Yesterday I presented my "Making Better Photographs of Your Garden" talk for the Garden Club of Michigan's photo club group. Because the group was already well versed in camera work, I really wanted to discuss ways of elevating one's everyday image-making standards.
Studying works by the masters of art is always a great place to start. My list of favorite artists is usually last in my presentation - today it was first. In no particular order: photographers Haas, Penn, Sudek, Avedon, Wolfe, and artists Cezanne, Still, Motherwell, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko, Chardin.
A demo of my process for capturing images was next, and we talked about how to better use the tools of photography.
Amy G. wrote: "Thank you you so much for an inspiring day. I could look at your photographs for hours. They raise flowers to fine art in the way they illuminate flowers' subtle texture, exotic details and glorious forms. You are extremely generous and we can't wait to try a few new tricks!"
Richard T. wrote: "Your presentation was loaded with helpful material and tips on how to make better pics! Those photos in the slide show are captivating enough and we could do a whole session on those alone!"
We also had time to enjoy photographing the conservatory's tropical and desert gardens. A few of my images follow:
