Colorado wildflower hunting 2024

Thanks to steady rain and perfect conditions we have enjoyed
an unreal Colorado wildflower spectacle this Summer, and it’s far from
over! I’d like to share some tips for those up trying to capture these captivating
natural wonders, as these shots take a unique approach (as do all landscape
shots!)

These shots can be a bit tricky: but when they turn
out right they emblemize joy in nature with stately blooms in carefree colors!

Preparation prevents poor performance, and this is
half the game here! The flowers bloom all over the valleys of the Rockies all
Summer; generally, July is “the month” but with steady rain this year I am
finding flowers in some new locations and expect to find them later in the
season than normal. Researching the conditions when wildflower hunting is a
good idea! It also goes without saying, but bring the necessities when hiking
or exploring the mountains: boots, sunscreen, food, water, compass and all that
Boy Scout stuff.

Weather conditions will set the mood of the shot, as always…use
this as a way to make the shot unique! Use the conditions available to frame a
unique shot. For example, on a cloudless, sunny day hunt for flowers in a
forest, in the shade, or somewhere else with shadows.

Embrace and play with light! Evening and morning golden hours are always popular choices, but I’m loving these bright, happy subjects to shoot during the day. Clouds are always the landscape photographer’s friend, adding drama and even some filtered light to the scene.

 

Persistence is another key trait to getting these shots, as the flowers may not be fully blooming, or slightly past bloom…so today’s hike might be the perfect place for tomorrow’s picture. If it’s worth it, go back and explore the scene a few times!

Start with a wide-angle lens: 12mm-16mm on a full-frame sensor or 35mm camera will work for these types of shots. Wide-angle lenses will allow the flower to appear large in the frame, and the background will appear much smaller in-frame—allowing the “Star of the Show” to shine (read on!)

These beauties may not sit still for the camera; a lot of these flowers live in windy places (such as the high alpine tundra) so be ready for that. I like to take these shots hand-held, as a tripod might get cumbersome with making micro adjustments to the composition of each “family” of flowers—this will vary, to taste. But here’s the point: Since the flowers are going to be blowing in the wind, prepare for some motion, anyway: I like to open up my aperture a little bit to allow for the sharpest possible focus on nearby subjects, and for faster shutter speeds. I like to keep the aperture between f/7.1 and f/11, to allow for these benefits without the probability of smoking the shot at more wide-open apertures—overexposure is the kiss of death, friends. 

Be careful of using open apertures (note the tricky sky exposure here)

 We’re aiming for a shutter speed of 1/300 to 1/1000th here, if it’s faster than that your subject (or, more likely, background) is getting blasted with UV rays and the picture is going to look blown-out, which we all hate looking at. While we’re at it, make sure that the camera’s metering mode is set to “multi” or “average” (Depending on Brand) or if you’re lucky enough to be shooting on a Sony A7 series “Highlight Priority”- which virtually guarantees that the frame won’t get overexposed.

When composing the shot, try to avoid distracting elements: Bees, weeds, rocks or worst of all—a cut-off flower in the foreground. This makes the photo seem “cut off” overall, as the part the viewer’s eye is drawn to first, the flowers in the foreground, are cut off. To prevent this, find the “Star of the Show!”  One flower in the composition is going to be the main “subject”—make sure this flower stands out! Don’t let it get cut-off in the bottom of the frame or be covered up by distracting blades of grass blowing across the scene. 

Be careful of distracting elements, or too much ground in the frame!

Oh, and as far as focus?. Just use single shot autofocus. Where? On “The Star of the Show”, of course!

I like to let the wide-angle lens “do the work” for me: including the entirety of the foreground, midground and background. It’s really easy to get the point-of-view from either too low or too high by putting in too much effort. Too low, and the viewer can see the stems of the flowers but no background. Too far away, and these flowers appear as colorful little ants scattered across the bottom of the frame.  Remember these 12-16mm shots are going to include a lot of the periphery in all directions—not just out wide sideways, but up-and-down, too. Point the camera slightly downward, being careful to include the bottom of the flowers, without giving the viewer the distinct feeling that they’re eating dirt while admiring the image. 

There's plenty to love about this scene. But, wouldn't it be better if we could get to know these beautiful flowers better? This show needs a Star!

Yes, I take a lot of these pictures while laying in the dirt. But that’s my job, not the viewer’s or judge’s job, right?

It's a tough and dirty job! (Photo: Amanda Johnson)

Hunting for wildflowers is a fun, joyous experience! Prepare for the weather, get comfortable in the right camera set-up (or, just bring a phone…these wide-angle shots are actually perfect for phone wide-angle lenses) and start experimenting with different lighting conditions and compositions. Have fun and be safe!

Please stay tuned for updates to any wildflower images that will be released as a limited-edition, and email me for print inquiries not listed on the site. Thanks!

-Clark