Public gardens can be a great source of material for budding flower photographers.
Because they are designed for display, public gardens generally make it easy for photographers to make great pictures. Here are a few tips to maximize your efforts.
- Call Ahead. Find out what's blooming and when's the best time to shoot. Are there any restrictions on photographers? Can you step off the path if you're careful? Are tripods allowed? If not, you may have to use stabilized lenses to steady your shots. Some gardens allow serious photographers to enter before the general public. Find out.
- Check Your Gear. Be sure you have enough film or memory cards and charged batteries. You'll want full lens coverage from wide angle (20 - 28mm) to normal (40 - 50mm) to telephoto (85 - 300 mm). Carry a polarizer filter to deal with reflections and improve saturation in bright light and a reflector to bounce light into the scene or create shade. Carry a small flash for fill.
- Carry a Notebook. It's important to document what you shoot, particularly the names of unusual flowers or plants. All the flower societies -- rose, dahlia, iris, tulip, gerbera, cally lily, pansy, poppy, etc. -- are sticklers about exact names. If you get a great shot of an iris and you're not sure of the name, you may not be able to sell it.
- Get There Early. In general, you'll encounter fewer people, better light, and less wind if you arrive early. Plus, the light changes are more dramatic first thing in the morning rather than mid-day, making your shooting much more interesting.
- Look for Signature Shots. Find out what the garden is famous for and shoot it. It might be a gateway, a path, a distinctive floral arrangement. You get hints about this from the gardens web site and handouts. Your challenge is to improve on what you find.
- Vary Your Shooting Distances. Gardens make it easy to be lazy. Change focal lengths and camera angles often to create different views. Use a wide angle to establish the broad view, telephotos to get in close. Fill the entire frame with a single blossom. Isolate plants against the sky.
- Avoid Visual Cliches. Shooting dewdrops on a rose petal is a visual cliche. If you must do it, make it distinctive. Instead, look for plants in all stages of development from unopened buds to dried husks. Dare to be different.
- Look for Diagonals. Gardens laid out in grids can be pretty static visually. Turn those grids into more dynamic diagonals to create movement and drama.
- Market Your Good Ones. If you come up with something wonderful, the garden's marketing people migh be interested. They probably have a staff photographer, but you won't know if you don't ask. If it's truly a rare, spectacular bloom, contact the professional society. It may be just what they need for their next publication.
Go More Than Once
Serious garden shooters get hooked on a specific venue. There's always better light to find, new blossoms to shoot. Get to know the gardeners. Ask them to call you when there's something special coming up. The more you visit, the more you'll find. Enjoy.
The copyright of the article Photographing Public Gardens in Landscape Photography is owned by Pat Kelly. Permission to republish Photographing Public Gardens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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