Make sure your background is not distracting. It’s easier when you can control the background (at home, or in a studio), than when you have no control (on location).

At home: The simplest uncluttered background is a piece of foamcore board or plywood propped behind your flowers. Paint the board a pale blue (so as to not lose the white flowers), or a mid-grey (for a bit more contrast). You can also try wallpaper, teatowels, wood panels, old doors, scraps of fabric - anything that creates atmosphere without being distracting.

Watch out for:

- the join (or horizon): make sure it’s straight, or compose with no join (or try a DIY infinity wall)

- shadows: the closer your subject to the background, the harder the shadow

- creases: try velvet or vinyl for crease-free backgrounds

On location: move your feet. Move all around your flowers to find the best background. Watch out for:

- ‘telegraph pole through the head’ distractions in the background

- specular (bright) highlights which will draw the eye

- red splashes (also will draw the eye)

- no background separation (where the subject blends into the background - you don’t want that, you want it to be separate)

- subject overlaps something in the background

Homework

(Share with the #PhotographyForFlorists hashtag on Instagram.)

Use any subject and practise background separation. Check for distractions in the background, and then make sure your subject doesn’t blend into the background but is completely distinct. The easiest way is to have a plain background (foamcore) but you can also try blurring the background if you know how (if you don’t know, you will by the end of the course).