The Art of Flower Photography

£140 single payment or split the cost (3 months)

The Art of Flower Photography

Create breathtaking floral imagery, indoors and out

For intermediate and advanced photographers, this course will take you beyond point and shoot floral photography. Emma shares all her secrets, built up over her career as a garden and flower photographer. Be warned though - at least half of the magic happens in editing so if you object to editing this course is not for you.

You will learn how to get the best possible digital file in-camera as your starting point.

You will find out which compromises you can safely make if the light or weather is not ideal, and which cannot be sacrificed.

You will understand how to use composition and light to craft the exact image you want, rather than taking hundreds of images and hoping one of them is OK.

In prerecorded videos Emma explains the technical details of each shot (aperture, shutter speed and ISO), teaching you how to extend your practical application of camera controls.

Emma will show you exactly how she edits her images in Lightroom, and how you can take her workflow as a starting point to develop your own style.

Previous student Hilary Miller has adapted the editing videos for Affinity users.

Note: feedback is no longer provided by Emma in the community and the price of the course has been reduced substantially to reflect this. Moderators are on hand to help with logistical issues but there is no tutor support.

Please read the whole of this page before you join - there is a list of essential kit/gear and expected skills below. Emma does not offer individual feedback on images.

Please note this course does not teach studio lighting nor flash photography. All lighting is natural daylight, except for one lesson that uses a light box.

Watch the guided tour

Part 1

1: Basic table top studio flower portrait

2: Bigger arrangement

3: Still life

4: Introduction to macro

Part 2

5: Shooting contrejour (against the light)

6: Hero flowers in the field

7: Stepping back & shooting wide

8: Dealing with bad weather

9: Using a lightbox

What people say

"I've been photographing flowers for years, but Emma Davies's Art of Flower Photography course made all the difference, it taught me how to see the whole of the flowers, how to get the lighting right, taught sound composition rules and as the icing on the cake the course showed how to use Lightroom to make the finishing touches." Inge

"I loved Emma's fine art flower course. It is a fabulous way to learn and master new skills and increased my flower fascination. The photography and editing skills learnt have expanded my photography confidence. I now have new expert knowledge about light, composition, depth of field macro, contrejour, lightbox photography (great fun), shooting flowers in the field and shooting vistas." Jillian

I am a more disciplined photographer as a result and now have a much better idea of why a photo works - or doesn't. I valued the cameraderie among the course participants and the fact that we were all progressing though the course together was very motivational." Hilary

Join any time

Once registered you have unlimited access to the lessons for as long as Emma is in business. Join the "official" run-through in June each year when most people are in the community.
Step by step

9 shoots broken down into the exact settings you need
Behind the scenes editing

Start-to-finish Lightroom editing screencasts included

Who is this course for?

This is for you if you want to take beautiful shots of flowers, indoors and out. You want images good enough to hang on your wall, print on cards, or give as gifts. One day you might like to sell your shots, or enter some competitions.

- You are no longer a complete beginner photographer: you know how to shoot off auto mode, even if you don't always do it.

- You want to learn how to set up a low-cost table-top indoor natural light studio.

- You are ready for the challenge of finding beautiful shots outdoors, whatever the weather.

- You know that fine art photography involves a lot of attention to detail.

- You want to learn how to edit your images in Lightroom (50% of the course is editing).

This course is an intermediate level course. It does not explain the basics of exposure, aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Each lesson does run through which settings to use, and why, and there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions. If you know that a large sized aperture gives a shallow depth of field, even if you can't change the settings quickly, that's enough to join the course. If you don't know what aperture or depth of field are, you're not ready for this particular course.

It is expected that you:

- know how to change aperture, shutter speed and ISO on your own camera

- know how to switch between manual and auto focus

- understand what aperture and depth of field are

- understand what shutter speed is, and how it affects blur and camera shake

- understand what ISO is, and why it is important to keep it as low as possible

In each lesson Emma explains which settings to use and why, but she does not go right back to basics.

