Rachel Warne is an incredible professional garden photographer. So incredible, in fact, that this year Rachel won the portfolio category in the International Garden Photographer of the Year. As well as being a highly-trained professional, Rachel is also very kind, and she has agreed to share her tips for garden photography with F&F readers.
1. Get up early.
2. Avoid taking shots in the summer midday sun. The light is too hard and it bleaches out the plant colour.
3. Wait until the very last light of the day: you will be amazed what light the camera will still pick up.
4. Don’t just do one shot: try lots of different angles of your subject.
5. If you’re looking for a great garden to photograph, have a hunt around on the National Gardens Scheme website.
6. Remember that each garden has a lot to offer all year round, so shoot it in all seasons if you can.
7. If you are using an SLR, try a different lens: sometimes zoom lenses don’t have the best optics.
8. If you are shooting a wide garden shot and want more sky, do this: with a compact, focus on the sky and watch the detail come in. Hold the focus button down and re-frame the shot. If you are shooting using an SLR, shoot manual and then move the dial accordingly.
9. Garden photography is not all about colour. Experiment and try black and white shots as well.
10. Always tread carefully around any garden you are photographing. It takes a huge amount of effort to make the plot look that good, so watch every step.
All images copyright Rachel Warne. You may not reproduce these images without prior permission.
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Image a day
Esther Montgomery
Lovely photos. (Of course!)
I’m interested that you find morning a good time for photos. Maybe it depends on location but I find morning light takes out some sense of perspective.
A question. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean about focusing on the sky and moving down – that bit.
Esther Montgomery