Changing Light

Autumn sunlight allows the photographer to create truly unique images. In the northeastern United States, the golden hue the sun provides when it is low in the sky provides an incomparable warmth for pictures. This time of year is my favorite for capturing portraits.

Observe the effects of how this light highlights hair and boosts the glow of complexions. Mind how the light boosts colors and molds form.

Use the colors from nature to add interest to your backgrounds. Use a wide-lens aperture to take advantage of light and blur the background for softness and interest.

Shadows in fabrics and around facial features makes it seem as if you can reach out and touch the subject.

All seasons we must use directional light for the greatest effect. Light should be guided by a tree line, porch or other object. Light coming from all directions is less appealing, making the subject flatter and duller.

Light flowing through the garden and other natural spaces has the same affect on natural subjects as it does on humans. Now is a good time to take "portraits" of the season last flowers, leaves that are clinging dearly to trees, and other elements of the landscape.

Kids Garden Portraits

Here are some tips to help you with photographing kids in the garden:

• Rely on props. Hand a child a flower or have them bring a favorite doll into the garden. A prop helps the child relax and stay calm.
• Do not aim to get full seated pictures throughout the portrait session. Instead, go with the flow. Start with "formals" and then let the child move around. Try seating them again only if they are willing.
• Action photos of kids are great. They often create the best memories. Be prepared to run after an active kid with camera in hand. Think of it as play time with a camera.
  
• If a child does not like to dress up, use the garden as a perfect opportunity to show off his natural state. Overalls, grubby clothes, and wrinkled shirts belong in the garden. Take inspiration from Norman Rockwell and capture a child's precious personality as is.
• Converse with the child as you go. Try to take the focus off the camera if necessary by talking about the child's interests. Try putting the camera on a tripod and trigger the camera remotely. If a child can see the photographer's face, he is often more comfortable than if you are hiding behind the camera.
• Talking about what interests a child is also more likely to elicit a smile. And, instead of the classic "Say 'Cheese!'" try this line: "Say 'Daddy has smelly feet!'" I've also been known to sing and dance for children for a laugh. (The grown-ups watching often stare at me dumbfounded. I even once sang kids' show songs for an extended family I photographed. I do not recommend this because it can have a negative effect. The grownups think you have gone loony and look uncomfortable in the photo.)
• Let the kids see the photos you take. (Again, I don't recommend this for adults. Adults will usually get uncomfortable or start criticizing the images they see, not bearing in mind that they haven't yet been edited.) Kids love to see themselves and will often ham it up for the camera after you let them view a picture.
• Don't expect kids to put up with your picture taking for more than 20-30 minutes.
  
• Remember, the photos may need to be edited. All professional photographers edit their photos in some way -- from simple color adjustment to more complicated artistic editing.
• Keep practicing and make photo taking a game. Grab a camera whenever the mood strikes you in the garden. For my personal family pictures, I have been known to stop in the middle of weeding for an impromptu photo session. Let nature be your guide. Whether you are struck by the sunlight or by your child's interest in garden activities, don't be afraid to grab your camera and just go for it.
  

Garden Birthday Portraits!

Now that gardens up in New Hampshire are coming into their full summer glory, garden portraits season is in full bloom! My favorite annual garden portrait event is my daughter's birthday. Every year, she gets a special birthday dress, I hand her a flower and the fun ensues.


















My daughter is quite comfortable getting her photo taken. Obviously, it helps to have a mom who is a professional photographer. Other kids are not as comfortable. You cannot expect someone to "perform" for the camera when having one's picture taken is a rare event. Instead, when you want to "create" a portrait, respect the child's feelings. Work in his comfort zone. Don't expect the child to sit still for long. Be prepared to follow him around. Bring a toy or object to capture his attention. Photograph him doing what he loves. This makes for a memorable image. Stop taking photos when the child wants to talk. Engage him in conversation. Become part of his world instead of forcing him to conform to your photography expectations.















My daughter is a ham. We have lots of photographs like this:

This is how we know her - as a fun loving kid. Perhaps she is preparing to be class clown one day? If so, than these will be the most valuable photos of the session. We'll remember that her free-spirit began when she was this young...and since I went with her flow, she even provided me with those smiling head on portraits that all parents want to see.

