Photographers talk about “The Light” in reverential terms. It is the life blood of outdoor photography no less than it is the lifeblood of plants for photosynthesis. Learning how to read the quality of light is the single most important skill in good garden photography.
An enduring motif of garden photography is the seasons. The season, its weather and mood is, often unconsciously, part of every story and in every photo. When we are within a garden, excited by what we see, it is easy to forget the multi-sensory experiences that create the mood we feel. Sounds, fragrance, light, the weather,[...]
When faced with overwhelming choices in beautiful gardens, it is almost essential for garden photographers to give themselves a target, an assignment. These days, I am stalking geraniums. True, it is great to wander around a wonderful garden, drinking in beauty, grabbing shots, but too often such photos end up as snapshots without a story[...]
At one point or another all garden photographers will have to deal with lens flare. Too much strong directional light will cause the glass in the lens to disperse the light – flare, and affect the quality of the image. The flare will wash out color and reduce contrast. It is not always so[...]
To get a good garden photo, look for hardscape to help define your composition and tell the story, a story about the structure of the garden, how it is put together, what elements, besides the plants, make it work. In this lesson of the PhotoBotanic Garden Photography Workshop, we continue the assignment theme “Think Like[...]