Taking Flower Pictures - Olympus E-520 Instruction Manual

Taking flower pictures

The proper method for taking pictures of flowers differs depending on whether you want to
capture, for example, a single flower, a field of blooming flowers, a deep red rose, or the light
color of a sweet pea.
Changing white balance
There are many colors of flowers ranging from light to vivid
ones. Depending on the colors of the flowers, subtle color
shades may not be captured as seen. In this case, you can
check the light conditions and change the white balance
setting. At [AUTO], the camera automatically determines
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the type of light and shoots using the proper white balance.
However, you can bring out subtle color shades more
effectively by changing the setting according to shooting
conditions, such as by using [55300K] for sunny days
and [27500K] for outdoor shaded areas on sunny days.
Using exposure compensation
When shooting flowers against a background, select as
simple a background as possible to bring out the shape and
color of the flower. When shooting bright and whitish
flowers, adjust the exposure compensation to – (minus) so
that the flower stands out from the darker background.
Changing shooting mode
The proper shooting method when taking pictures of flowers differs
depending on whether you want to emphasize a single flower or
capture a field of flowers. To change the focus area, set the camera
to A (aperture priority shooting) mode and select the aperture
value.
• When you open the aperture (decrease the aperture value), the
camera focuses within a shorter range (with a shallow depth of
field), emphasizing the subject against a blurred background.
• When you close the aperture (increase the aperture value), the
camera focuses over a wider range (with more depth of field),
producing a picture with both the foreground and background in
focus.
You can use the preview function to confirm the changes in the
depth of field when the aperture is changed.
Using live view
When using a conventional digital single-lens reflex camera with interchangeable lens
system, it was necessary to wait until after taking the picture to check the results of the
exposure compensation and white balance settings. With the live view function of this
camera, however, you can use the monitor to display and check the subject you want to
capture.
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