Portrait of a Garden

There are two ways to take a garden's "portrait." The first way is to stand back and get a view of the gardens in their entirety:


































The second is to focus on individual plants:













When documenting your gardens, be sure to pay attention to both methods. Documenting your garden from afar will help you see how your landscape develops and assist your garden planning efforts. Viewing my garden through a lens has helped me decide what to plant where and to recognize spots in the landscape that need more attention. Closeup views help you keep track of your plants. I have also found that studying my plants up-close through a lens helps me get to know them better. I notice diseases, pests, an growth habits by spending some time with each plant individually.

I have always wanted to keep a book with each plant, listing their names and habits. It seems like creating a directory like this would make my gardening much easier in the long run, but I have yet to get to it. Once one starts such an index, I imagine that upkeep wouldn't be too difficult either. It's the initial effort that has deterred me. I started with a landscape of mature plantings and need to go back and identify them. If I were to go back four years to when I first moved to this house, I would at least photograph everything I bought and list it properly.

Garden Portraits

This is what "Garden Portraits" is all about.

While working in the garden today, my daughter sat and ate her snack on a rock near me. The sun had not yet risen above the tall trees in that part of the yard. The tree behind her (I'm not sure what it is) is in full bloom. She chose her own outfit today and it was certainly fit for a portrait. I looked up from trimming the yew and said "May I take your portrait? You look beautiful!" The light, my daughter, the setting...everything came together. These times make the best pictures - serendipity in the garden. My husband came out right after I had retrieved my camera. He and I were not dressed for the occasion, otherwise I would have run to get the tripod for a perfect family portrait too. I snapped a quick pic. of him with our daughter and handed the camera to him to do the same for me. We may not look our best, but the memory of our unexpected portrait session will last - funny faces and all!

Telling Garden Stories

The garden is a magnificent setting for a story. The place can be personally meaningful. The garden can be your own or one that you often visit. Or, as in any story, the place can be a temporary one for you. It can be a garden that you have admired from afar. Or, it can be a new one that sets the stage and sets a mood for a particular event or time in your life.

I call myself "a photographer who tells garden stories." In my photography, the garden provides a setting. Generally, I try to make its presence strong and to make the garden a central character in the plot rather than just a backdrop.

The garden is most easily recognized as a character in a child's portrait. A child will easily interact with their surroundings. Flowers become friends. A bench under a tree is a special hideaway. Moss on a stone is an unusual curiosity. A child in the garden evokes the magic of the place. Nature becomes a vibrant presence in the story.

The pictures I've posted above were taken to commemorate a little girl's first communion. The photo was taken in Greeley Park, a well-known local public spot in Nashua, New Hampshire. Many wedding parties and the like are photographed here. The little girl in the picture holds her "American Girl" doll. It was given to her by her grandmother. The doll's dress matches hers. They both look like beautiful princesses, refined and delicate. The flowers accentuate the sense of the feminine here. Their vibrancy is heightened by the contrast with the dress of white. The garden provides a timeless setting. The same timeless effect could have been achieved in studio, but here the garden adds an extra element. We get a feeling of time and place that a studio cannot achieve. Spring communion should be celebrated among spring flowers. Nature also helps elicit an uplifting spiritual feeling that is appropriate for this age group. There is a sense of playfulness, new beginnings, and ties to the past (the garden springs eternal.)

As an historian (my other career,) I like to think of the land as part of history. I think of all the people who once tread in the same places I do. What people once tended these gardens? What people once celebrated here? In my work as an archivist, I often came across collections of photos in the archives that showed one location at different times. I could feel the presence of generations. When telling garden stories, I want to feel that history too. I think there is a bond between history and nature that is very significant. Our land has a story to tell. We are part of it. Our ancestors were part of it and hopefully our children will be part of it too...

...I sit here writing this morning while looking out my sunroom window. Last winter I covered my gardens with straw. I swept most of it up in early spring cleaning, but remnants remain. After heavy showers over the past few days, the sun is back out now. Cardinals sit in the branches of my tall cypress and swoop down to gather my straw. Their chirping pleases me. I'm glad I didn't sweep up all the straw remnants. I can't wait until my daughter gets home from school to tell her about the cardinals building a nest out our window. Last year, squirrels built a nest in the pine next to it. Before that blue jays found our backyard trees suitable for their babies' home. And the cycle of life marches on. I'm glad to witness it in my favorite setting.

Senior Portraits

It certainly helps to have a super-photogenic model for any photo shoot (like my friend Taylor here,) but an outstanding setting also adds to the memory. What was most important to you when you had your photo taken for the yearbook? You wanted to look good and you wanted to be remembered looking good.

