Good morning Sunshines! We’re going to do something a little different today on RDR. Saxon Holt is one of my favorite people and an extraordinary photographer. I am astounded by his work, and I think you will be too. Below is a guest post Saxon wrote for RDR’s readers on garden photography. At the end of the post, if you comment, he’s also giving two of my readers the opportunity to win a copy of his 3rd PhotoBotanic ebook. I am so excited for you. So, without further ado, here’s Saxon’s take on photographing the late summer garden–a task that isn’t easy to do. For more wonderful photography lessons, see his entire series of PhotoBotanic ebooks.
The late summer garden can be a challenge to photograph.
Trees and shrubs are looking tired. Annuals are petering out, going to seed. Perennials have grown, spread, and fallen over.The vegetable garden may still have some produce, but the plants are looking raggedy.
But if you are lucky enough to have a mild, moist summer as Dee reports for Oklahoma, and you have kept up with deadheading and ahead of the weeding, there is still lots going on–and lots of photos if you are careful about framing your subject.
With the comings and goings of the garden this time of year there may be too much going on to decide what to say about the garden. Still want to take photos? Then think like a gardener for inspiration.
The best garden photographers are all gardeners themselves and use their own biases and understandings to take pictures. Use your own knowledge of your own garden to look for inspiration, for ideas you want to share, not simply a photo you think someone else would find interesting.
And the real tip about finding the photo in the jumble of the gardens to use the camera as a framing tool, then fill that frame with only those elements that are important to you and the gardening story you want to tell.
This assumes you have a story to tell and are not just snapping photos; but as a gardener, trust your instincts. Are you delighted your penstemon have re-bloomed due to your clever skills as a gardener? Well don’t just grab a photo.
Instead, fill the frame with the penstemon.
Has the Purple Prairie Clover gone to seed and looks a mess? Come in tight to feature those seed heads.
Your camera offers you a canvas to fill. Think like a gardener – use your camera to tell others about gardening the way you really see it.
The PhotoBotanic Garden Photography Workshop Series--Book Three Think Like a A Gardener.
Wasn’t that great? But wait! There’s more!
Saxon is teaming up with other bloggers all across the country for an entire week of photo tips and giveaways. Visit the other blogs on the blog tour below for more how-to’s and a chance to win one of Saxon Holt’s photography ebooks. And be sure to visit PhotoBotanic for more photography tips.
Here’s the blog post schedule:
Wednesday, 9/9 Red Dirt Ramblings
Thursday, 9/10 Digging
Friday, 9/11 J Peterson Garden Design
Monday, 9/14 North Coast Gardening
Tuesday, 9/15 Cold Climate Gardening
Wednesday, 9/16 Garden Rant
To enter, please leave a comment below. The contest runs from today through Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at Midnight. The winners will be chosen by a random number generator. I’ll notify the winners and update this post by Thursday, September 17, 2015. In order to win, you need to leave me a valid email address, and not be anonymous. I know, I know, but trust me, it’s previously. I’m not going to require that you tweet this post or Facebook it, but let’s be honest, it will help Saxon get the word out about his website and ebooks if you do. So, feel free to share anyway you like including Pinterest. Thanks so much for reading. Hope you win.
UPDATE: After using a random number generator, I’ve selected two winners, Vickie Moore and Claire Jones. I’ve contacted both winners to let them know how to get their prize. Congratulations!
Amazing what a difference coming in close can make.
I appreciate the positive spin on the messiness of late summer gardens!
Thanks for the gardening photography tips.
I’ve always loved photographing nature in general, and plants specifically, but I think this book could help me look at it in a different way. Thanks for the chance to win!
Fill the frame is such a great tip. So too is finding the story to tell. I’ve just taken a close-up photo of a horse chestnut leaf riddled with leaf miner moth. You can see those pesky tiny larvae as well as the damage they’re doing. And then there’s the amazing wavy lines of the remaining green healthy leaf right by the brown and black smudges of the dead leaf tissue. It’s a story in just one picture.
I love perusing my garden to look for interesting shots…coming closer, looking at different angles and lights…great tips especially the seed heads….it would be great to win any of your books Saxon!
Guess I will head out and deadhead, have some Denver daisy rudbeckia, short little purple aster, and a beautiful orange bougainvillea blooming I need to capture now before it’s too late. Pick me, I need some help, I’m photographically challenged ,,,,
Just these couple of tips and the pictures showing the examples were a light bulb going on moment for me. I’m sure the book must be fascinating and so informative.
Wonderful tips. I like his suggestions. I would love this book!
That’s a great way to think about photographing the garden – tell the story I want to tell as the gardener. I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way before. My main problem is lack of patience – I don’t spend the time I need to just thinking about the shot before I take it.
I love photographing my garden & am so excited to read through this series.
Great tip! I’ll be moving in close to things in the garden!
Thanks for hosting Dee. And Saxon thanks for offering your skills.
What fun to blog hop and not only meet “new” bloggers but view a new set of great photos and useful tips from no less than Saxon Holt.
I find it challenging to present the scene as attractive while gardening with the goals of reseeding native annuals and supporting wildlife. The images can be overwhelmingly busy in their sere seediness and finches can’t be counted upon to pose nicely to add their charm. The advice here will certainly help improve all my photos of our autumn garden beds.
