Tamron Blog: Capturing The Last Of The Garden Blooms

We may be slowly stepping further towards Autumn but as Rick captured some super macro shots of flowers from around his garden a few weeks ago, we really wanted to share them with you. 

Unfortunately, most of the Summer blooms had died off so these few specimens were the ones just hanging on to the last glimpses of summer but on the upside, Autumn brings ample opportunity to capture macro imagery, not to mention the shift in colours. 

With flower photography, you generally want to get up-close with your subject and the background thrown nicely out of focus. The easiest and best way to do this is with a macro lens which made the Tamron SP AF 60mm f/2 Di II Macro lens a perfect choice for Rick's garden exploration, especially with its f/2 maximum aperture. The results don't disappoint either with lots of detail, great colour and lovely bokeh in the background of the shots. 

If you're planning your own garden macro shoot, leaves and berries make great close-up subjects in Autumn, then here are just a few tips worth remembering: 

• Wind is your enemy - wait for the breeze to pass by and use a tripod, remote / camera's self-timer to reduce shake further. 
• Get up early - The light's better and the air tends to be stiller. 
• Take out a small reflector - Bounce light where it's needed.
• Create shade - Your own shadow will work perfectly well but a piece of plain card will also do the trick.
• Cloud cover can be good - A light covering of cloud will act like a giant softbox. 
• Rain can be your friend - Close-ups of water droplets on blooms can look great.

Take a look at Rick's gallery of floral imagery below and please do share your own macro shots with us in the Tamron Gallery. 

Tamron SP AF 60mm F/2.0 Di II LD (IF) Macro images - Plants