Course Description
In the course, Clive uses over 150 beautiful and striking examples of his flower and plant photographs to illustrate approaches and techniques you can use in your own work. This journey begins with considering the ways in which different types of light can be used to transform your images.
Clive moves on to discuss ways of composing images using the wonderfully diverse range of shapes and colours found in plants and flowers. He then looks at techniques for creating images in both indoor and outdoor environments. The course is completed with a discussion of more advanced creative techniques.
This Flower and Plant Photography Masterclass is filled with detailed advice on the many ways you can create striking images of flowers and plants, given by an acknowledged expert in his field.
Week 1: Lighting for Flower and Plant Photography
Lighting is vitally important to all photography and in this lesson Clive explains how to use natural light to get the best out of your subjects. He starts by looking at the advantages of soft, diffused light, then moves on to bright sunlight, back lighting and side lighting. He also gives essential advice on controlling exposure for getting the best possible results in your work.
Week 2: Composition for Flower and Plant Photography
Flowers and plants offer a fascinating range of shapes and colours to photograph and in this lesson Clive talks about how to use them to make stunning images. He looks at single and repeated shapes, pattern and line, the use of positive and negative space and creating abstract images.
Week 3: Working Indoors & Outdoors
In this lesson, Clive explores the pleasures of working indoors, including the use of different coloured backgrounds. He explains how to create simple but effective still life images and how props such as vases and bottles can be used to enhance them. He goes on to look at working outdoors and the advantages of shooting at different times of the day and in a range of weather conditions.
Week 4: Developing Vision & Technique
Now that lighting, composition and different working conditions have been explored, Clive now examines different creative techniques to use in your flower and plant work. He discusses the importance of viewpoint, ways of using plant combinations and the striking effect of using complementary colours. He also looks at controlling depth of field, creatively using subject and camera movement and concludes with some useful post-processing techniques.
Requirements
Materials:
Camera which allows user to control shutter speed, aperture and ideally has an exposure compensation button
Macro and Zoom Lens
If you don't have a Macro lens then take a look at the following blogs for alternatives
Alternatives to the macro lens: Part 1
Alternatives to the macro lens: Part 2
Tripod
Lens Hood for avoiding flare when shooting into the sun
A white and a gold reflector
Sheets of different coloured card
A piece of black velvet for backgrounds.
Course outline
Week 1: Lighting for Flower and Plant Photography.
Week 2: Composition for Flower and Plant Photography
Week 3: Working Indoors & Outdoors
Week 4: Developing Vision & Technique
Choose how you want to learn
The Expert option
RecommendedDevelop your learning further with marked assignments and personal tuition from Clive Nichols
- Start course whenever you like
- 4 weeks tutor access for personalised assignment feedback & coaching
- 4 assignments marked by Clive Nichols
- Certificate of completion from Clive Nichols
- Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
- 4 lessons with expert videos & notes
- Group chat & direct message with tutor & classmates
- Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom
$299The Peer option
Discover the benefits of group learning in an online interactive classroom of no more than 20 people. Get the most from shared knowledge and community study
- Start course whenever you like
- Practise what you learn with your peers
- Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
- 4 lessons with expert videos & notes
- 4 course assignments
- Group chat & direct message classmates
- Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom
$99
Learn better together
Online classroom
Start anytime and join a class of no more than 20 students
Test yourself
Practice what you learn with assignments after each lesson
Personal tuition
Exclusive assignment feedback from Expert Tutors
Share
Share ideas with classmates from around the world
Meet Clive Nichols
Britain’s best garden photographer
Clive also photographs interiors, travel, architecture and lifestyle, undertaking many prestigious commissions including a calendar of the world's best modern buildings for a Russian Senator, a book about the finest Villa on Lake Como for Conde Nast and a new brochure on the historic BMA House in Tavistock Square, London, for the British Medical Association.