I’ve enjoyed Saxon Holt’s posts on Gardening Gone Wild for years, and his garden photography is the reason why.
Just love that shot with the plant (liatris?) picking up the color of those Adirondak chairs-what a uniquely wonderful color for those chairs!
I have started following Saxon’s posts more frequently lately for inspiration when taking shots and design ideas for my own garden. He really captures beauty in the garden we might miss if we don’t slow down and observe more closely.
I am happy to have found this site and blog. I love gardening and love garden photography
thanks for sharing tips and inspiring me
Mary
Useful tips. A new blog to follow and new things to learn. Thanks!
His work is so beautiful and I enjoy learning from the tips he generously shares.
Love that hint about filling the frame. Going out to try it. Count me in on this great opportunity.
So many great ideas!
Always loved his photos with color pop. Excited to find out more secrets!
An email from a cousin in Idaho brought me here. Dee, I have your book and follow you, and am delighted to pick up some photography tips from Saxon!
Oh how exciting! All the way from Idaho. Thanks! I have great friends there, and I got to do a radio show in Boise when I came to visit. Thank you so much for stopping by. Other bloggers will do a post a day with a different tip.
Thanks for this n also leading me to more gardening blogs to read. Now out to my garden to tryout Saxons tips on puppies and flowers!
Love this blog I just discovered. Beautiful photos – would love to learn how it’s done!
Love to learn how it’s done Cathy ? Keep checking out PhotoBotanic
Thank you Cathy.
Love to win the ebook. I find I get joy out of photographing gardens and nature.
Love to win this ebook. I find that I get joy out of photographing nature!
I’m always looking for tips on how to make my photographs look better – would love to have the book! Thanks Dee and Saxon for the great give away.
Such a great idea for a blog tour – with the best of the bunch as hosts 🙂 Hope you get lots of new fans Saxon! I still use the tips you gave us during the San Francisco Garden Bloggers Fling!
Glad you retained something form that Andrea; it was such a large group I was not sure how much could possibly be heard or put to use. Thanks. Follow the tour for more tips.
This post was great. I have been taking some photography classes online this summer and have felt overwhelmed. This was so simple. Fill the frame with what’s important. I will be traveling in the fall to Dallas. I am excited to take photos at the arboretum. Now I have a start.
Also, Saxon rocks!!!
Excellent, I’m so glad I have several chances to win! Love Saxon’s work as always.
Looking forward to the whole blog hop, love Saxon’s photos and all tips are welcome.
When I began to read the article I was struck by the first photo and thought…”hmmm that looks like Stephanie Cohen’s house”? I then scrolled down and read the photo text. Ha! I knew it! Stephanie was a professor of mine in college, so great to see others enjoying her gardens. Saxon, thanks for the great tips and your wonderful photographic inspiration! Can’t wait to pick up my camera and give it a try!
LOL Robin because I didn’t realize Dee would use the caption embedded in the photo. When I saw Stephanie’s garden that late summer, it had been a hot dry summer and the garden was not at its usual spender. I hope she does not realize I used this photo to show a “challenging” garden. 🙂
Yes, I used your caption. I could’ve changed it, but it seemed so great to know where the garden was. I love Stephanie.
WonderfuL tips. I am so guilty of not framing the details I wanted to project in my pictures. Can’t wait to try the tips
Great tips! I definitely find myself using my micro lens for closeups a lot more this time of year. Blurring out the background and filling the foreground is definitely the most forgiving method for photographing a ragged garden.
I’m always excited to learn more about garden photography! Thank you for the tips!
I love following him (and his photos) on facebook. As much as I love to take photos, why not try and be the best photographer I can?
Fabulous tips from Saxon, as always!
Brilliant! Thanks so much for the lesson!
Already so many comments ! Thanks Dee for sharing with your readers. For every better photo your readers take, the better we all appreciate gardening – at any time of year.
Saxon Holt is amazing! Would love to take a photography class with him. Great tips. Thanks!
Beth – Is this a set up question ? 😉 My books come out of the on-line course I teach at PhotoBotanic…..
Thanks for sharing! I love, love, love the purple prairie clover!!
Saxon is a great garden photographer. I enjoy his work. He would be hard pressed to find something photo worthy in my garden right now. We are finally getting some rain so things should get better.
Excellent points and a good reminder. Thanks for the post.
I have a feeling I could learn a lot from this book!
Your advice and assistance was greatly appreciated. As gardeners I think we all eventually try our hand at photography.
I 100% need to consider this tip when I go out into my garden, because taken as a whole, it is a gigantic jungle mess right now. But there HAS to be something worth photographing right now!
I love the interesting seed heads the garden leaves behind almost as much as the flowers! I am ready for some cooler weather. I think I need to capture my switch grass in the sun – FULL frame! Great tips.
His photos are beautiful and inspiring. I just this summer discovered that the Joes (Joe-Pye weeds) can be deadheaded for more bloom. It’s too late now, but next year I can and will extend the bloom into September!
Beautiful pix. Wanda Pylant – boeblingen@centex.net
This was all so helpful. Will try it. Deadheading really does help.