Way, way back when I was in high school, seniors did not have a choice about photographers. They gave us a time to report to school at the end of the summer. The photographer handed us a plastic comb, had us step on stage, snapped the photo and yelled "NEXT!" Now, first of all, summer time is never a great time for me to look good. The humidity doesn't agree with my hair. And that little plastic comb certainly does nothing to help the situation. Also, as I recall, I had an allergy attack on the day of my scheduled appointment. Not wanting to be one of the blank spaces in the yearbook that read "no photo," I dragged myself down sneezing and puffy faced. Not the ideal me.

Today seniors want to be shown in their most perfect state. They want to be shown doing the things they love, with sentimental objects, and in memorable locations. As an on location photographer, this is a great scenario for me. If the senior is A. the type who either enjoys having his/her photo taken and is willing to model OR B. shy, but has an intense interest in something and would like to incorporate that something into the shoot, my job is almost easy.

Taylor's session was ideal. She enjoys the outdoors and is an avid horsewoman. With these things in mind, I took her to the local farm and shot her pictures among wildflowers and horses. We climbed over fences together and spent the better part of two hours chatting and having a good time. The warm autumn day had the perfect lighting with the help of some farm buildings to shield the sun's rays and just a tad and a line of trees to help direct that gorgeous yellow light. The wildflower blossoms off-set Taylors eyes. She brought a few changes of shirt so that we could play with color. Above I've including just a few of our favorite shots from the session.

Garden Photoessay Collage

One fun thing to do with a series of portraits and garden images is to combine them in a memorable collage. The images to the left were taken at the home of a local garden enthusiast. At the top of the collage it says "A childhood in a garden can grow a lifetime of happiness." The portrait of Meghan missing her front teeth will forever bring back memories for her mom. Dad stood behind me making his daughter laugh so we could see that lovely toothless grin. A green blanket was used to keep Meghan's lovely white dress clean. All of the flower images were taken in mom's garden and since the garden is something really special to her, the end-product of our garden portrait session is extra special.

I love telling garden stories and I advertise it using some of my favored floral images in the collage to the left. The image of my daughter dancing in black-eyed susans can tell the whole story - nature is beautiful, flowers are fun, girls love to dance...But all of these images together show my style of photography while really showing off the loveliness we can behold in the garden and incorporate into our daily lives.

Try to think of your photos in groups and create something with deep personal meaning. If you are not using a digital camera and/or not adept with photoshop, try printing your photos and using a scrapbook technique.

The Garden Photo Essay

Every garden has a story. The land speaks of past experiences if you listen and look. A photographer must use of all of her senses to make nature reveal its full beauty. As a photographer I like to try to make the space tell me its secrets.

At my favorite garden center, I walk up a quiet path and duck under the drooped arched branches of a tree and discover a large rock beneath. How many children have climbed and perched on this rock? How many kids have played hide-and-seek beneath here while mothers desperately tryed to locate them? How many lovers have found this quiet spot? How many photographers have taken photos here? What did this place look like before the proprietor of the nursery built this garden? I peek out between shrubbery and the sunlight glows on a large field of echinacea. This place feels spiritual...dreamlike. Memories I don't have come flooding to me....other people's memories from an active imagination. The place has a lot to say to me about relationships, solitude and peace. How do I convey these words without using them.

How do I convey everything I feel here? How do I make my viewers understand the calmness I feel on this path? Sometimes it can be done in one photograph. Sometimes the photo essay captures the whole story. A series of pictures is a story without words.

Another place... Joppa Hill Farm in Bedford NH is just a few miles from my home. Since we moved here three years ago, my daughter and I have taken trips to see the animals there. We walk the fields in search of wildflowers. We run through the tall grasses and laugh in the sunshine. I want to remember this forever. I dress her for the occasions. She wears pretty dresses that catch the sunlight. Our photoessay is a long running one. Each visit is a photo essay in itself, but each successive visit adds to the story. I will remember my daughter growing up here.

Indoor Garden Portraits

We had a few inches of snow last night. It is now raining and ice is hanging from the trees. I am SO not a winter person. By New Year's eve I have had enough of winter. By February and March I am dragging. I am ready for gardening, outdoor garden portraits and sunshiny pictures!

