How to photograph flowers in the blistering sun...

[ButchA61]

I just used my Nikon D3500, along with the "kit lens" 18-55mm DX lens, knelt down and tried to get a nice photo of my wife's Phlox flowers in the whiskey barrel planter in the front yard. Not a cloud in the sky and it's 88° already this afternoon! Maybe a different f-stop would have been better. Hmmm.....

 

[DMKAlex]

A foldable translucent disk.

 

[Bobthearch]

Don't. Especially not white flowers.

Shoot eye-level with the flowers/container.

Get close, as close as possible with the 18-55.

Spot-meter right on a bright flower.

Deliberately underexpose if necessary.

Use a polarizer filter to cut the glare from the flowers and shiny leaves.

Hope this helps!

 

[JasonTheBirder]

You are basically asking how to take a photo in harsh and bad light. It would be better to wait until better light.

 

[DMKAlex]

You are basically asking how to take a photo in harsh and bad light. It would be better to wait until better light.

A $20 large (48") translucent disk would give you the best overcast lighting for flower. Why wait?

 

[DMKAlex]

Another commonly used technique is to use the fill light to fill in the harsh shadow.

 

[Bobthearch]

You are basically asking how to take a photo in harsh and bad light. It would be better to wait until better light.

A $20 large (48") translucent disk would give you the best overcast lighting for flower. Why wait?

Or just a white plastic trash bag. If you have someone to hold it.

 

[ken_in_nh]

I just used my Nikon D3500, along with the "kit lens" 18-55mm DX lens, knelt down and tried to get a nice photo of my wife's Phlox flowers in the whiskey barrel planter in the front yard. Not a cloud in the sky and it's 88° already this afternoon! Maybe a different f-stop would have been better. Hmmm.....

Your problem isn't the "blistering sun". Your problem is that you need to figure out what you want out of the photo Is it a picture of a barrel on grass? A mass of white within the barrel? Or pictures of the flowers?

If the latter, you need to figure out how to get close and enlarge the flowers. Then you need to decide if you want to back light the flowers, side light or front light etc. Then figure out the rest.

Just keep in mind basic composition.