Joanie Simon and The Bite Shot

I stumbled onto Joanie Simon’s youtube channel, “The Bite Shot,” which deals with food photography. She is an amazing presenter and an engaging teacher. I’ve done a wee bit of food photography (for Celebrate Home magazine, which I co-created with my colleague Barbara), but I was, to be honest, not 100% confident with it, although I did enjoy the challenge. Even if you aren’t interested in shooting food, watch one video and you may find yourself obsessed with shooting food! I discovered her last week and have already watched a dozen videos. She knows her stuff and she is so engaging. I would love to translate those qualities into my own garden photo presentations with this much ease. She is phenomenal!

(Also, wish I had the courage to chop my hair off like hers and paint a teal streak through it. Do I dare?)

My Garden Photography Workshop at River Farm

Yours truly is leading a garden photography workshop on Saturday, October 17, at River Farm, home to the American Horticulture Society!

What I’ll be teaching can apply to everything from a DSLR to a point-n-shoot to your smartphone.

The workshop is 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., with a lecture and hands-on guidance photographing in the gardens at River Farm. (I just attended a botanical illustration workshop a few weeks ago, so I know the social distancing/mask wearing is in effect there.) The event will be held exclusively outdoors under their big event tent. Their address is 7931 E Boulevard Dr, Alexandria, VA 22308.

If you’re local and want to attend, learn more in the link below!

https://connect.ahsgardening.org/river-farm-events/2020/garden-photography-workshop—non-members

iPhoneography: Saturday sky

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. (iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed 2 app border)

Boxing Lobo

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. (iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed 2 app border)

iPhoneography: Queso

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. (iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed app borders)

iPhoneography: Wednesday sky

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. (iPhone 8Plus)

Sprouts

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

As soon as I saw this jumble of sprouted bulbs (still in the bag on the potting bench), I immediately thought of these lyrics by my beloved John Denver:

I want to live I want to grow
I want to see I want to know
I want to share what I can give
I want to be I want to live

I *think* these are iris bulbs. Or very tiny gladiola bulbs. The label was now rendered illegible due to the rain. I ordered them online, and while I planted everything else, I left these on the bench, intending to find a place for them later. Then the rains came. And came. And came. When there wasn’t rain, I watered the garden daily, never seeing these still on the bench. Just now, I glanced over and saw some tall green stalks on the bench. Whaaaaaa? The little bulbs had sprouted; every single one of them! They were poking through the holes in the bag, roots entangling. The roots even went through the bag and had attached themselves to my gardening gloves.

I sat at the patio table and cut them free from the bag and found a home for them in the garden.