Orchid photography can be a great hobby but more than that, capturing the images of these beautiful flowers can also help you grow orchids more successfully.

A professional photographer has a lot of camera equipment and lenses to get the gorgeous shots of plants and flowers. But as an orchid grower, you do not need to buy any fancy equipment. A good camera, which can focus on the plant and help bring out the bright colors and patterns of the flowers, is more than enough.

Now, you may wonder why you need a camera as an orchid grower. Usually we put tags on every plant or back bulbs to know the name of the orchid, growing conditions, watering schedule etc. By clicking a picture of the flower, writing its name on the back of the photo and attaching it to the tag, you have a clear idea of what kind of blooms you will get. It helps us to easily recognize the plant and categorize it.

Similarly, you can keep the picture in a binder as a record of the various kinds of orchids you are growing, the date you planted or pruned them, the last time you used any fertilizer, any fungal infection history, special instructions and so on.

By looking at the current condition and history of the plant, you can take the necessary steps to keep them healthy and care for them. If you are a creative person, you can also take pictures to make a fun collage of all the orchids in your garden and give it to others as a gift or use it as a wallpaper

Before you buy a camera for photographing orchids, find out what you will use it for and what is in your budget. Some people like to take the shots in the natural surroundings, while others prefer to put a dark background behind the plant to bring out the colors.

You can either buy a DSLR camera, which has better controls for exposure compensation, or choose a point-and-shoot camera, where some of the advanced models produce excellent quality pictures almost equivalent to a DSLR. Here are the best cameras to help you grow orchids:

Canon 60 D: This is an expensive camera, costing almost $1,000 but is the best choice considering all the features and specifications. It includes a Canon EF-S 18-135 mm IS wide zoom range lens, 18 MP CMOS sensor, 3 inch clear view LCD screen, manual exposure control, optional flash, built-in photo editing technology, HD video options and a host of other features.

Nikon CoolPix P100: This 10.3 MP model is priced at over $300 and includes a backside illumination CMOS sensor, 26 inch wide angle optical zoom which will help you zoom closer and shoot faster, a 3 inch vari-angle high resolution clear color display and digital imaging technology.

Nikon CoolPix S8100: This 12.1 MP model is a cost-effective option at just under $200 and comes with a wide angle 10X optical zoom lens made of Nikon ED glass, a CMOS sensor, subject tracking, high resolution 3 inch LCD display and 4-way image stabilization to help you take pictures in low light. It has many other features and you can also take pictures in the night using the Night Portrait option.

Canon Powershot SD1300: This 12.1 MP camera costs around $170 comes with 4x wide angle optical stabilized zoom and can be used to shoot in low light conditions. You can also try the A3100 models which range from $150 to $190 and are a good choice for beginners.

Besides Canon and Nikon, you can also try Pentax Optio cameras, which cost $200-$250 or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-Zs5 at $370.

If you choose a DSLR camera, you may get a good lens separately. Although you will have to shell out more money for this, the results are always worth it. For Nikon and Canon APS-C format cameras, a 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens works very well to get sharp images. You can focus close to the picture which allows you to be more creative and shoot the minute details on the flower, texture or water droplets. Getting a tripod is also a good idea if you want to seriously pursue clicking pictures of your orchids, as it helps to keep your camera steady.

There are many websites where you can purchase your camera and camera equipment. Besides websites like Amazon, Best Buy and Shopper.com, Adorama, B&H Photo, Calumet, you can also try some used camera sites to get good deals.

Do you take pictures of your orchids? What kind of camera do you use? Please leave a comment below and let us know.

Check out this post for more ways to simplify your orchid record keeping.