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You Ought’a Be In Pictures KEEPING YOUR GARDEN IN FOCUS THROUGH A CAMERA’S EYE By Janice F. Booth
If you’re like me, your smart phone is filled with pictures of the dog with her new toy, the kids at the beach, and so much more. But, if you look back over the last year, or even two or three years, how many pictures do you have of your garden in its varied splendor? The splash of daffodils along the side fence? Those crazy petunias that kept blooming for months? Your spindly oak sapling that’s getting bigger and lovelier each year? With these objectives and probably many others that you can think of, here are some handy tips for making your garden’s photographs particularly lovely and useful. First, let me share a few photographer’s tips that help get the best photo in the moment. “Good lighting” for outdoor photography is not bright sunlight. Overcast skies or early morning and late afternoon are better for pictures. The muted, softer light produces a better image. Hint: If you plan ahead, take a sheet of tin foil with you. You may be able to set it up as a reflector onto particular blooms for dramatic effect.
GARDEN PHOTOS CAN SERVE MANY PURPOSES. AMONG THEM ARE: • A fresh viewpoint on your garden—both the familiar and the overlooked beauty there. • A record of the growth and expansion of particular plants and trees— throughout the year and over the years. • A reminder of plants that need to be moved or trimmed or receive first aid at some later date. • A source of beauty to use as notecards, greeting cards, and other original creations.
Frame your picture. Choose a particular plant or bloom as your focal point. Hold your finger on the screen for just a few seconds, and your phone’s camera will focus for you. Think about textures in a photograph. Try to show the fuzziness of a stem, the rough bark or feathery leaf. Look at the structure of plants as well as the form. Perhaps the unusual angle of a stem or branch, or the contrast of a vining plant with a lush one will make a more interesting photo. Here are some tips for artistic pictures to be used later for cards and collages. Plan to take a lot of pictures; don’t limit yourself to one or two shots. You can later discard the images that don’t meet your expectations. Take pictures from different angles: can you go to an upper story or balcony and shoot down into your garden? How about a different bird’s eye view; lie down and shoot pictures up among the rose bushes or through the lavender plants? Next, using your photographs as a record to help you record changes and areas. Consider a telescoping series of photos. Begin with a
whatsupmag.com | April 2022 | What’s Up? Annapolis
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