For a garden photographer there is nothing quite like a landscape architect who knows how to use plants. Gary Ratway not only knows plants as well as any horticulturist I have met, he designs landscapes to show them off. His own garden in Mendocino, California is a showcase for garden design as landscape architecture, a[...]
I just saw my first Narcissus blooming ! So I put together a seasonal bouquet yesterday in my home office for a client meeting, in hopes that some flowers might distract from the piles of books, files, and clutter all over every surface. I dashed out to cut a few of these first daffodils, which[...]
The display of winter squash at the National Heirloom Expo is daunting for a photographer – soooo many potential subjects. This year I decided to photograph all the pumpkins. Grown by Durst Organic Growers, the main exhibit hall was filled with hundreds of fantastical gourds laid out in small groups on large rows of tables. But indoors ?[...]
It is easy to get overwhelmed when trying to find a photo in a beautiful garden. We garden photographers want to capture everything before the moment passes. We know garden beauty is ephemeral and changes at the drop of a leaf or shifting of the light. But to make a “good” garden photo, slow[...]
Plants are the core of gardens, they are the core of garden photographs. When we photographers picture plants we need to consider why gardeners grow them in the first place. What are the core distinctions ? What is the essence of a garden plant? A photograph of a plant should be as carefully considered as was[...]