I am well into writing the new rose book, with a catchy title of the PhotoBotanic Guide to Photographing Roses and offer this tip for finding a background when photographing a single, hero rose.

Hybrid tea rose 'Paradise' photographed in front of dark container

Hybrid tea rose ‘Paradise’ photographed in front of dark container

I am using the title hero rose using the word “hero” to designate that single wonderful specimen of a flower that becomes the subject of the photograph. You need to find a way to isolate that hero rose against a background.

When working in a garden, that can sometimes be hard to do, with all the distractions that can creep in.

It was particularly tough when photographing this hybrid tea rose, ‘Paradise’ on a bright day when I was photographing a book about All American roses and needed to find this rose while working on a tight deadline.

Hybrid tea rose 'Paradise' in Saccani backyard patio garden

I did find a beautiful specimen, a hero, but it was in the middle of a backyard garden in the middle of a sunny day.

I was able to use a scrim to soften the light but could not soften the light over the whole garden, so I found a background of the dark container across the patio. Using my tripod to center the flower I was able to isolate it so that all the attention is on the rose opening this post.

The book will be finished by the first of the year. Join the Learning Center to get all notices and discounts or be sure to join the newsletter list for announcements.