Creative Portraits: Using Plants for visual Texture 🌿
Almost as out of luck I discovered the wonders of plants as foreground elements for portraiture. I find fascinating how something so simple can add such an effect to an image.
I will briefly explain how to use the right settings to add texture to your images.
Getting these type of images does not require a high technical level, its just a matter of keeping in mind a few minimum requirements.
Its usually best when you have a good subject, a person, an item, an animal, etc. It will provide context and give a story/meaning to your image
Use a lens with high aperture. This one is obvious , lenses that can open to f2.8 , f1.8 or less are great, yet remember lower f-stops can easily leave unwanted out-of-focus parts on the subject
My ideal setting is to use a focal length of at least 70mm along an aperture between f2 and f3.5
I prioritize a high focal-length over a low f-stop. My ideal combination is f2.8 at 85mm or 135mm
This range renders most faces fully in focus and drastically adds bokeh to my foreground… Love it!
Make sure your shutter-speed is fast enough , use a medium ISO value should be a good way to go (between 400 and 1000 is good for sunlit scenarios)
Picture taken under shaded sun, at 85mm at f.2.8 - 1/1600sec - ISO250
overcast sky, 10m away from subject at f2.8 , 200mm
Another great use of flowers, leafs and plants is to create shadows on your subject
I guarantee next time you go out for shooting, you’ll be looking out to place your subject in the middle of tree-branches and leafs!
Have fun!