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This is an incredibly well received and widely enjoyed workshop from Celia Henderson!
Transparent Flowers
How do you make petals (or anything) appear translucent?
To show translucency there has to be a light source in the background. I’ll be using a Lightbox
And to really trick the brain into thinking petals are translucent, we’ll use Photoshop tools to ‘see through’ to the overlapping item underneath
Flat Lay Photography
Flat lay photographs are taken from a bird’s-eye view or usually at 90o looking down on the scene with the lens perpendicular
The background in any flat lay is really key to the success or failure of the image. Unlike photography where we are holding camera to our eye and photographing scene in front of us, we can choose to throw the background out of focus by our use of depth of field. With flat lay the scene is set out below the camera and the entire scene including the background will be in focus
About Celia:
Celia Henderson is a wonderfully talented flower photographer who blends her artistic skills with a background in teaching and IT. She is a qualified lecturer and an IT trainer, specialising in Adobe and Microsoft software. This love for teaching extends to her photography, where she runs popular workshops for the RPS and Camversation, where she is incredibly well respected and loved for her down to Earth style of teaching, which is both accessible and fun.
LRPS: She holds the Licentiate distinction from the Royal Photographic Society.
RHS Finalist: Celia is a finalist in the prestigious 2025 RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show, with her work to be displayed at London's Saatchi Gallery.
Sony Advocate: From 2009 to 2013, she worked with Sony, leading workshops at major events.
Exhibited Artist: Her photography has been featured in various galleries, commissioned for home designs, and has even appeared on TV.
Celia is known for her creative "See, Take, Make" workflow, inspiring others to see the artistic potential in flower photography, from capturing the image to transforming it with editing magic.
This workshop will be recorded and available for viewing one month after the session ends.
Outline from AI:
Celia conducted a comprehensive photography workshop focusing on techniques for creating translucent effects in flower photos and flat lay compositions, including detailed demonstrations of Photoshop editing methods and lighting setups. She shared specific tutorials on combining multiple exposures to enhance image quality and dynamic range, while also providing guidance on proper equipment selection and technical settings for achieving desired effects. The session concluded with practical demonstrations of flat lay photography techniques, including composition tips and lighting strategies, followed by a discussion of practical applications and future demonstration possibilities.
Summary
Photography Techniques Workshop
Celia led a workshop on photography techniques, focusing on creating translucency in flower photos and flat lay photography. She demonstrated two Photoshop tricks: using the Divide blend mode to create a pure white background and adjusting color values to achieve desired effects.
Photoshop Techniques Demonstration Session
Celia demonstrated several Photoshop techniques, including how to save and load selections using channels, and how to create a translucent effect using the clone stamp tool and opacity adjustments. She showed these techniques using examples of flowers and a windmill image, explaining how to make elements appear transparent by sampling colors from the background and applying them at low opacity.
Flat Lay Photography Tutorial
Celia provided a detailed tutorial on photographing flat lays using a lightbox, explaining technical aspects such as exposure bracketing, lens selection, and focusing. She emphasized the importance of using a tripod, avoiding ambient light, and capturing multiple exposures to achieve a translucent effect. Celia also demonstrated how to stack and align images in Photoshop, highlighting the benefits of using raw files for further processing.
Photoshop Multiple Exposure Technique Demo
Celia demonstrated a detailed Photoshop technique for combining multiple underexposed images of sweet peas into a single high-quality image. She showed how to use selection tools, masks, and layer manipulation to achieve a final image with better color depth and luminosity than could be achieved by processing a single image. Mark facilitated the discussion by asking clarifying questions about mask opacity, selection restrictions, and the benefits of combining multiple exposures, which Celia answered by demonstrating specific techniques and explaining the advantages of her method.
Multiple Exposure Photography Techniques
Celia demonstrated a technique for combining multiple exposures to create dynamic range in images, sharing her experience of winning competitions with this method. She provided step-by-step instructions and suggested using eMart video lights for additional lighting when photographing transparent objects. After a break, Celia planned to discuss flat lay photography techniques, highlighting the importance of proper balance and lighting in creating effective flat lay images.
Flat Lay Composition Techniques
Celia presented a detailed guide on creating effective flat lay compositions, emphasizing the importance of balance, symmetry, and color contrast. She shared techniques for arranging objects in C-shapes, using templates, and incorporating diagonal lines and clusters of odd-numbered items. Celia also discussed the use of museum gel, sticky pads, and reflectors to achieve desired lighting and shadow effects, and recommended working on the floor with a tripod for stability. She concluded by demonstrating a practical example of a C-shaped flat lay using paintbrushes and other objects
Flat Lay Photography Techniques Demo
Celia demonstrated flat lay photography techniques, explaining how to use templates, perspex/glass, and museum gel to create precise arrangements. She showed how to achieve consistent lighting using reflectors and diffusers, and shared her method of combining digital textures with pure white backgrounds in Photoshop.