We’ve had Golden Hops (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) vines on our vegetable garden fence for over a dozen years now. It’s reliable, hardy, and showy from spring through late fall. It never fails to get comments from pedestrians passing by, particularly this time of year. Continue reading
This month’s plant, a gorgeous little alpine penstemon from the Sierras, isn’t one that most people will be able to grow in their garden. I bring it to your attention because it’s one that triggers fond memories.
I saw Penstemon newberryi for the first time in the summer of 1974 on my first trip to Yosemite National Park. I was a 20-year old college student taking a couple of photo workshops at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite valley. I photographed this brilliant red penstemon as part of a series of images around Waterwheel Falls in the Yosemite high country. Continue reading
I love long northwest summer days with clear blue skies and warm sunshine until late in the evening. I just don’t like photographing under those conditions. Bright mid-day sun isn’t flattering to people, pets, plants, or landscapes. Yet there are times when schedules dictate working under these challenging conditions. Here are seven tips for making great photos even in the middle of the day. Continue reading
Ramp up your photo skills this summer by taking a class.
I love to teach and share what I’ve learned with others. I finished one class last month, but there are still three more chances to spend some time learning about flower photography with me in July and August at fantastic locations in Oregon and Washington. Continue reading
Most folks love big, bold, noisy, spectacular fireworks displays, unless they’re dog owners or curmudgeons. The fireworks show of the year is usually in honor of Independence Day, the Fourth of July. Here are some tips to get great photos of the fireworks display in your town. Continue reading
Lewis’s mock-orange, Philadelphus lewisii, is an exceptionally fragrant shrub that’s native to a wide swath of western North America from Montana and British Columbia to California. It’s more common on the dry side of the mountains, but is found in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties and 35 of 36 in Oregon. Continue reading
You’ve got a digital camera, or perhaps you take a lot of photos with your iPhone. But maybe your photos don’t turn out as well as you thought they would. I can help. Sign up for one of the classes I’m teaching this summer and learn to take control of your camera and make better photos. Continue reading
When you think of dogwood, do you think of a tree or a groundcover? If you only think about dogwood trees, you’ve been missing out on one of my favorite woodland wildflowers. The smallest of our dogwoods is commonly called Bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood. There are two species in the most populated parts of North America, Cornus canadensis and Cornus unalaschkensis. Some taxonomists lump them together and in the nursery trade it’s almost always sold as Cornus canadensis. Continue reading
One of the complaints I get most frequently in my pocket camera flower photography classes is “my camera won’t focus where I want it to” when shooting close-ups. It doesn’t matter which brand of compact camera people have, it’s a universal problem. I deal with it, too, and I use a nearly top-of-the-line Canon G12. So what’s the solution?
Many of the better compact cameras allow you to switch to manual focus. That puts you, the photographer, in complete control of what’s sharp and what’s not. Continue reading
“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.” That’s a saying I learned on the playground many years ago. Unfortunately, just saying it doesn’t make it so. There are times when I’m out on a photo trip and it rains. What to do? Pack up and go home, wait for the rain to stop, or pull out the camera protection and keep working? If I’ve traveled a long way to photograph interesting plants I usually just tough it out and keep working. Here’s how I keep my equipment (mostly) dry so I don’t end up with an expensive repair bill. Continue reading
