The Photographic Garden

Book excerpt: The garden is a rich canvas of visual ideas, all waiting to be skillfully captured and evoked by the camera. With in-depth discussions on creative technique and technical literacy, The Photographic Garden is an inspiring guide for understanding the complexities of light and design in the garden and a primer on the latest digital image-making tools, from cameras to postproduction software. Professional photographer Matthew Benson shows you how to become a better, more intuitive artist in the landscape; helps you foster a deeper understanding of design and aesthetics; and encourages you to develop your own visual sensibility—through hundreds of his own thoughtprovoking, evocative garden images. You'll learn how to explore the garden with your camera; how to apply the fundamentals of composition, light, and color to image-making; and how to use digital technology to improve and enhance (and even rescue!) the images you've taken. Most of all, you'll be motivated to see like a camera, work like a professional, and imagine and create like an artist.