Tyrone Turner
Cherry blossom mania is upon us, and few of the many people descending upon the Tidal Basin will be carrying big cameras and tripods. The cellphone is the go-to tool for shots of these delicate flowers and the selfies we all want in front of them.
WAMU Visuals Editor Tyrone Turner is a long-time photographer and educator. Here, he shares a few key things to keep in mind for all those keen on filling their social media with flower power.
The light before dawn at the Tidal Basin gives a beautiful hue of colors with the branches of a cherry tree in the foreground.Tyrone Turner / WAMU
It’s All About The Light
No IG filter, no HDR setting, and no crazy app are going to replace being on the scene during beautiful light. Of course, this means being there during the times of day when the light is best—sunrise and sunset. Photographers have a name for it: the golden hour. It’s that warm kiss of light that makes all the difference in the world, especially in landscape and nature photography. We spend our lives looking for great light. Personally, I even love the light right before sunrise and right after sunset. So, keep those times of day in mind when heading down to the Tidal Basin.
Cherry tree buds ready to blossom are “kissed” by the warm light of sunrise.Tyrone Turner / WAMU
Switch It Up
A well-known rule of photography is to photograph so that the sun is behind you and is illuminating your subject. But that’s only half the story, especially with the translucent nature of the cherry tree blossom. Observe how beautiful it is to have the sun in front of you with the light streaming through the flowers.
Early opening blossoms are illuminated by the early morning light.Tyrone Turner / WAMU
Keep It Simple
There are lots of composition rules. Here is one that sounds simple, but is pretty hard to do consistently: Include what you like, exclude what you don’t like. If you don’t want people in your shot, wait for them to walk on. If you don’t want that pole in the background, choose another angle. Pay attention to what is in the picture that you are capturing (at the edges, in the background) and get the shot that you want “in camera.”
When photographing nature, remember the human element that can give scale and interest to your photos.Tyrone Turner / WAMU
Watch Your Angle
The perfect selfie is out there among the cherry blossoms. I love when the background is full of color, so you may want to keep your smartphone low and angle up so you catch the glory of the trees behind you.
Happy snapping!
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial seen through the yet to fully blossoming trees.Tyrone Turner / WAMU
This story originally appeared on WAMU.
