Backlighting leaves

There’s only one way to photograph leaves, and that’s when they are backlit.  All the veins are revealed and the resulting patterns are astounding!

The way I do it is put my camera on a tripod with a macro lens and point it straight down at our glass topped coffee table.  Underneath  I set up the flash so it points upwards.  Usually I use a diffuser and often put tissue paper over the top to create more diffusion (a handy tip for those shooting macro with flash on a point and shoot camera) to ensure even lighting.  I then set the aperture (and ISO) so it is exposed correctly.  I usually use f8-f16, which are the sharpest points for most lenses and ensures everything is in focus.

Try it out and see details you’ve never seen before.