True Blue at Longwood
Posted on | May 1, 2012 | No Comments
In early March, Linda & I visited Longwood Gardens (http://www.longwoodgardens.org) to shoot the Meconopsis in the conservatory. Meconopsis is one of the few true blue flowers. It also happens to be very photographic. As we turned the corner to the display, we were greeted by a dozen or so other photographers with the same idea. Not a camera club, we were told, but groups of shooters that had been waiting for the blossoms to peak. A quick look and we decided to wait for the numbers to thin out. An hour and a half later only one or two shooters were still at it.
I walked along looking for my shot. I wanted good lighting on the main blossom with a few blossoms in a darker background. The delay caused by the number of photographers actually worked for our benefit. The sun had moved around and now cast a shadow along the back of one section. I found an angle where one blossom was still backlit and one or two other blossoms were in shade. A little juggling with the tripod to get the position I wanted and we were set. I increased the ISO to 250 to get a faster shutter speed to help compensate for the movement causedd by the fans. I locked up the mirror, waited for a pause in blossom movement and pressed the shutter. This image was captured with the 180mm macro lens shot at f11 for 1/6th of a second with +2/3 exposure compensation.
One of the keys to getting good images is to be flexible. Shooting the Mecononsis was such an exercise – changing light, accesibility to the subject and looking for other possibilities all came into play. I ended with three images that met my expectations. Next time you run into unexpected conditions, regroup and look for alternatives.
September 9-15. Maine Media Workshop, Rockport, Maine Macro Photography. www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/photography/macro-photography
Tags: garden photography > macro > Maine Media Workshop > photography workshops
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Posted on | April 24, 2012 | No Comments
Linda & I had a chance to visit family in Naples, Florida this past February. Close by is one of my favorite places – the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. www.corkscrewsanctuary.org. It has a 2.25 mile raised boardwalk through different eco systems, including a virgin Bald Cypress stand. Even if I don’t get any special images, a walk along the boardwalk is always worth it.
I set up with a 300mm lens on my tripod and slowly walked along. Pretty soon I spotted a snowy egret working its way through the undergrowth. I placed my camera and tripod and waited for the egret to come into a clearing. The noise of flapping wings caused me to turn to my left. This great egret standing on the rail greeted me. It was a signature shot of Corkscrew. It showed the habitat, the boardwalk and one of the prime residents. It was so close I had to back up to get the story shot. The egret stood still as if it knew what I wanted. A setting of f8 at a 1/6 of a second with one stop overexposure did the trick.
Oh, the snowy egret decided it didn’t like the clearing and moved further into the swamp.
Don’t forget about the weeklong macro workshop at Maine Media College in Rockport, Me Sept 9-15. Anticipated shooting locations include Coastal Maine Botanical garden, a lighthouse and tidal pool, and an antique store. http://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/photography/macro-photography
New Year
Posted on | January 26, 2012 | No Comments
Garden clubs, camera clubs and botanical gardens ….what a great way to get rid of the winter blahs! Alan and I had the distinct privilege of giving a talk and workshop for the North Country Garden Club ( http://ncgc.org), a Garden Club of America earlier this month. Held at Coe Hall in the Planting Fields Arboretum (http://www.plantingfields.org), it was special from the very moment that Henry Joyce, Executive Director of the foundation, graciously greeted members and guests at the door of the beautiful mansion.
The lecture, Garden Light, was cheery on a very rainy day. The workshop drifted from classroom to greenhouse and back with a very enthusiastic group. The members of the NCGC, like most GCA clubs, are a wonderful audience: knowledgeable, interested and serious about their gardening and photography. While the poinsettias in this photo are probably gone by now, the camellia house will be peak pretty soon. BTW, Don Meyer, a RiverDell High School classmate of Alans took the photo. Thanks Don.
The Ridgewood Camera Club (http://www.ridgewoodcameraclub.org), New Jersey’s largest camera club, provided a trip down memory lane for Alan (he was president in 1985!) when they invited him to speak this month. Established in 1937, the one hundred and sixty (!) members of this club are avid photographers of all types.
A busy time for indoor programs, Alan provided photography tips and advice last weekend at the Caribbean Flower Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden. He had an opportunity to take a different group of people through the show area each half hour. He will do this again Feb. 19, 20 and 26. Go to http://www.nybg.org for more info.
