Photographing your Garden
by Heather Edwards
Being at home for the last few weeks has encouraged many of us to spend more time in our gardens, to slow down and appreciate things we might not have noticed before. Garden owners are also in the best position to photograph their gardens and at the moment, the only people who can enjoy them.
If you aren’t lucky enough to have a garden, practice your photography on plants or vegetables in pots, or take photos of wildflowers or views on that daily walk for exercise.
Garden photographers are constantly looking for details or views which might otherwise be missed but the photographers’ trinity of light, background & composition, are fundamentals that will improve everyone’s photographs.
The hour before sunrise and after sunset are called the Golden Hours. Before sunrise you’ll experience an atmosphere and stillness which disappears as the sun rises and just before sunset, you’ll encounter light just as beautiful but so different.
Avoid photographing flowers in full sun. They may look great to your eye, but the photo will be washed out and disappointing. To enhance the colour in your photo choose a bright overcast day.
Plants look their best when backlit so shoot towards the sun or use sidelight rather than having the sun behind you but, be careful of flare.
What’s behind your subject? Will a different angle or moving closer improve the photo?
The plant or flower doesn’t have to be in the centre of your photo. Try it on the left, the right, or on a diagonal & take several different pictures. Look at the detail in the plant and capture that. Eventually, you’ll instinctively know if the composition feels right.
Finally, a tripod will eliminate camera shake, produce sharper pictures and give you time to review your composition and make adjustments.
Enjoy practicing!
A selection of Heather's photos in the Sitting Spiritually Garden......
With many thanks to Heather Edwards
Heather Edwards is a Somerset based photographer specialising in gardens and flowers and is available for commissions on interiors, examples of which can be seen in the commercial portfolio section of her website.
She is a member of the Garden Media Guild, the PGPA (Professional Garden Photographers' Association) and a National Gardens Scheme registered photographer,
She has been a finalist in the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition in 2009, 2011 & 2013 with her photographs appearing in many magazines, books and calendars worldwide.
She has photographed the Sitting Spiritually Garden many times over the years.
Commission Heather to photograph your garden….
Mobile:
+44 (0) 7725 000029
Home:
+44 (1749) 860518
Posted on May 11th 2020
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