buds, flowers, seedheads or leaves and try to find one that is in the best condition, or has a slightly different character that stands out from the rest.

4. Avoid distractions in your picture

Remove distracting elements like random blades of grass, or if you can't remove the distraction, change the angle you are photographing it at.

5. Check the light is right

Notice how the light might fall on a flower or leaf, making it glow, highlighting the texture and enhancing its colour. Try to capture that.

6. Make the subject stand out

Look for patterns, shapes, petal edges, curves, colours or textures - something that grabs your attention and stands out.