 |
| Sunbathing on a dahlia |
In my second post on taking photos in the garden for readers who may like to try a different approach, I am concentrating on decorative aspects the images one might take – at home or beyond the garden gate. Jumping in at the deep end, hardest of all are subjects that move around; taking the peacock butterflies above was a moment of opportunity for my husband – and the quality using his professional Nikon shows.
 |
| The sun was a little over-bright, but a single shot sets the scene |
I, on the other hand, was casting about for ‘demo’ shots – nothing special, but each illustrates a point. First my usual setting the scene ‘location’ shot which focuses my mind on where we were and why, and helps maybe months ahead when I come to write about a particular garden, or aspects thereof.
 |
| Just what I need for my journal |
Always on the lookout for images that will translate into the collages, journals and textile books that I create, silhouetted plants – and particularly those of the Umbelliferae family, capture my imagination, and are also easy to replicate in stitch.
 |
| Poor composition, but the image has its uses nevertheless |
Whether against the sky, or the dark background of an evergreen shrub, Fennel has that delicate sufficiency that others might pass by. Whereas I prefer the first photo for its composition, this image better defines the plants structure for painting or embroidering.
 |
| This was taken to illustrate various points |
Which brings me to architectural plants such as the artichoke, of which I must have taken dozens of images over the years. This ‘Purple Globe’ variety was not the usual giant of a plant, but by kneeling down and shooting upwards, the silhouette of the principle choke stood out against a paler out-of-focus background. A useful trick for something like this.
 |
| Good enough to eat! |
Focussing on just one plant meant that the rest of the photo was blurred; cropping what I wanted was the answer and I can now use the result in a number of ways, apart from illustrating what an artichoke looks like when I am actually talking about the veg garden and not creativity!
Labels: flowers, photography, veg
