There is something about the ethereal space surrounding a red maple glowing with the autumn sun shining through it.
That kind of magical light may only be available for a few days in the season.
The best way to capture that beauty and power that comes and goes with nature is through the eyes of a camera.
Photography helps you preserve the beauty that you love and share it with your friends and family.
You can take some stunning photographs of your garden by understanding some basic fundamentals of photography. It is not all about the garden, but more about the light. The word “photography” actually means “writing with light.”
Finding the best light to show off your garden is the key to making the best pictures!
It is very important to look very carefully through the viewfinder before shooting your picture. Learn to see what your camera sees. Look for what the camera sees, not what you want to see.
While looking through your viewfinder, consciously look for what you don’t want in the picture. Are there tree branches growing out of people’s heads or a telephone wire in the top of the frame?
Some simple ways to overcome composition problems is to tilt your camera up or down, step to the right or left, or lower your point of view to remove any unwanted elements. Once you made your adjustments, examine your frame again, from edge to edge and corner to corner. With today’s technology, we have the ability to edit and crop our photos after the fact. Use this only as your last resort.
Investing in a tripod is an excellent way to steady your camera for a long exposure or to help you to capture the photo that requires a steady hand — photographing birds and insects amongst your flowers, for example.
Think about when browsing through some amazing photographs, our eyes are drawn to the brightest colours and lightest elements in the photos. Our eyes will immediately focus on a red watering can in amongst flowers, a small spot of light in the shade of a tree or the flash of a bright blue sky in one corner of your photos.
So, carefully arrange the elements in your picture to ensure people see what you want them to see when viewing your photos.
Over the next couple of days, get outside with your camera and capture the magnificence of that red maple in your garden in the right light!
Join us Sept. 28 at 7 p.m., Richmond Cultural Centre, (7700 Minoru Gate) for a free presentation from Daniel Mosquin, renowned photographer, educator and botanical consultant, to view his work in capturing stunning images in nature.
Lynda Pasacreta is the current president of the Richmond Garden Club. For more information about the club or upcoming events, visit online at RichmondGardenClub.ca.