For those of you already planning your fall schedule, don’t forget the weeklong macro photography class at Maine Media Workshops (http://www.mainemedia.edu) September 9 – 15th. This is an amazing opportunity to photograph gardens, tidal pools, an antique store as well as the gorgeous scenery of coastal Maine.
Sarracenia in the Garden
Posted on | August 2, 2011 | No Comments
During one of our spring trips, Linda and I had an opportunity to visit Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond Va. The rose garden was in full glory but too crowded for photography. On our way to the perennial garden, we walked through the Martha and Reed West Island Garden – an area dedicated to plants of the wetlands. The sarracenia were at peak. Linda and I were truly enthralled by this beautiful collection and decided to return later for a closer look. After taking photos of a few perennials that were not in the strong sun, we headed back to the pitcher plants and found a bench to sit on while we rested and enjoyed the view. It was very hot and the sun was still high but we couldn’t leave without trying to get at least one shot.
I was able to get some nice diffused close-up images but I really wanted to show more of the extraordinary plant collection. It was way too bright to capture the true beauty of the entire area with a wide angle lens so I put on a 70-200mm zoom lens and found a tighter view with a dark background (shade). This allowed the plants to stand out. Sarracenia have a translucent quality so I decided try and shoot the light coming through the plants. We both loved the result.
If you are in the Richmond area be sure to visit this special garden. www.lewisginter.org
A quick reminder
The Chanticleer Master workshop is September 30 – October 2. www.chanticleer garden.org
The Maine Media Macro workshop is October 9- 15 http://www.mainemedia.edu
Garden Photography – Spring
Posted on | June 24, 2011 | No Comments
As promised, here a few of the images from this spring’s outings. A Big Thank You to Sandys Plants and Stonecrop Gardens for allowing us the photograph in their gardens. I hope you enjoy them.
New season, new equipment
Posted on | June 9, 2011 | No Comments
I started this blog way back in April. Somehow, the rain stopped, the weather warmed up, the flowers and gardens took off and it was June before I knew it.
Even though I photograph during the winter, it takes a few spring shoots before I get comfortable with my routine. I need to consciously slow down and think about each image. I determine what caught my interest and how best to capture that image while considering all the technical details. Later in the season, most considerations come automatically but the first outings of spring are filled with opportunities for mistakes. This year, a few pieces of new equipment added yet another challenge.
The first day I was in the garden at 7:00am. It was 34 degrees with gusting wind. While I studied the instruction manual for the new camera body when it arrived, some of the buttons did not do what I thought they should. So, with cold hands, I turned the pages of the Canon manual looking for information on exposure compensation, histograms, info screens and how to change the focus points.
Trying to read camera manuals in the cold is not my idea of a good time. But early in the season is the time to get comfortable with a routine, especially if you have new equipment. Later in the season, when there are lots of possible subjects but less time due to the lighting conditions, you don’t want to waste valuable opportuities while thunbimg through the camera manual. The only thing worse is not having the manual!
I have been out frequently since that first day. The cob webs are gone and the new equipment is exciting. I still have the manual with me but I haven’t referred to it in days. Now I work on adding images to our library and developing a few new demonstrations for the photo workshops.
Linda and I have had an extremely busy April and May. We traveled to gardens in NJ, NY, Ct, Va. and Pa. so far this year shooting for a new project. We were interviewed and featured in a two page spread in 201 Home, a regional magazine. I had the opportunity to judge the Gardening Gone Wild May photo contest ( www.gardeninggonewild.com). The entries were terrific and the comments very rewarding. Be sure to take a look – you might enjoy entering. We also wrote an article on macro photography for the July issue of Birds and Blooms magazine ( www.birdsandblooms.com ) that just arrived in our mailbox . Our gardens are overrun with weeds but we are catching up with them in our spare time.
Next week I’ll post a few images from this spring.
