Picture Perfect
Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-413 -- More Projects »
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Choose the right film. Generally speaking, use a color film with an ASA rating of either 100 or 200.
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Shoot with your back to the sun. The exception to that rule: backlighting a subject with early morning or late afternoon light. The morning sun gives this grass a lovely glow; an hour later, the light would be too harsh.
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Water your garden before you photograph it to reduce contrasts and heighten color. In the upper left, the garden before watering; in the lower right, the garden after watering.
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Use a reflector to bounce light onto your subject. Easy and cheap reflectors: white poster board, foam core or a piece of insulation material that has a shiny surface.
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Positioning the subject to one side of the frame--rather than in dead center--enlivens the photograph and makes it more interesting.
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One of the best ways to enjoy a garden is to photograph it. Here are 10 top tips for taking better pictures in the garden: - Choose a good all-purpose color film with an ISO (or ASA) rating of 100 or 200 for the brightest prints.
- Avoid taking pictures in the middle of the day. Colors tend to wash out when the sun is high in the sky, especially during the summer months. Instead, photograph in the morning or late afternoon when the sun angle is low.
- Try to keep the sun at your back. Shooting into the sun will wash colors out. The exception to this rule: backlighting the subject with early morning or late afternoon light.
- Water the garden before taking pictures. It reduces the contrast between the brown dirt or mulch and green plants.
- Use a reflector to bounce light onto your subject. Use a piece of white poster board or a piece of insulation material with a shiny surface. Point the reflector toward the sun and bounce the light onto the subject. The colors will "pop," and the annoying shadows will be eliminated. This tip works especially well if the subject is in deep shade.
- Experiment with angles until you find the one that's best.
- Resist the temptation to symmetry. For more interesting shots, keep the plant on either side of the frame rather than dead center.
- Consider the use of foreground. Placing something in the foreground gives the shot a whole new feel.
- Don't overlook the power of the close-up. Close-ups make for some of the most interesting shots of all.
- Consider texture. Color is usually the focus in garden photographs, but texture can be just as interesting, if not more so.
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/05/10/gby413_3_hibiscus_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/05/10/gby413_3_grass_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/05/10/gby413_3_photographs_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/05/10/gby413_3_bromeliad_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/05/10/gby413_3_purple_flower_e.jpg",350,450))
