How To Photograph Daffodils In The Rain

Daffodils are our focus today but as it is still very wintry out not everyone will have seen them bloom yet, but this doesn't mean you still can't have a go at this technique. Instead of using Daffodils in your garden, cheat and buy a bunch or two from your local florists or supermarket. This also means you can shoot them in the comfort of your home or venture outdoors. Of course you'll need to work outside if you want to use real rain, however we found creating a man-made 'rainstorm' made it easier to control the final look of the image and it also means only the flowers get wet and not you or your gear! Do take care when working indoors with water as you don't want to ruin your carpets or get any electrical equipment wet. 

The techniques we cover can also be revisited later in spring when daffodils are fully in bloom and hopefully the weather is warmer!

Gear Suggestions

You can take any number of different approaches in terms of lens choice, but here we used a macro lens used on a cropped sensor DSLR. This gives a reasonable telephoto effect with the added option of being able to focus very close.

A tripod is needed to support the camera if you want to take the blurred water approach, or you could go for faster shutter speeds and try off-camera flash too. Good tripod brands to consider include Vanguard who have various tripods on offer including their new ABEO Plus range. ePHOTOzine reviewed the Vanguard Abeo Plus 323CT Tripod and it was awarded our Recommended accolade. You can read the review here: Vanguard Abeo Plus 323CT Tripod Review



Try placing a flashgun behind the daffs to create a backlit effect. You can use a lighting stand, a helper or tripod to hold the gun.

You will need a water can to produce your 'rain'. Use a large watering can if you want a real deluge or use a smaller one with a fine rose for a less pronounced effect. Experiment with both if you have the option.

Ask For Help

Set the camera up on the tripod and with your lighting and daffs organised, you are ready to start shooting. It is possible to use the self-timer to do this type of shot, but having a helper to provide the 'rain' while you concentrate on composition and focusing makes life easier.

Position And Water Flow

For the blurred water technique, just position the daffs so they are backlit and shoot at a slow-ish shutter speed during the 'rainstorm'. Getting a good steady flow of water is important so it is best to time your shooting carefully.

Backgrounds

Pick a camera viewpoint that gives a clean background and avoid anything too distracting like a fence, tree or wheelie bin. A dark background will make the water stand out while a plain light-toned background looks great but the poured water will not show up very effectively against it.

Slow Shutter Speeds

To get the 'rain' nicely blurred you need a slow shutter speed so experiment with speeds from 1/90sec and slower. Setting a small aperture and a low ISO might be needed to enable this. Going too slow might give too much blur with the daffs moving around in the wind or just by being bombarded with water. Do one or two shots, then ask your assistant to stop while you check out the results. Change camera settings as necessary and then try again.

Lighting

Experimentation is even more important if you are mixing flash with daylight. Try positioning the flashgun behind the daffs and it is also worth trying different shutter speeds to get a mix of sharpness and blur, which can be very effective.

Top Left: The small rose gives a fine effect but it is not very dramatic. Top Right: A burst of flash from behind has 'frozen' splashing water drops, changing the image's mood. Bottom Left: A watering can with a large rose has helped create more drama in the image, but the daffs need repositioning every few shots because of the force of the water now hitting them.  Bottom Right: The flash adds an extra dimension and the backlight has added a little more contrast.

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