How to Grow Your Garden Photography Skills

It’s that time again! Time to get out your camera (and your macro lens, if you’re fortunate to have one!) and get out in the garden to start capturing images of early spring flowers. (And if you don’t have a tripod, please get one. As much as you may not like toting one around, they are instrumental in capturing really sharp macro images; trust me on this!)

In my front yard garden, I already have purple crocus in bloom and the Hellebores have been blooming since February (hardy and eager plants, those Hellebores!). The tulips will probably be in bloom in a couple of weeks.

In September 2011 I was interviewed and featured on the Nikonusa.com website about photographing gardens. Since the weather is getting warmer every day and early spring flowers are making their appearance in our part of the country, I thought I’d share the article and accompanying photos with you again! Click on the link below:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-grow-your-garden-photography-skills.html

Begonia leaves

Begonia leaves trailing over a dark colored ceramic pot

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Pixel in the spotlight

© Cindy Dyer. All Rights reserved. Shot with my iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed app border

Queso-gram: TGIF

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. Shot with my iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed app border

Heavy Sigh

Pandemic Diary, Day 24 of social distancing: let’s call this little piece, “Heavy Sigh.”

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Mad About You

Pandemic Diary, Day 18 of social distancing…such a beautiful, breezy spring day here in Virginia. I’ve been indoors all day and kept seeing the breezes knocking the Bradford pear petals down and decided it was a perfect setting for this song, which I will call “Mad About You.” Remember the episode of that series where Paul Rieser’s character is hired by Yoko Ono to “film the wind?” Apparently it actually can be done. You hear the wind and see petals falling in this production (it’s impromptu, so it’s poor quality, so my apologies for that…and I could have framed it a little better). Enjoy!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Red Tulip

Red tulip blooming in my front garden (iPhone 8Plus, Camera+2 app in macro mode)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Pixel in the Sunbeam

Pixel in the sunbeam (sometimes I swear these cats know what compositions I’m looking for!) Shot with my iPhone 8Plus

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

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Stir Crazy

Pandemic Diary, Day 14 of social distancing…for your visual pleasure, I hired an inexperienced videographer (Michael) to record the backyard garden (nothing is really blooming yet except the beautiful Bradford pear) while I made up another tune on the Chinese tongue drum. I call this one, “Stir Crazy.” Enjoy!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Isolation Hijinks

Bought this carpentry gadget for when we get back to installing the rest of the laminate flooring on the main level of the townhouse. It’s for measuring to make cuts around corners and door frames easier. First thing Michael used it for—outlining his face. We are getting a bit stir crazy here.

Couched

Pandemic Diary, Day 9 of social distancing: drumming with Queso (for a few seconds, that is, before he skedaddled). Apologies for the inadequate lighting!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Contemplating Frogs

Pandemic Diary, Day 8 of social distancing: my first full steps outside in just over a week. I’ve been busy with freelance work that has kept me indoors, and I am just now taking a break to enjoy the spring breeze and sounds of nature in my backyard garden. Just playing a little of this and that on the drum. Let’s call this one, “Contemplating Frogs.” Like my chess-playing amphibian sculpture? Michael found it while sidewalk trash picking one weekend. Disregard the dead fern on the left. The garden will be pretty soon enough.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Pandemic Pacify

Pandemic Diary, Day 7 of social distancing: I’m going to name this little ditty, “Pandemic Pacify,” and it’s a nod to Italy’s creative residents playing music and singing from their balconies in the isolation. I opened the windows to spring in the kitchen and set my Chinese tongue drum on top of the cat’s window ledge. Queso was perched nearby in the cat tree watching and listening. Three neighbors out for walks turned to see where the music was coming from (I hope it was a pleasant noise for them). I got my drum out of the credit I already had from donating books at 2nd & Charles in Woodbridge, VA.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Mis(fortune) cookie

Chinese take-out for dinner on Monday night…my fortune cookie seems particularly cruel at this moment. What’s a gathering? 😜

P.S. Michael’s fortune cookie reads: “You are going to have some new clothes.” I think he’s a bit disappointed (especially since he can’t go anywhere in his new frocks).