Art, I have a Fujifilm FinePix S700 with Macro and Supermacro, and getting these functions to work is a problem, especially with a variable background. I built a 4 x 8 background with hinges down the middle, and used white and black felt to force my camera to focus on the foreground. What I'd really like is a gray felt at 20% intensity like the Kodak calibration standard.

It does have a nice autofocus, which can be overriden on shutter and aperture priorities, but it takes some experience to do this right.

Like you said, it helps if the subject pretty much fills the target field.

Overcast days are helpful for removing shadows and getting even balance.

I have a Canon SX10is. It isn't a DSLR, it is a "pro-sumer" level between point-and-shoot and DSLR for around $340.

It has wide angle and zoom capabilities. When shooting macro, I find the wide angle works best. I'm going to try to take my time this summer and always use my tripod.

I prefer to take photos in early morning or on a cloudy day. Using shades/reflectors (with an assistant) is sometimes needed to reduce glare. The most difficult time of year (here in NC) to photograph is autumn due to the early morning angle of the sun.

Depth of field (look at my zinnia photos where there are flowers growing behind them, yet the background is almost black) is important to get a good individual bloom shot.

Play around with the settings on your camera other than auto. Do you have scenes settings, such as foliage, beach, night, etc.?

If you have a good zoom on your camera, you can sometimes achieve better closeup shots and depth of field by not using the macro setting - stand a good distance from the bloom and zoom in to frame the bloom.

Salvias are THE most difficult blooms/leaves to photograph IMHO. (The most photogenic flowers are zinnias and echinacea!)

Since my thing is colorful, deer resistant flower garden combinations, I like to take "group shots" of plants and the salvias don't show up very well.

I was experimenting with 'Mystic Spires Blue' in a number of companion combos last summer and I probably took over 100 shots trying to capture the vignettes. I wasn't happy with any of the photos! You'll notice that I haven't watermarked my salvia photos and I have other flowers. :-)

Ignore the captions as these were in stories that I published on my blog. Only one photo (the red salvia) was cut to take the photo. All other photos were taken in situ.

Cameron

How I like for flowers to look in my photos:

{{gwi:251615}}

How have your Zinnia survived deer browse? I have always found them wonderful in combination with Salvia coccinea and Salvia macrophylla at home. In another garden away from home I have thought of using them but wondered if it would be a wasted effort. Echinacea, especially some of the dry land species, is another genus I have been considering. Daisy flowers seem to be really good in general at bringing out the beauty of salvias, but the list of standard types that can handle deer seems rather small.

Wardda - I grow Benary's Giant. Last year was my "test case" for the deer resistant garden. I planted a few right along the edges where the deer couldn't help but notice as well as interspersed throughout the gardens.

No damage. The blooms kept coming and lasted until November. The nice thing about most zinnias is if the blooms are picked, they just branch out and bloom even more. It's the rabbits that I worry about with zinnias, so I spray "I MUST GARDEN RABBIT REPELLENT" when the plants are below rabbit nose height. I have no affiliation with the product, but it is made locally here in Chapel Hill, NC.

I LOVE to use the tall zinnias with salvia Black & Blue. Stunning combination!

I wrote a story Are Zinnias Deer Resistant? on my blog.

I grow a lot of zinnias at home too. My favorites change over time, lately it has been Cactus Flowered types. Rabbits have never been an issue for me, probably because the general area is so chuck full of white clover. Your response is very helpful.

Thank you everyone, I will have to try some getting
some backdrops and do some experimenting with different colors. I have taken
some nice photos during the winter in a cold frame.I have
had some nice coneflower pictures and habitat shots of
wildflowers on a overcast day. Gaillardia pulchella it different forms.Penstemon cobaea & tenuis i have had good
pics of as well.
Art