Shooting flowers

Flowers make great models for photography. They are beautiful, can stand still for a long time and attract bees and other insects, which usually also look good in the picture. My problem with taking pictures of flowers is composition. I’m not talking about macro photography, where the flower itself is usually the sole object in the picture. Organizing the different elements present, selecting the appropriate depth of field, choosing the best perspective, all that represents a complex challenge to me.

Take the next three shots as an example.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4

I think my favourite is the second one. I like the effect of surprise created by finding the bee sitting in the shadow. The third, on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. When I made the shot, I thought the tilted V pattern drawn by the flowers would draw attention to the flower in focus and make it stand out. In the end, however, I think the photo is too congested with those intense pink petals.