the Book

buy

CONNECT:

Hey There! I’m Rochelle Greayer. I’m a garden designer on TV and IRL. I’m also an author and entrepreneur who thinks she can save the world by teaching everyone a little something about landscape design.

rochelle

meet

REgister now!

A Free Master Class

THE 7-STEP SYSTEM TO DESIGN A

Gorge-
ous
Garden

STOP WASTING MONEY ON ALL THE WRONG PLANTS  

Join the Course Today!

Mix & match plants like a pro!

First Light: Preparing to Photograph Your Project

September 8, 2010

Stacy Bass is back with us again to help us improve our garden photography skills.  This time she is helping us get ready to photograph and plan a perfect photo-shoot.  Stacy….

stacy bass photography hedges formal garden

Following my last post on composition in garden photography, someone asked me to direct some comments to landscape designers on the subject of how to prepare a project to be photographed, what time of day to shoot, etc. Though previous posts addressed the quality of light and gave advice on the most advantageous time(s) of day to capture your work, I thought I would respond a bit more specifically to the inquiry.  So, here we go.

Most often, when I am given an assignment by a magazine, the garden owner is prepared for the shoot and the property is “camera-ready” though that is not always the case.  I have learned and am able to shoot “around” lots of issues (meaning, able to downplay or make them less obvious) but that is not really ideal.  In a perfect world. .. which sometimes a spectacular garden at sunrise really can be. . .here are some things to do pre-photography to make your garden/project look its best.

1.  Pick a date carefully.  It is so important to try  to shoot the garden at its “peak.”  Lush, full, in bloom.  Of course, many gardens look
wonderful in every season and simply have different tones or personalities. If you have access to the garden/project and can shoot it throughout the
year, this is a great option. I am fortunate enough to have been asked to chronicle one such garden for the Smithsonian and it is amazing how different, yet interesting each season’s offering really is.  If you are not able to do this, try to narrow your shooting to a range of dates that will
really illustrate and emphasize what you have created, in all its glory!
formal garden boxwod hedging stacy bass photography
2.  Weed and Deadhead.  It is amazing what a difference it can make to clean up your plants and flowers beforehand.  For tight shots, it is usually not too difficult to find a bloom or two that will look beautiful but for the wider shots, the cleaner and more manicured, the better.  I will pitch in
and do what I can while shooting but as you all likely know, this can be very time consuming and is best done in advance.  I have also “relocated” a
bloom or two in my shot if absolutely necessary to fill a space or add color to a void.

3.  Cut the Lawn.  It is really best to have the lawn cut 1-2 days before the shoot.  Ideally, you would like to avoid mowing lines so add an extra
day depending on the time of year and how quickly the grass is growing.  A recently cut lawn will really set off the plantings and will draw the eye to
the areas you most want to highlight.

4.  Irrigation.  My biggest pet peeve about shooting early morning, especially in a time when many people have extensive and automatic sprinklers, is showing up to shoot and having the sprinklers in action.  My expression is the exact opposite you might find on the face of a child on atoo-hot summer day.  They are elated. I am miserable.  Not only does the water and puddles that may result create inconsistencies in color and tonein the landscape but longer exposures early in the day will make the sprinkler look like a blur through the image (that is, if you are not ableto disable it).  This is true in grassy areas with plantings as well as when patios are involved.  I have gotten soaked on more than few occasions and Itake that in stride.  The worst part is having to disturb people at dawn to gain access to the controls.  Plan to have the sprinklers shut offmidafternoon the day before the shoot.  And leave the water/dew to Mother Nature.

stacy bass phtography green garden

5.  Exterior or landscape lighting.  With few exceptions, turn the lights off.  These lights can really alter the color of the final image and can
even draw attention to the light source instead of the garden.

6.  Plan ahead.  Often in the midst of shooting, when the light is coming up fast, it is easy to lose sight of an angle you wanted to make sure to
capture.  If you plan to shoot your project yourself, take the time to do a few test shots first.  Checking a series of possible angles or perspectives
in advance will save you a lot of time when it is most precious and will help guarantee you get the shot you really want.

7.  Belt and suspenders.  What I mean by this is. . .cover your bases. Sometimes the shot that feels right at the moment is not the one you hoped
for when you get back into the studio.  As I  mentioned in an earlier post, always try a few perspectives, even one that really seems like a stretch.  A
hedge that is perfectly trimmed and square to the brick wall it softens might look askew if you are shooting down or up at it.  Play around with
your “eye” level before you set up the camera.

stacy bass phtography iris

8.  Don’t rush.  Once again, I thought I should emphasize that patience really pays off.  If you think the light is bright enough and the shutter
seems to be fast enough AND the playback on the camera looks sharp, check again.  The temptation to leave the tripod behind to freely roam the garden is so tempting. . I’ve been there.  Don’t do it!  I promise you will be much happier with the results.  If you are really frustrated with using a tripod, I sometimes suggest to people to try a different model. I have a few but one has a pistol/trigger mechanism that is so fast and easy to adjust, it makes it simple!

– Stacy

REgister now!

A Free Master Class

THE 7-STEP SYSTEM TO DESIGN A

Gorge-
ous
Garden

  1. Sherman Unkefer says:

    Those are great tips and your photos are amazing! I especially love the tip about mowing the lawn 1-2 days in advance. It’s so simple but makes a lot of sense.

  2. Michelle D. says:

    Stacy,
    Always a pleasure to read your tips.
    I wish more designers would take the time to do so. It would benefit them and the profession so very much.
    Over the years I’ve worked with some wonderful accomplished garden photographers.
    Each time they shoot a project I stand on the side line and study intently.
    It is poetry in motion to watch a professional garden photographer in action.
    Now if we could get some of these designers to pick up the watering hoses, black plastic nursery pots and shovels before they stoop and shoot, we might actually elevate the standards.
    Thanks again for your articles.
    Always great info.

  3. Linda Gans says:

    Stacy,
    I have so much to learn!! You are spectacular!! I love all your comments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Does Your Garden Need a Makeover?


Learn my 7-step system to design and build a stunning garden anywhere in the world.


Understand The 5 mistakes EVERYONE makes when creating a garden.
(save yourself time, money, & headaches and get much better results!)


See How to work directly with me (but at a DIY price!) to
design and create YOUR own gorgeous garden. 

SIGN ME UP!

Join my Free Class!

join the FrEE 10-day garden Design challenge

Your Garden will look waaayyy better in less than 2 weeks - Promise!

in the weeds?

Sign me up