My Backyard: Wildflower Photography Tips

As the wildflowers bloom in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, I find myself using my camera more and more for scenery and landscape shots. Wildflowers are one of my favorite subjects, and taking pictures of them is a great way to support the Leave No Trace principle, Leave What You Find. Considering some of the following tips will help you make the most of your next outdoor excursion.

• Consider using a tripod to steady the shot and produce a sharp image.
• Get up early and shoot the sunrise in the best location. Scout the area the day before or during the dead time during the high noon sun.
• Wait until sunset to shoot large fields of flowers, the light is golden and will render your subject much better than the harsh light of the day.
• Take plenty of batteries for your camera — or make sure your batteries are charged.
• Take more than enough film — or a sufficient memory card - you may just use it all.
• Fill your frame! It’s okay to not have the entire flower in photo. Just like shooting a portrait of a person, all we need is a head and shoulder, not a full length body shot. Consider portraits and landscapes for your shots.
• Shoot from a low level, just as you shoot at portrait on the same level as the subject (you don’t shoot down on the top of the head) flowers should be shot with the camera at the same level as the flower.
  

Take time to stop and smell the wildflowers...

Hello all-

Thanks to everyone that participated in our most recent poll! To refresh your memory, the question was:

"You're hiking on a trail through a wet meadow filled with beautiful wildflowers. Your best option is to..."

The answer, with 93% of the votes was C: "Stop and smell the flowers, smile and take home a picture instead." While this may not have been the most difficult of the poll questions thus far, it certainly can spark the most discussion.

Outdoor trips with family and friends can create a lifetime of memories and, understandably, people want to take a memento with them. The issue is never one person picking a wildflower, it's the thousands (maybe millions) of people in front or behind them that all take one flower. Leave No Trace science and research examines the cumulative effects of visitors on public lands, of which trail impacts is one.

So, no matter how you say it...

Leave What You Find
Take only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints
Leave It Better than You Found it

...enjoying objects in their natural element will leave the most lasting impression and also the least impact.

Now, for a special trivia question that also coincides with Leave What You Find. Feel free to leave your guesses as comments and I'll respond in the next few days

"In nature, it takes about 5 hours 45 minutes to make an average _____..."