Patsy Randolph used the pillars of a gazebo to frame her subject to create a
photo that provides nice sense of the gardens.
By Jerry Lower
I have been a photographer and picture editor for most of my career and a teacher for a small part of it. I had the chance recently to bring these skills together in a photography workshop for about 40 members and guests of The Grass River Garden Club. We wanted a location with great photo potential for this class, so we choose the Taru Gardens of the Sundy House in Delray Beach.
Cody Jones took full advantage of the scene-setting ability of
a wide-angle lens to show the scale of the pools,
while the shaded foreground leads the eye to the seating in the background.
The class’s photographic skills ranged from beginner to advanced amateur. The equipment ranged from smartphones, simple point-and-shoot cameras, to advanced digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses.
After 35 minutes of viewing some quality photo examples and listening to a few helpful hints on how to create “better backyard photos,” members of the group took the next 30 minutes to shoot their assignment.
Tina Smith, looked for an interesting angle and let the diffused backlight
illuminate the bloom of this angel’s trumpet.
On this page you’ll find the photos the Grass River Garden Club students created in January — published here with only limited image processing to make sure they reproduced well on newsprint.
Most of the basic instruction during the class dealt with camera angle, lens choice and quality of light. You will find these related tips in each photo caption on this page.
When asked, “What’s the best camera?” I always respond, “the one you have with you.” You can have thousands of dollars of camera equipment, but if you don’t take it with you because of weight or bulk, it’s no better than that smartphone in your pocket.
Two photos, both from less than six inches away: Christina Benisch used a macro lens
to isolate the lip of the blooms above from the green background, while
Laura Evans used a wide-angle lens held very close to the bloom of this red ginger plant
to show both the bloom and the character of the leaves of the plant and its surroundings.
Jerry Lower is the publisher of The Coastal Star and an award-winning photographer and designer.
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