Wildflower photography requires a few accessories — and patience

For nature photographers, an early spring in British Columbia means it's probably time to head for the hills in the southern parts of the province to capture the wildflowers that have begun popping up.

In fact, Victoria writer and photographer Mary Sanseverino says she started seeing satinflowers around as early as Jan. 26.

"The satinflower is just an absolute show-stopper beauty," she told North By Northwest's Sheryl MacKay.

"Pink, magenta, light pink, and there's even a few that are white … and honestly, it's like somebody's taken a spool of satin ribbon, tied it into bows and just strewn it around meadows."

Here are some of Sanseverino's tips on the best way to capture wildflowers.

Learn the 3 Ps: Patience, practise and perseverance

"You'll have wind — that's the wildflower photographer's nemesis," said Sanseverino.

"Even a breeze is tough to cut through, but the nice thing is usually [the flowers are] not going any place, so you can come back. Be patient, practice, practice practice, and keep trying."

Use a tripod

"One of the big things about taking pictures of flowers — especially up close — is with the slightest movement of you, of the flower, you're going to get a fuzzy picture, so get your camera steady," Sanseverino said.

"If you don't have a tripod, but would still like to try this, just take a little bag of rice out with you, plop it down, and plop your camera on the rice."

Get a light reflector

"This lets me bounce light from the surrounding area into where I want it on the plant," Sanseverino said. "This can be a little bit subtler than a flash."

To hear the full interview with Mary Sanseverino, click on the audio labelled: Tips for shooting wildflowers