Until you see the photo you want dont push the shoot button and those boring shots make good photo's for identifying greenhouse grown compared to the wild.

I found it helped to take lots of shots, experimenting with angles, distance, lighting etc. Then get them onto your computer asap while you can still remember what you did. This is a good way to find out what works for you and your setup.

Typically I'll take around 10 photos of a plant/flower at a time (more often than not I end up using the first one)
I don't think I've ever ended up using one where I used a flash - I prefer natural lighting.

If you're taking close-up/macro shots it's worth using a tripod (a cheap one is fine) and manual focus.

Instead of buying a diffuser you can remove/reduce shadows in hard light by using panels of polystyrene to reflect light onto the subject ("bounce boards")

I don't consider myself to be an expert photographer but I know that the only way to learn is to keep trying different things. Joining a photographic club is also worthwhile.
Cheers, Todd

I love photography...but im am seriously no expert, all my shots I feel are pure fluke with having a camera thats does the work for me
I have a Kodak Easyshare Z812is. Its one of those big black chuncky ones....lol...see!!! I have no idea on what im talking about...LOL
(one day im going to read the manual)LOL
It was tricky to get a good shot in the begining but now they are coming better shots. Im not completely happy with alot of my shots, especially flash shots with broms. Sure it brings out the underlying neon colours in leaves but its not natural at all. I now have to set my camera to NO flash in my brom house ALL the time or I end up with the camera automaticly using flash.
Just like Todd said, keep trying different things.
I can get rather frustrated with my camera because I dont know how to use it that well...im still in beginners stage. Some pics come out good and some dont....as I said in the early part of this post...its all fluke I feel...LOL
I have worked out that with my camera and my brom house, my broms dont like being photographed early in the morning when its sunny..LOL...they get this fake light all over them and they look horrid. It seems to wash out their colour. But If I take shots of them when its afternoon the sun is lighting differently in there. Rainy moments are always the best. I love how the water makes them glow all their colours that are deep in them and gives them that glossed over look that shows no shadows.
Yep , Angles are a must to master when photographing a brom in my opinion. Gosh arnt they so photogenic. They can look glorious in different angles, yet some angles are not flattering for them at all. This is why a few shots of the same brom is good.
I would say im probably in the same boat as yourself when it comes to how you experiment and your know how.
Keep on shooting
Cheers Germaine

I'm going to have to go through the Baensch book again and look for trends; that is a task I'll enjoy. They do seem to have a mix of studio and sun light shots. A quick review shows shadows in the sun shots, so maybe I shouldn't worry about that.

I can get a decent shot now and then. But most of the shots of my seedlings are just useless. A big neo is much easier than a little seedling.

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And a macro shot works or it doesn't. Most of mine are border line. I do have a decent tripod but I don't use it. I guess I'll have to start.

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This Ae rubens x N marmorata clone (probably) has yet to have a good shot taken of it. Its subtle colors require some technique that I don't have. This bright sun shot mostly works but is too harsh. A top shot just doesn't seem to work since too much of the plant is out of focus.

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Very nice shots

I'm still learning too, so I can't add anything.

Hi Bromadams and everyone,
Like some of you, I'm also still trying to come to grips with a new camera, so I can't really give you any advice, but I'll be reading this post very carefully.

When my son, (who was once a professional photographer) saw my shocking attempts to photograph broms. on my old Kodak Advantix camera, he decided to get me a more suitable camera for the job.

When he came home on holidays last year he brought me what he called a Nikkon "PHS" digital camera, and once again I find myself having to wrestle with modern technology.

The pic's I'm taking are a bit better than on the old camera but there are still a lot of things I don't understand about the camera, but as he says "persistance beats resistance" so I'll keep on trying to improve.

I have found that even with the "dud" shots I've taken of friend's plants,there are still little things you pick up in the backgrounds that I previously didn't think about and can be useful; things like different types of benches, various methods of suspending plants, shadehouse construction details etc. so the dud pic. isn't entirely wasted.

So like Todd says, I'll just 'keep on trying'.

All the best, Nev.

Last night I spent 15 minutes talking to a professional photographer friend of mine. He mostly does corporate photos so he isn't the perfect photo friend but close enough. He is going to come over soon and give me a hands on lesson. I think I may actually try and set up a small studio environment and try and get good at that first.

Wow...lucky you, how exciting,
Let us know how you get on bromadams...bring back some tips for us can ya....lol...and show us some new pics

I can image his first tip: "You need a new camera"

One little trick I practise is to wash/wet the bromeliad before photography. The colour tends to stand out better without the film of dust, fungicide etc.

I got my new macro lens yesterday, but it's been raining! I did try a few shots under cover and it certainly can take much better shots. I hope to really give it a work out this weekend and I really need to get the tripod going.

Here's a couple shots but nothing great.

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