Photography and Sketching

Help & Advice on the Photography & Sketching of Flowers

This page is concentrating on Photography and Sketching, though, in order to identify plants and flowers you will have many more choices. You may wish to employ all your available choices... photography and sketching, note taking, and plant identification books, etcetera... or just some of them, at any one time, according to convenience.

'Field Guides' may be your first choice, you may wish to buy a small one to have with you permanently [see our page on Books... Choosing Books]. Or you may want to carry a sketchbook and pencil for drawing flowers, and for your plant notes. A camera may be your first choice... be it 35 mm or digital.

The choice is yours... this page will give all the help and advice available on Photography and Sketching... I hope you find it useful.

If we take sketching, from our subject title of Photography and Sketching, as our first method of recording the plants and flowers which we find on our travels... then having the confidence to put on paper that which we see [admittedly with the advantage of identification notes to add to the sketches] will be the first hurdle to cross, assuming that we are not first class artists!

There is always the rule that 'practice makes perfect,' but 'perfect' may be a long time coming. This rule applies equally to Photography and Sketching... and most everything else!

So another road to go down, and an extra interest to pursue, would be to learn to draw. Towards achieving that goal, the following links to four of the best books on learning the art of drawing are included for your perusal.

I have a copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards [her previous book], and found it informative and enlightening... it is quite surprising what you can achieve.

I recommend that you look at all four books, and read the reviews... but, in the end, it is all down to personal preference.

It is, perhaps, equally difficult to learn Photography and Sketching... in fact why not try both Photography and Sketching and see which you prefer, you could end up with two new hobbies. I would say cost is on the side of Sketching, accuracy and speed on the side of Photography... your choice!

At the very bottom of this page you will find a link to a site which could help make your hobby pay for itself!

Photography is the next challenge to tackle [after all this page is titled photography and sketching]! If you want professional standard flower garden photos, then there is a great deal to learn... but if you just want to record [more or less] what you see for identification purposes only, then a simple foto will be an easier task to master.

I am including a webpage on 'Courses' which will cover the availability of various lessons and courses over the internet, and the subjects which are covered, etc. In most cases photography and sketching will be treated as two very separate subjects... you'll just have to a course on one, followed by a course on the other!

If you are one of the esteemed professional photographers, using 35 mm, then you will know of the difficulties encountered in rendering bluebells truly blue, [rather than a pinkish looking colour] of getting the correct background and angle to show the flowers 'as is', and the large number of items... [and the weight]... which needs to be carried around to achieve your perfect photo. Flower photography is a very precise art.

The following link will, perhaps, at least pique your curiosity... Photography and Sketching... Photography may have never seemed so easy... as when you click the links to the amazing resources offered here. The above link leads you to the 'Creative Photos Now' website... please DO try their free offers now, whilst they are still available!

Digital photography is different... and the professional 35 mm photographers are always ready to point out the disadvantages of this medium, though more and more are going over to it now.

Photography and Sketching... Digital Photography...

For invaluable resources try... Your digital photography. YDP is the place to find all the latest in photography news, reviews, side by side comparisons, tips and techniques!

NEW: Photographers Journey...
A blog about photography techniques and cameras which showcases the work of great new photographers.

Let me make a brief explanation of the problems, and then go on to explain what you can do to overcome them:-

First, learning the process.

Second, quality.

And third, the lasting qualities of the photos.

But there is just one resource on the internet which can explain technical things in a way in which even I can understand... it is... The Newbie Club ... they first came to my notice when I wanted to learn a little basic HTML;   then I purchased their Windows XP;   and then, not to be missed, [if you want to keep your PC safe without spending a small fortune], The PC and Internet Security Kit... you will save the (very small) purchase price many times over.

These courses are First Class, I know, I rely on them totally, so I am recommending that you click the above link and read about the contents of their Digital Camera book. You can depend upon The Newbie Club entirely...

If you already have a digital camera, then you will learn how to get the best out of it... and MUCH more. If you are considering buying one, then the advice contained within the course will be invaluable. The Newbie Club

Digital cameras are no exception to this rule, and the price of quality is getting lower too. The rule is to buy the camera with the greatest number of pixels which you can afford.

Try visiting Cameras 2 You

for Internet sales of consumer electronic goods. With many satisfied customers and the best name brands at lowest prices plus many other unique features it's best to have a look around the website... as it's less time consuming to find out what's not available [a MUCH shorter list!] than what is!

Cameras2U... you'll be spoilt for choice!

For those of you who live in the United States of America, what better place to go to view digital cameras at bargain prices than the premier internet website... by that I am sure you will have guessed that I mean Amazon. You can pick up a real bargain here... Top Selling Photo ... with the additional peace of mind that knowing your purchase has been made at a secure and long established website affords.

If you want to admire glorious examples of scenic, animal, flower, etcetera, photography... check out Buffalo Annie... see what CAN be achieved. Well worth a visit! Please don't miss it.

If you only want the picture for a short amount of time, or just to see what it looks like when printed up... well that doesn't matter. But again balancing the colour, altering various components of the photograph, etc., may result in needing to print up the picture several times before you are satisfied... this can prove very expensive. You can balance this against two things:-

1] The cost of normal photographs, because with a normal film of 24 or 36 pictures, you may only get two or three which you are pleased with.

2] The fact that your favourite digital pictures can be transferred to CD and sent away to be processed or processed at a local store. You can also view them on your television, once on CD.

For those who are based in the USA try...           Shutterfly it's the best place to get high-quality prints from your digital camera delivered home. Forget the hassles of home printing. Now you can order prints 24 hours a day and have them mailed to friends and family anywhere worldwide. Sign up is free, plus you'll get 15 FREE 4x6 prints to try us out!

Get prints from your digital camera at Shutterfly. 15 FREE and 15% off orders thru 11/24

Site Build It!

(Just as a 'by the way'... both websites have THE most valuable 'Freebies' anyone could imagine... not just the usual load of padding with, maybe, one useful but half-explained idea!)

Once you become proficient at the above skills... here is one last rather special idea... how about making your hobby pay for itself... check out the following link, and think it over!
Cafepress