MANY PEOPLE THRILL at a sunny day in the garden, but if photographing the landscape and its plants is your pursuit, as it is Ken Druse’s, you take the contrarian view. “I love overcast,” says Ken, and “drizzle” is another favorite forecast for the author of 18 garden books, whose camera has taken him to more gardens than most of us will see in a lifetime. Ken shared some of his top garden-photography tips.
When everyone else is headed to work at 7:30 AM or so, Ken‘s done with his morning shoot session—and doesn’t head back outside until late afternoon. It’s all about chasing that good, subdued, light.
“White flowers disappear in the sun—and the greens all gets ‘black,’” he explains.” But besides the technical solutions Ken pursues, “I want to communicate the feeling of the place,” Ken says, “to explain in each image, ‘What does this place feel like?’”
q&a on photography with ken druse
Q. Let’s talk gear for a minute: In the days of film, I know you used to travel with an outfit of six or seven lenses, and now things are much different.
A. Photographing your garden (and other people’s creations) can be a matter of recording, or actually capturing the spirit and beauty of a place. After all, most photos today are made with an iPhone (record), but images that are lasting memories, or even works of art, take time and consideration. If you want to get into taking great photos, you might care to look into buying an SLR, or single lens reflex camera. With these, you actually are looking through the lens and not just at a digital image on the back of your point-and-shoot camera. SLR’s begin at about $600 in a kit with a lens.
Most SLRs sold today will also take high definition video. A great bonus!
Cameras are like stereo equipment–the more you spend the more you get. Look for a kit that has a useful zoom lens that will allow you to get a wide view of the entire scene, and get in to capture a detail of the scene. I would say the most extreme range of an affordable zoom would be 18 mm to 135 mm.
Q. So many brands—but where should we start if we are shopping?
A. The best brands are Canon and Nikon, but they are different. The Nikon is more intuitive to operate, and things that you need (like the on and off switch) are where they should be (kind of like a Mac).
The Canon takes great photos (and I love mine), but it is a bit more like a PC (it takes two hands to turn mine on and off). The manual that came with my Canon, for example, is 365 pages long. I started using my Nikon right out of the box. I had to study to learn to use the Canon, but the quality is excellent.
Q. What about light, and times of day—when do you prefer to shoot?
A. Try not to take pictures in bright sunlight. Hope for overcast days when colors are rich, and shadows are minimized. If you need to take picture of something special in your garden and the weather doesn’t cooperate, you will have to either get out there early in the AM, or in the afternoon to evening. You can shoot right up until 8:00 PM–if you have a tripod.
Q. I meant to ask you about tripods. I have three, but cannot force myself to use one. My friend Erica, a professional photographer, scolds me incessantly about skipping this critical tool. Sounds like you do, too.
A. A tripod is a wonderful thing. Putting your camera on a tripod will slow you down and make your photo compositions more thoughtful. The tripod will also allow you to take pictures well after holding the camera steady isn’t possible.
Q. Can we talk about focus—and which of these computer-like camera dials and settings are best for getting started in photographing the garden?
A. Some of my tips on that:
- Do not use the automatic setting.
- Choose your camera’s “aperture priority” setting. In that way, you can decide what is in focus and what is not.
- Consider where you want the focus to be: either turn the auto focus off and do it yourself, or select the area to be automatically in focus (a feature available on all SLRs).
- When on a tripod, turn off the image stabilization–either in the camera or on the lens. If not, you photos may come out fuzzy.
- More important, perhaps, than the technical: Try to capture the spirit of a garden, the feeling you have when visiting. Sometimes that feeling could best be communicated by a closeup. To that end…
- If you would like to do some super closeup photos of things like the center of a flower or a butterfly, then consider adding a macro lens to your SLR tool kit. Look for one that “opens wide,” that is, has the ability to allow a lot of light in for the image–signified by a low aperture number, for example 1.8. The lower the number, the better the lens, and the higher the price. Again, you get what you pay for.
- Some people say pixels do not matter–I think they do. Try to buy a camera with the highest megapixel number you can afford.
- Oh, and have fun!
Great topic Margaret! I always have my camera with me in the garden. Uploading photos at the end of the day is part of the fun.
Hi, Kristi. Yes, you are right: part of the fun. :)
Incredibly helpful post. Thanks very much for this Ken, and Margaret.
Margaret, is there a search function on your blog, for some reason I can’t find it, but thought it was there before?
Strange, okay , I do see the search bar above the montly calender, but sometimes it isn’t there.
Hi Margaret,
This sounds like a good lecture and workshop to have on an open day.
Henry
Ken is amazing, isn’t he? I always learn something new. Image Stabilization off when on a tripod – there you go! Thanks!
So helpful. Thank you! I find it especially difficult to photograph the color red. I never feel that a photo does red justice. Any tips on that?
I’ve been photographing my garden from the early stages of ripping out grass and old shrubs to it’s current state(13 years later) of full beds, pathways, and secret nooks all over.
It has always been about trying to show a mood. About capturing the magic that I feel and see on film.
This is why I actually like taking pictures at all times of the day, sunny days included. I love capturing the sunlight streaming through a blooming patch of Allium, Digitalis, and almost anything else! I agree that colors pop so much better with overcast conditions, but it’s fun to experiment.
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Thank you for these tips and inspiration–from you both! I have some of Ken’s books and always admire his photography and really–everything about him!
You’re welcome, Linda. Nice to hear from you.
I have been a photographer for many years. Flowers and insects are a favorite subject.
Early morning is a great time because the insects are cool and sluggish giving you more time to compose a shot before they take flight. I signed up for Ken’s newsletter. Thanks Margaret for your info and inspiration.
You’re welcome, Terry. Nice to hear from you!
Ken Druse is my absolute hero! I was fortunate enough to meet him at the Lauritzen Botanical Garden in Omaha, when he was a speaker and I was a humble volunteer in the greenhouses. He is so “real” and the book he was there to share put it all in perspective. His home garden is what most of us would strive to have if we had the smarts to pull it together. He is the master, but honestly listens to those who wish to emulate him. I always marveled that what he considered important in his home garden is what I have tried, in a very small way, to portray in mine…a combo of the natural setting one is given and the not so intrusive way of adding the things important but secondary to nature. You could read his books a hundred times and still learn something new.
I can’t wait to take Ken’s class. He is such a master! Maybe I will finally take my camera off “Auto”?!
Looking forward to seeing you, Laura. I feel like my camera (not unlike my phone, my iPad…) has so many features I have absolutely no grasp of, it’s kind of scary. Wish I could skip hosting the tour and just listen to Ken myself! :)
Margaret, thank you for these podcasts! I am a new gardener and really appreciate all of the expert advice! My little 1/2 acre lot has multiple mini-zones in zone 7B, from shade to sun, and very sandy soil. The fat voles and moles enjoy all of my efforts on the lawn and the garden!
Nice to “meet” you, Elizabeth. Not ure if I am glad the voles and moles are having fun over there, but if it’s any consolation…here too!