Flowers are great subjects for photographers. They're colourful, they hardly move and don't complain that you're taking too long. Getting the colours right is another problem though, especially with digital cameras. For the most part the Sony Mavica does an admirable job and I've hardly had to colour correct my shots. Except for red. It almost always comes out pinkish as shown with the obvious example at left

Another trick is getting the over all contrast right. I've found the best results (and often truest colours) come with pictures having medium to low contrast. Overcast days are the best. If it is a bright sunny day, and the object is small, place yourself in front of the sun to cast a shadow over the object. Then crop your photo as tight as possible and you will get all the details otherwise lost in the harsh sunlight.

I've also found dramatic changes in colour depending on the angle you shoot your subject at. If, for example, you, the sun and the object are all lined up you will get flatter colours than if you have the sun shining off from one side.

Here's a trick that always works for me: hold your arm straight our in front of you and flatten your palm as if you were going to stop traffic. Now spin around your centre and watch the light fall on the back of your hand. You will get a more dramatic photo if the sun is shining over one of your shoulders rather than in front or behind you. If all else fails, people will think you're dancing.

get the right angle

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