How to photograph Daffodils in the rain

It is still very wintry at this time of year but despite that, Photo Month kicks off with a nature subject and our project today is to photograph daffodils in celebration of St David's Day. However, because they are not actually in bloom yet we are going to cheat and suggest you buy a bunch or two from the local florists or supermarket.

This means you can shoot them in the comfort of the living room or you can venture outdoors if you are feeling brave and the conditions are not freezing.

The extra twist here was the man-made 'rainstorm' that we added to give our shots an extra dimension.

Of course, the techniques we cover can be revisited later in spring when daffodils are fully in bloom. Enjoy.

Gear needs
You can take any number of different approaches in terms of lens choice, but here we used a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens used on a Nikon D300 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 Slik, Velbon and Manfrotto.

For the blurred water technique, just position the daffs so they are backlit and shoot at a slow-ish shutter speed during the 'rainstorm'. Pick a camera viewpoint that gives a clean background too and avoid anything too distracting like a fence, tree or wheelie bin. A dark background will make the water stand out.

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.

If you have a separate flashgun, you will need to find some way of firing the flash remotely. The cheapest option is to use your flashgun in its auto aperture or manual mode using a synchronisation cable from your DSLR. If your DSLR does not have a PC socket you will also need a hot-shoe to PC socket adaptor.

Placing the flashgun behind the daffs gives a backlit effect and you can use a lighting stand, tripod or something like a Gorillapod to hold the gun. Or ask your assistant to hold it as well as providing your 'shower'.

Another option is to go wireless and use something like a Seculine Twin-link. This is a radio remote trigger that costs £120 for a transmitter that fits on the camera's hot-shoe and a receiver that fires the flashgun. PocketWizards and the Phottix Tetra triggers are other options to consider.

Check the camera's instruction manual to see if your camera can be used to control the flashgun. For example, the Nikon D300 can be used to give wireless through-the-lens flash metering on the Nikon SB-900 via the camera's menu system. This is an infrared system so while it will work fine indoors it is much less effective outdoors.

For our example shots we used a Metz 48 AF-1 in its manual mode, with the output set at 1/16th power.

You will need a water can. 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.

The small rose gives a fine effect but it is not very dramatic.

A burst of flash from behind has 'frozen' splashing water drops giving the image a different mood.

A watering can with a large rose has produced the drama we craved, but the daffs need repositioning every few shots.

The flash adds an extra dimension and the backlight has added a little more contrast.

Techniques to try
Set the camera up on the tripod and with your lighting and daffs organised, you are ready to start shooting.

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.

Getting a good steady flow of water is important so it is best to time your shooting carefully.

Tip: "Try using slow shutter speeds on a windy day for interesting abstract effects. If your DSLR has a multiple exposure feature, that is worth trying too. This was the technique used for blurry effect shot here, taken on a Samsung DX10 with standard zoom."

Lighting is obviously crucial too and a hazy bright sun is ideal. It gives a reasonably strong, directional light without creating too much contrast. Do watch for flare, though, and make sure a lens hood is being used.

Take care positioning your daffs. A plain light-toned background looks great but the poured water will not show up very effectively against it, as here.

Experimentation is even more important if you are mixing flash with daylight. Try positioning the flashgun behind the daffs and if your unit has a zoom head set it to a telephoto setting to concentrate light on the daffs. It is also worth trying different shutter speeds to get a mix of sharpness and blur, which can be very effective.
You've read the article, now go take some fantastic images. You can then upload the pictures, plus any advice and suggestions you have into the dedicated Photo Month forum for everyone at ePHOTOzine to enjoy.