One should think that, due to their beauty, flowers would be the perfect motif. However, it is precisely because of their beauty, so easily visible even to the untrained eye, that I have always considered taking pictures of them to be rather difficult. The main challenge is not taking a picture and showing them how everybody sees them, but in a way that makes the photo unforgettable. It is the same problem one encounters when taking pictures of cats, puppies or babies. One has a cute motif in front of one’s camera and thinks about how best to take the photo, in a way that makes the motive look even cuter in the picture. Luckily, with those kind of motifs one can usually rely on them doing something interesting that will then provide a great photo op. There is no such thing with flowers or plants. They cannot laugh or make faces, nor can they tilt their heads and lightly cock their ears. The photographer is on their own and cannot count on the motif to create the picture for them (in the sense of the “Decisive Moment”).
Which is why I much prefer taking pictures of animals, even though I love flowers. 🙂
You can find more of my photos, taken with the 50mm f/1.4 Art and SD1 Merrill, on Pinterest and Flickr.
