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“An elective despotism was not the government we fought for.” Thomas Jefferson – Notes on Virginia I did not March yesterday. Every woman I know, who could get out of bed, marched in solidarity and protest against the impending train wreck of the Donald Trump presidency. From all reports it seems every city and small town in America, and many across the globe staged marches. Even in tiny Sonoma, my wife Mary ... Read More »
The Sea Ranch is legendary in the annals of California Coastal development. In the early 1960’s, ten miles of the Sonoma Coast was designated for development, in an era before there was any regulatory agency overseeing coastal development. Now, and as a result of such development, the California Coastal Commission has clamped down on every permit. Yet, despite the hundreds of homes built and thousands of lots,... Read More »
“Between ‘reality’ on the one hand, and the point where the mind strikes reality, there’s a middle zone, a rainbow edge where beauty comes into being, where two very different surfaces mingle and blur to provide what life does not: and this is a space where all art exists, and all magic.” – Donna Tartt – The Goldfinch. This speaks to me and how m’eyes see. In that midd... Read More »
Gardening Gone Wild is bringing back the Picture This photo contest and since I am the judge I may as well follow up my own advice: “… a chance to look back at a whole year of photos and get your files organized.” I have huge backlogs of photos that I barely know I have. On my assignments it’s easy, even mandatory to organize my files. I process them and put them in my catalog with all sorts... Read More »
At launch of my new e-pub site, PhotoBotanic.com, one book is ready, 3 more scheduled. I have spent 30+ years in garden publishing, and am still standing. I sold my first photograph 42 years ago. Along the way I have received some nice awards and have been the sole photographer for so many books I have lost count; 21, I think? I now safely qualify as a veteran in this publishing biz and am delighted to see all the ... Read More »
I offer garden photograph workshops all around the country. Built around my book “The PhotoBotanic Garden Photography Workshop” and the photo lessons at the Learning Center at PhotoBotanic.com, the workshops offer an opportunity to sharpen your skills and focus your concentration with an assignment theme for reach workshop. You can do this on your own, by giving yourself an assignment, something to wor... Read More »
As a professional garden photographer for more than 25 years, I have seen all sorts of gardens and have learned a lot from many expert gardeners, designers, and plant geeks. California native plant gardens are absolutely the hardest to photograph, though they are my favorite. The reason for both is the same – they are so hard to find. I am thrilled when I find a photogenic one because I know it to be an... Read More »
I see what I see, even if I can’t show it very well on a blog. Here, the peeling bark of a Manzanita (Arctostaphylos densiflora) has been transformed into elegant orange, rust, and mahogany brush strokes with the Topaz Simplify3 filter. It looks great in the print but it is hard to convey the effect in a small blog post. Of course the filter itself is not the point. The image stands on its own. In fact the ... Read More »
Some days, simply venturing out with the camera is truly a tonic. With full intent to go capture some photo or another, I escape the office, get out of doors, needing, indeed craving for photos to wash over me, allow me to click a shutter, to respond and create. And add some more products to the PhotoBotanic store. On this stormy autumn day I put on a rain suit so I could plunge into plants or plop on the ground. ... Read More »
I have missed two entire months. For the record, I fell off a ladder onto my studio floor on Aug. 30. Six broken ribs, separated shoulder, fractured skull, and concussion. Life can change in an instant. Much recovered by now except a residual paralyzed facial nerve that keeps my left eye from blinking. It is taped shut and my vision is compromised. This is the same eye that had the detached retina surgeries 2 ye... Read More »