Garden Photography – Fun and Challenging

For years, whenever we purchased a new camera or lens, or had friends ask for some help with their cameras, we headed to one of two places for a test shoot: A local botanical garden or a local animal park. Both give us plenty of subjects, lighting, angles, and scenes to take plenty of shots to test our new addition, or show and explain to others techniques for using their cameras.

Lately we have been exploring the specialty of garden photography, and approaching it from a more formal perspective. When we travel we not only look for parks and preserves for nature photography, but local gardens. I didn’t realize that garden photography morphed over the years from a small specialty practiced by few to a popular segment of photography on its own. Not surprising, I found more professional garden photographers in England, also the home of the Professional Gardener Photographers’ Association. Link here: https://www.professionalgardenphotographers.com/

The basics of garden photography remain the same as any other area of photography done primarily outdoors. The most important question to ask yourself: What is my purpose? Is it to show the overall design of the garden, either yours or another? Do you want to show off a specific species of flower or bloom? This guides your shooting. Nearly all the experts advise an establishing shot first of the garden. A few break away from the crowd, and comment that the establishing shot of a garden generally appears very ‘busy’, and they tend toward more detail shots immediately.

I like the concept of sectioning. If I feel the garden is too large, or just contains too much (in my opinion of course) to do justice in an overall establishing shot, I focus on sections and try to overlap my photos to establish a cohesive picture without overwhelming.

In this case, my overall shots of this gorgeous rose garden at the Dothan (AL) Botanical Gardens simply overwhelmed. The curved path leading to the arch gave me the leading lines I wanted, but the roses became lost with the tree background. Unfortunately, I did not have a ladder or step-stool with me as this was a fun shoot rather than a work shoot. The height (I think) would have made that shot work. Instead, I moved over several feet and shot this on an angle.

Naturally, I moved in after that for some close-ups of the roses themselves. On a future visit we plan to arrive earlier to give us more time before the light becomes too harsh.