1. Improving Your Garden
Photographs
By
Alice Jordon
Henry County Master Gardener

2. Most Common Mistakes
• Camera Movement
• Subject In Middle Of Photo
• Camera Focuses On Wrong Thing
• Too Much (or Too Little) Light

3. Camera Movement
Make your body into a tripod
Spread feet apart
Tuck in elbows
Move nothing but one finger

4. Top
Photo—no
camera
movement
Bottom
Photo
shows
camera
movement

5. Do not place main subject in center of
picture
Rule of Thirds

9. Camera Focuses on Wrong Thing
Learn to use focus lock. Press shutter half way
down then move camera to desired composition.

12. Too Much Light
Over exposed
(too much light)
Decrease length of
exposure or
Increase f-stop
(bigger number=
smaller lens
opening)

13. Too Little Light
Under exposed
(Too little light)
Increase length of
of exposure or
decrease f-stop
(smaller number=
larger lens
opening)

14. It is Usually Better to Have the Sun
Behind You When You Shoot

15. Include foreground in wide angle shots

16. Simple backgrounds are best

17. Specific ideas for garden photos
• Shoot wide angle, close up, and in between
• Fill the frame with a single color or texture
• Shoot both horizontal and vertical
• Morning and afternoon light is best as well as
overcast skies
• Include garden art and structures
• Get down to the level of the plant when
shooting
• Include pictures of the gardener
• Include pictures of visitors to your garden

18. Shoot wide angle, close up, and in
between
Gibbs Gardens
Ball Ground, GA

19. Fill the frame with a single color or
texture

22. Shoot both horizontal and vertical

23. Morning and afternoon light is best as
well as overcast skies

24. Include garden art and structures

25. Get down to the level of the plant
when shooting

26. Include pictures of the gardener

27. Include pictures of visitors to your
garden

28. Master Gardener Photos

34. Many Thanks To The Following Master
Gardeners For Contributing Pictures
• Claire Crumbly
• Stephanie Felton
• Alice and Larry Jordon
• Debra McCullar
• Steven Mellott
• Judy Morrow
• Mary Osterholt
• Jim Parks

35. Edit your Pictures
http://picasa.google.com/