Photography Roses

	Photographing Roses Story by Will Funk - Photos by Gene Sasse
	Even if you live in an area with a long growing season for roses it's still nice to find a way to enjoy the look of your favorite blossom all year long. Although we can't capture the scent with a camera, photographing your roses allows you to decorate you home, give gifts to friends or archive a particularly abundant blooming season. You don't need an expensive camera with special lenses to take good images in your garden. One of the best ways to improve your flower photography is to get out with your flowers, or someone else's, and take pictures. If you have made the transition to a digital camera then you can take plenty of "test" shots and use the delete button for images that don't turn out to your liking.
	Choose your light With flower photography, lighting is a vital element for creating compelling images. Look to visit your garden in the early morning or late afternoon when the light casts a warm glow onto the leaves, petals and other features. The rich, smoky tones on a flower like Hot Cocoa come to life for a photographer during these times of the day. Photographing during harsh, mid-day sun tends to wash out the intense colors we admire on our favorite roses.







	Hold still Although not a requirement, one of the best ways to improve your photographs in the garden is by using a tripod. When photographing subjects up close any shake introduced to the camera is exaggerated by the extreme magnification. Tripods also cause you to slow down and look for the best composition. If you don't have a tripod you can use other items such as chairs, fence posts or other sturdy objects for support. These items do not afford the convenience of mobility, however they will assist with keeping your image sharp.
	Watch that background Nothing ruins an otherwise stunning picture more than a bad background. You may have the perfect light dancing across the swirling petals of Scentimental, but if there is a car, street light or some other unsightly feature lurking in the background your image is headed for the delete button. After you find a composition you like, check the background for any offending objects. You may think it's a small distraction when looking through the viewfinder but when you see the final print you eye will keep wandering toward your neighbor's polka dotted mailbox.








	Don't stand around Changing your point of view is another way to improve your images. Our nature is to stand up and take pictures at eye level, occasionally pointing our cameras downwards to capture a luminescent cluster on our favorite Chihuly rose. By lowering our perspective we open up a new world of possibilities with our images. Try for the bug's eye view. Look through leaves of an adjacent plant to frame the crisp color-changing edges on your About Face. If you are a more advanced photographer seeking to challenge yourself with a few new techniques try a few of these: Wide angle in the garden Use a wide angle lens up close and down low for a totally new perspective.
	Include people Don't just capture the flowers; include the gardener in the landscape. I'm not talking about posed snapshots but candid moments including pruning, watering or just smelling the roses. Cut flowers Try photographing a cluster of your favorite roses after you have clipped them and arranged the buds. This allows you to try different close-up compositions more easily. Watch the background and try different lighting styles. Backlighting Let the sun shine through translucent petals, silhouette buds and wrap around canes and leaves. By experimenting with backlighting you can create an entirely different look from traditionally illuminated subjects.
	Take some time this year after you plant or prune your roses to review the features on your camera. Be prepared for that first bud and spend the year capturing the essence of your garden. Who knows, by the end of the year perhaps there will be a camera that captures that delicious fragrance of the Julia Child rose you have tucked away in your garden! Professional photographers Gene Sasse and Will Funk will be conducting a two-day photography workshop at the Sam & Alfreda Maloof Discovery Garden in Alta Loma California on May 5 th & 6 th . Gene's images are used in this newsletter and on the Weeks Roses Web site. Trips are also planned to the nearby Weeks Roses facility. For more information see www.4photoworkshops.com .


	. photos by: Gene Sasse Visit us at: www.genesasse.com