You do not need to have any experience with Lightroom. There is a short introductory course in the pre-course material, and then in each lesson Emma will show you everything you need to know.

Edits are shown using Lightroom. If you use other software to edit you will need to translate the edits shown to your software. Previous student Hilary Miller has provided suggested equivalent workflows for Affinity users.

Instructor

Emma Davies

Commercial and fine art flower photographer. Photography instructor. Travel Photographer of the Year 2017: finalist. International Garden Photographer of the Year 2016: shortlisted. Published in The Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated and by the BBC. Books: #1 Amazon bestselling beginner's photography workbook, A Year With My Camera, The British Flowers Book, Beginner's Landscape Photography.

Recent press

Emma was recently featured in Digital Photographer magazine's Fine Art Flower Photography issue:

What people say

"I've always wanted to photograph flowers well, especially macro shots, but it's always been a hit and miss affair, with far too much of the flower being blurred, and me being not sure why, or being under or over exposed. I learned a lot technically but also creatively. It's given me lots of new ideas plus practical tips to ensure I get consistently good results.

When I do get shots I'm not so pleased with I can usually work out why. Its also trained my eye to look more before taking a shot. I especially loved the lesson on contre jour - shooting into the light producing great looking images." Susie

"I loved this course as it made me focus, gave me a structure, and got me back into learning mode. It also made me get out and use my camera which has a tendency to gather dust! I found the lessons very clear and so informative. Emma gave step by step instructions to follow with the added benefit of having videos to watch and I could stop and start it and action each newly learnt skill.

I liked the fact that Emma advised on how you can use things in the house as props and equipment without the need to spend a fortune. I have been so proud of my resulting photographs and definitely more confident in my technical abilities in camera and post production." Karin

FAQ

What kit do I need?

You will need a camera with manual controls - one where you can change aperture, shutter speed and ISO independently. You do not need to be able to change the lens, although you will not be able to do the macro lesson without either a macro lens, macro mode or extension tubes.

What software do I need?

Half of the course is editing. Emma demonstrates edits using Lightroom (Classic, not CC). You will need a copy of Lightroom to follow the editing part of the course. If you don't already have Lightroom but want to invest, one of the lessons in the Introduction walks you through everything you need to get started.

Do I need a tripod?

All of the indoor lessons require a stabilised camera to enable long shutter speeds. A tripod is the easiest way to go hands-free with your camera whilst being able to easily change its position between shots. You can use any kind of stable support though, in combination with a self timer - a pile of books or a bag of rice will get you started.

What do I need to set up a studio?

For the first 4 lessons you will need to set up next to a window. You will be using indirect natural daylight as your main light source, and you'll need a space about 1 metre square minimum for your flowers and background, plus what you need for you and your camera. Backgrounds can be as simple as a bare wall, or piece of wallpaper, or you can invest in professional, collapsible studio backdrops. Details are all included in the Introduction. The last lesson of the course calls for a light box - you can buy one, or construct one using a household light and diffused support.

What flowers will I need?

You will be working with a combination of single stems and larger arrangements. No prior arranging skills are required. In the one lesson calling for a larger arrangement, full instructions are included.

Can I pay in another currency?

Yes - the course price will convert to your local currency at checkout. As a very rough guide, in the middle of May 2022, £130 was approximately $165, or Euro 155. The exact exchange rate will be different on the day you purchase the course.

What feedback is included?

No feedback on individual images is included. This is a work-at-your-own pace course, with a completely private community group (not on Facebook) to share images and chat to other students. Moderators are available in the community group for questions about the course.

When do the lessons start and how long will I have access to them?

You will be able to access the lessons as soon as you join the course. All the lessons will remain accessible to you for as long as Emma is in business (at least 1 year).

Do you have another question?

Email Emma at admin@emmadaviesphoto.com

Reviews

Awesome course

Brenda Herback

This course has taught me more than I could have imagined. I highly recommend this course.

Join any time

Step by step

Behind the scenes editing