Sunday was cold and overcast. I would have been happier if it was snowing - but no snow - just a dull blah day that was not the kind of lighting that excites photographers.
At around 1:00 p.m. I stood at the window yelling at my dog to stop having a barking match with the neighbour’s dog and started thinking that there just might be some winter plants that I could make a reasonable photo of.
I had brought home a Sigma 105mm Macro lens from my shop. I like to check out the different lenses that come into my shop to sell. So, I mounted it on my camera, connected a flash to my camera with a cord so I could hold it at different angles off-camera, grabbed my warm coat and walked out to my winter garden.
Many years ago, I attended a lecture by a photographer that specialized in macro. Her main subjects (that she had used in a book she published) were small green frogs with red and yellow toes. I don’t remember her name, just that she wore an unusual brightly coloured puffy dress and spoke with an accent. Her frog pictures were really neat, but what caught my attention during her slide show was her photographs of withered and dead plants. Most plant photographers stay with colourful spring and early summer days to photograph flowers and plants. Before that lecture I had never thought of photographing winter plants.
I like garden photography. It’s calming and with the exception of a windy day the garden, like it was Sunday, it is always filled with good subjects waiting quietly to be photographed any time of the year.
I always use a flash when I photograph plants. If its snowing or if I want to use more than one flash or a reflector I will use a tripod, but most of the time when I am plant hunting at my home I’ll have the camera in one hand and a speed light in the other.
Adding the controlled light from a flash gives dimension and depth to any subject. I suppose its ok for horticulturalists to document garden plants without using a flash. But those serious about creating art with their photography that want more than just of document of their subjects really should try using a flash.
And don’t let a dreary day get you down. Grab your camera and a flash and spend some time being creative in the garden.
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