Don’t forget our photography workshops this year:
September 30 – October 2nd: Chanticleer Garden, Wayne,PA., Weekend Master Class with admittance by portfolio review. This is the seventh year that Roger Foley and I have taught this popular workshop . We have lots of repeaters and are already receiving portfolios! www.chanticleergarden.org
October 9- 15th: Maine Media Workshop, Rockport Me. Linda & I are returning to do another week long Macro workshop. This class will give you all the tools you need to get comforable shooting quality macro images. It is a week of intense photography loaded with laughs and good times. Join us if you can. www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/photo
Opportunity in Unexpected Places
Posted on | March 10, 2011 | No Comments
In February, Linda and I had the opportunity to visit family in Naples,Florida. It was a welcome respite from the record snow in the northeast.
After a trip to the newly established Naples Botanical Garden, I noticed a nice selection of plants in bloom around the entrance to our condo. It turns out that Christine, who lives in the ground level condo, is a knowledgeable gardener. We had a nice conversation as she explained that every plant was chosen as a host or nectar plant for butterflies. “We had two monarch butterflies emerge from their chrysalis last week and currently have three monarch caterpillars in the garden.” Christine explained. Up until that day, I planned on getting up at dawn to travel to do some nature photography and there was plenty of opportunity right at my doorstep. I cancelled the dawn trips and set my sights on getting a good selection of monarch image files.
Each day before and after our sightseeing outings, I looked for the caterpillars and tried to find a photo opportunity. The milkweed plant they were feeding upon was next to the stairs making tripod placement difficult – even with the long reach of the 180mm macro lens. Next, finding a subject in a good position with decent lighting was hit and miss. The constant breeze felt nice but made the shutter speed an issue. A small flash unit would overcome the shutter speed problem but also add harsh shadows.
The first day, only the head of one of the caterpillars was visable as it munched away. It wasn’t the typical caterpillar shot but was what was available. Between the stair railings and the windows of the condo in the background, getting into position was difficult. Out of sixty or so exposures from the first session, I kept four that I was happy to call mine.
Over the course of a week, I had four shooting sessions. At the end of our stay, I had caterpillar head shots, full length caterpillars and a few adult Monarchs. All were good additions to the library. Opportunity and patience were rewarded just a few steps from the front door.
Winter Landscape
Posted on | January 30, 2011 | No Comments
The northeast is having a record white winter. As of the end of January, it ranks in the top ten for one month’s snowfall in Central Park in New York City. We have already received over fifty inches. That’s a lot of snow! My preference is about 6 inches of the light fluffy stuff, no wind and clear blue skies. Unfortunately, all the snow this year has buried many of my favorite winter images. The large amount of snow also makes getting around with camera gear that much harder. I did, however, manage to capture some images during the first series of snow storms.
One of the first places I visited early this winter was Skylands, the New Jersey State Botanical Garden (www.njbg.org) in Ringwood, NJ. When I arrived, I drove around the gardens (where permitted) to see if parking the car in one of the designated parking lots and lugging the camera equipment in the freezing cold made sense. A few ornamental grasses, one shrub still with its red berries and a possible arbor shot made the decision easy.
I shot the grasses and the berries and walked on down the road to look at the lighting on the arbor. It had sunlight just touching parts of it with the background bathed in the beautiful late afternoon sun. Usually, I look for side or back lighting to add interest and texture to a scene, but in this case, the front lighting really worked. To my eye, the difference of the quality of the light, from the shadowed side on the left to the warm winter sunlight on the right, captured the winter scene perfectly. I first shot it with a wide angle lens. It didn’t work. There was a road piled with snow that became too pronounced in the bottom of the frame. If I raised the frame, there was too much sky. I put on a 70-200 zoom lens, crossed the road and walked up on a hill. (I am sure that the people walking by were wondering what in the world I was photographing.) I was able to find a happy medium where the forefront, the arbor, the background and the sky balanced.
Not every landcape scene needs to be shot with a wide angle lens. This landscape image shot with a telephoto lens matched my vision and made the cold walk worthwhile.
Dates to Remember: March 8: Perennial Garden Club of Washington DC in McLean, VA, June 12: Workshop at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ, September 30 – October 2: Master Photography Workshop at Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, PA, October 9 – 15: weeklong macro workshop at the Main Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine.
keep looking »About
This blog is dedicated to digital photography, gardens and nature. Information on travel, equipment, dates of future workshops and lectures, new books, tips and blogs we visit as well as pdf downloads may all be included.