While stuck inside I try to bring a little sunshine indoors. I sometimes head to my favorite local flower shop, The Flower Cart, here in Bedford and purchase a nice bouquet to play with and photograph. I set up still lifes (which I'll talk about tomorrow) and use some for self portraits and portraits of others. I always try to include flowers in any portraits I do, either indoor or out. It's becoming a trademark of sorts I suppose.

When including flowers in portraits, I try to pick ones that match the season or the mood of the photographs. Kids with great big sunflowers are fun in the late summer. Dark roses for a romantic feeling indoors are nice. Perhaps I should try including the symbolism of the flowers, which I talked about a few days ago, in my portraits too.

When photographing portraits indoors, I try to use natural light. I like using two corner windows as a backdrop to light both sides of the subject. I do not have a traditional light set up and on dark days I use a flash and/or my sunlamp. The light emits a soft yellow when it is covered with a see through white cloth. I find this ideal for dramatic lighting. I've included today a portrait of my daughter, taken for her first piano recital, using the sunlamp.

To further enhance the garden portrait feel, I set the scene with appropriate cloth backdrops and wraps and "garden" clothes (which can be anything from a fancy dress to overalls). One doesn't necessarily need a fancy studio setup and props for portraits. Pay attention to details. Check out your background. Make sure there is no clutter and that the background is not busy. Add elements (such as flowers) that evoke the mood you are trying to capture. To bring in the feel of the garden, pay most attention to your light. A dark portrait or one that has obvious flash burn screams "indoor portrait" and does not make one think about gardens.

The Gardener's Soul

"Gardeners approach their landscapes with passion and purpose. We garden because the aroma and sight of fresh colorful flowers make our senses tingle. The taste of fresh vegetables eaten as soon as they are plucked from the vine makes our mouths sing. We plant because the feeling of dirt between our fingers soothes our spirits. Our flexed muscles from tilling the earth and hauling rocks feel strong and vibrant. Gardening is exercise. It is relaxation or a chance to be out in the sunshine. The garden is a place to meditate, to party, to sit and read, or a place to enjoy with our loved ones. Gardening is a way to commune with nature and to explore what it means to be human. It is a way to form a bond with our surroundings and the living beings in it. In the garden we learn to gain an acceptance of whatever life offers. The act of gardening gives us time and inspiration to ponder about ourselves and to explore our own souls. It makes us feel more alive...."

And so I begin my book, The Gardener's Soul: Nature's Path Toward Inner Peace. I finished my book proposal yesterday and a friend is reviewing it today. Last summer, I visited 14 female gardeners and took photographs of them for the project. I found these women through my local garden center and was very surprised how enthusiastic everyone was about the project. I continue (is it okay to quote myself?)...

"In this book, I present fourteen stories about diverse women with very different personalities, occupations, and gardening styles. The common bond is that the women are all strongly tied to their gardens and their identities as gardeners. They are also deeply respectful of, or attuned to, nature. Each gardener has her own unique style that is reflected in her handiwork. Each finds inspiration for her life from her garden. Tales of creativity, peace, simplicity, energy, beauty, strength and deference are woven throughout this book."

I have spent the past autumn and winter writing about these women and my visits with them. I wanted to write a draft of the book before I wrote the proposal just to see what I had to say. This is my second book, but my first in this field. Additionally, for my first book I was approached by the publishing company to write it. I was working as the archivist at the Waltham Public Library and Arcadia Publishing Company was seeking to publish a local history about the City as part of their Images of America series.. I controlled the records. They wanted access. It worked out well...but it was a very different experience than what I am going through now. After spending so much time on this book, I feel like I am now putting myself out there to see if anyone likes me or my writing. A friend reminded me yesterday that it took J.K. Rowling about twenty submits to publishers before she found one willing to take her on. So, I'm plugging away and remaining hopeful.

I have also been doing a lot of garden reading this winter. One topic that has come up a few times in book reviews I read relates to garden writers. They say that anyone who gardens and also writes will one day eventually try to write a gardening book. I hope that I become one in a line of writers who actually gets her book published...though I think if need be, I will consider self-publishing. (Does anyone have experience with either publishers or self-publishing?)

Meeting my fourteen women gardeners has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. There is such a feeling of camaraderie among gardeners. I am very grateful to these special people who shared a little bit of their passion and their soul with me by sharing their gardens. Each of these women let me into a very personal space and helped me to see that my little garden is part of something much bigger.

I hope to share more about my book and experiences with it in the coming months. I am including a few photos from the project for you to see.