How to Take the Best Photos in a Garden

Whether you’re taking photos on a garden excursion or simply documenting your own plants and flowers, use these simple tips to take the best photos!

What to Use for Taking Photos in a Garden:

There are plenty of cameras on the market that are well suited for travel and outdoor excursions, but I take the vast majority of my photos in a garden with my iPhone. The technology has advanced considerably in recent years and editing afterwards can fix a number of common issues like exposure and framing.

If you do not have a smart phone or prefer a more traditional camera, I love my (now old) Canon G9X (similar Canon camera). My daughter who is a professional photographer swears by Fujifilm cameras.

When to Shoot Photos in a Garden:

For the best lighting and smaller crowds, try to arrive very early in the day or later in the evening during “Golden Hour”. This is shortly after sunrise and just before sunset when the sun is low in the sky and the light is softer and warmer.

What to Do for the Best Photos in a Garden:

• Play with Angles: Don’t be afraid to be creative. Crouch down low next to flowers and shoot over the tops or try shooting through them like a tiger in the jungle.
• Experiment with Composition: For me, the hardest strategy to learn was to avoid putting my subject always dead center of the shot. Try off-setting for a more natural look.
• Adjust iPhone Settings: Turn on “Grids” and “Level” under iPhone Settings>Camera>Composition to help with framing your subject. The grid appears on your screen while taking photos and a middle ‘level’ line will turn yellow when your shot is horizontally level.
• Zoom In: Take close ups of interesting flowers to capture the details and colors. If you have a smart phone, zoom in at 3x. Tap the screen to make sure it’s focusing on the intended subject. Get as close as you can and still be in focus. Then back out just a little for a crisp closeup shot.
• Try Portrait Mode: Shooting greenery or flowers in wide open spaces through portrait mode will blur the background and make the subject stand out in the final image.
• Edit Photos Afterwards: Use your phone’s editing technology to brighten, enrich, crop and more. My daughter introduced me to VSCO, and I love it for easy editing. Preset filters make it a breeze to adjust the overall look of each image.

What to Wear:

Include yourself in your photos in a garden! Take action shots like sniffing flowers or leaning in to touch foliage. For Instagram worthy photos, try to wear solid colors that complement a vibrant floral background. Any shade of green, pastels, hot pink, or blue would work well.

Choose a brightly colored scarf or hat when the weather requires outerwear. Straw hats always look nice on sunny days.

Whether you’re using a smart phone or a point and shoot camera, these tips will help you take incredible photos of your favorite gardens and flower specimens. Happy clicking!

Looking for a beautiful garden to take photos? Explore the many destinations that I have visited Beyond My Garden Gate like Keukenhof Garden and Atlanta Botanical Garden.