Bring the Outside In with Unique Garden Photos!

The beauty you’ve worked so hard to create outdoors can easily be turned into gorgeous wall art, all for a fraction of the cost of decor store prints. And all you need is one good digital photo of the one-of-a-kind subject matter right outside your backdoor! Whether you have an expensive multi-lens camera or a simple smart phone, you can freeze frame that beauty with just a couple clicks. Getting a good shot doesn’t require advanced skills. Just remember these simple garden photography basics:

1. Look at the subject matter with an artistic eye. Instead of trying to capture the entire floral arrangement, select by color (for example, capture how the colors blend together or contrast within one flower); look at the different forms of the plant (try a Celosia Comb Mix for some interesting shapes); or look for seasonality (shoot the same tree in all four seasons.) Sometimes just one part of the flower – such as the interior pistil – makes a fantastic shot.
2. Frame your subject. Look at the area around or behind your subject – is it cluttered with furniture, parked cars, flagpoles, or downspouts? Move your shooting position to avoid these distractions. Flowers look very artistic when shot from close-up and this will help eliminate the “background noise.” Most computers have a basic photo-editing program to crop photos or add text.
3. Play with lighting. Take photos under different light conditions or at varying times of day. Shoot from multiple angles so the light falls differently on the subject matter. Play with photo-editing settings to adjust the lighting effects or even make it monochrome or black-and-white.
4. Take your time. Spend a chunk of time watching the activity in your garden and you’ll eventually notice birds, butterflies, and bees that stop by. These make great shots – just use your “sports” mode and snap a bunch as they flit around the blooms. (And by the way, sitting in your garden is a great stress reliever!).
   

Little Gardener’s Tip: Now this might turn out to be a tear-jerker – but wouldn’t it be neat to have a yearly photo of your kids growing up? Start this year with a new tree, take a photo with the kids next to the tree, and repeat every year. Twenty years from now you’ll be amazed by how each has grown!