Shooting inside a greenhouse gives a photographer nearly perfect conditions. The frosted windows give exquisite light, the walls keep the breezes at bay, and the flowers are almost always under the care of an expert horticulturist.
Cosmos bipinnatus – ‘Cupcake White’
I have shot more calendar photos inside a greenhouse than I care to admit. Oh, I just did. But there is no getting around the lure of beautifully grown flowers.
The only problems shooting in a greenhouse are the cramped quarters and finding an angle that does not give the location away. I like talking about point of view to my photography students, often in relation to where to set up the camera to show the design of a garden. Careful consideration of your exact physical point of view will help your audience understand what you are seeing and the point of the story.
In this greenhouse at Speedling Nursery in San Juan Bautista I was shooting new flower introductions by Thompson & Morgan. After a while, surrounded by so many flowers, standing in the narrow rows, the eyes begin to fail to see anything special.
I shot this hot magenta ‘Cosmix’ but it had no life, none of the dancing delicacy that Cosmos evoke in the garden.
OK, find a different point of view, shake things up. Hmmmm.
The only new angle I could think if was down on the floor looking up.
Before and After Slider
Yowza ! These are the exact same flowers, match them up – just a different point of view.
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Point of View is a chapter in Think Like A Camera
Book Two of The PhotoBotanic Garden Photography Workshop Series
and is a mini lesson for $1.99 on iTunes and Google Play
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