Look Back at Chelsea Flower Show Gardens

The David Harber and Savills garden: Designer: Nic Howard

As a garden photographer one of the joys of the Chelsea Flower Show is getting early access at 5.30am to witness some beautiful sunrises over the show gardens. With such a large catalogue of images I’m looking back at the past 5 years of gardens at Chelsea, a time that camera sensor technology really advanced too, allowing shots like these sunrises.

Designer: Cleve West

Designer: Jo Thompson

Designers: Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam

Designer: Sarah Eberle

Designer: Andy Sturgeon

Designer: Paul Hervey-Brookes

As an organic allotment holder I am always on the look out for gardens that incorporate growing fruit and vegetables. In 2017 the BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden designed by Jon Wheatley really had it all.

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden garden, Lettuce from right to left, ‘Red Iceberg’, ‘Nymans’, ‘Lettony’, ‘Lollo Rossa’, Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’, with leek ‘Cumbria’, Pak choi and Chinese cabbage, Designer: Jon Wheatley

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden garden, from right to left: Cabbage ‘Red Jewel, Kale ‘Reflex’ Kale ‘Redbor’, lettuce ‘Red Iceberg’, Leek ‘Cumbria’, with nasturtium ‘Tall mixed’, sweetcorn ‘Sundance’, runner bean ‘St George’ ‘bay tree, greenhouse growing ‘Cherry Baby’ tomatoes ‘Designer: Jon Wheatley

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden, red brick path, vegetable garden with lettuces from right to left: ‘Red Iceberg’, ‘Nymans’, ‘Lettony’, Lollo Rossa’, ‘Designer: Jon Wheatley

The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden designed by Mark Gregory in 2018 had a beautifully compact veg patch under a cascading Wisteria.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, view of small vegetable garden planted with red cabbage, red kale, leeks, red lettuce, kale nero di toscano, chives, small patio area with wooden tables and chairs with Wisteria and sweet peas – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire

Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, Wisteria, vegetable garden with Brassica oleracea Nero di Toscana, Red cabbage, beetroot, Rainbow Chard, dry stone wall – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire

For small urban spaces Tom Massey found a great solution for growing your own.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical vegetable and herb garden, lettuce growing in old guttering, herbs grown in unusual containers, old plastic bottles and tin cans, parsley, mint, strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical vegetable and herb garden, herbs grown in unusual containers, old plastic bottles and tin cans, parsley, mint, strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical gardening, herbs growing in unusual containers repurposed tin cans filled with, mint, alpine strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust

A hand woven wicker compost heap was a novel idea on the garden designed by Ann-Marie Powell.

The cut flower garden by Sarah Raven was a delight and packed with colour.

Matt Keightley’s Radio 2 Texture garden had to have the best garden wall award.

His planting in the garden was also exquisite.

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, Acer Griseum, Prunus serrula, Iris germanica ‘Kent Pride’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’, Pinus mugo ‘Pumilio’, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Designer: Matt Keightley

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, Iris germanica ‘Kent Pride’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Eschscholzia californica, ‘Ivory Castle’, Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Astrantia ‘Ruby Star’, Pinus mugo, Designer: Matt Keightley

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, sun reflected in small pond, Verbascum ‘Firedance’, Pinus mugo, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Astrantia major ‘Florence’, Astrantia major ‘Ruby Star’, Eschscholzia californica, ‘Ivory Castle’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Designer: Matt Keightley

I’m always fascinated by the seating used by garden designers, my all time favourite were the granite boulders by Darren Hawkes.

Here’s a selection of some more.

Stephen Studd – Royal Bank of Canada Garden – laminated wood hammock style benches and a table on red cedar wood decking, cedar garden wall – Designer Matthew Wilson – Sponsor RBC – awarded Silver gilt

Stephen Studd – Breast Cancer Haven Garden – woven willow garden seat, planting of aquilegia, ladies mantle, primula, beech tree -Designer Sarah Eberle woven willow by Tom Hare – Sponsor – Nelsons – awarded Gold and best Artisan garden

Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – Buxus sempervirens clipped hedge, concrete wall with rusted steel panels, woven willow seat on stone tiled patio area – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Chelsea Barracks Garden, view of bronze bench, Basaltite stone water wall – Designer: Jo Thompson – Sponsor: Qatari Diar

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Supershoes, Laced With Hope Garden: urban garden wall with graffiti, curved wooden bench, mixed border planted with Lupinus ‘Towering Inferno’, Lupinus Desert Sun’, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, Geum ‘Cosmopolitan’. Poppies, Allium ‘Beau Regard’ and Allium ‘Mont Blanc’ – Designer: Laura Anstiss – Sponsor: Frosts Garden Centres

A garden which took me back to the colourful Mexican palette I encountered on my travels was the Beneath A Mexican Sky garden designed by Manoj Malde.

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  Beneath A Mexican Sky garden, view of turquoise pool with Stenocereus marginatus cactus and container with Agave americana grown in gravel, orange and red, polished concrete floating patio with chair with floral prints, table with succulent growing in atrium – Designer: Manoj Malde – Sponsor: Inland Homes PLC

Favourite water feature was Jo Thompson’s natural swimming pool, one day I’ll have my own it’s on the tick list.

These other water features I really liked.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden, bronze chute water feature, rock pool, Isoplexis canariensis – Designer: Andy Sturgeon – Sponsor: The Telegraph

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The M&G Garden, view of Forest of Dean stone boulder carved bird bath – Designer: Cleve West – Sponsor: M&G Investments

First sauna in the garden at Chelsea, Paul Hervey-Brookes one was very enticing.

For the inner child in you, who didn’t want to climb up in to the tree house designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White.

During lockdown many of us are having to work from home, Chelsea had some great spaces for garden offices.

Stephen Studd – The M & G Garden The Retreat – oak summerhouse,, Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’, Acer palmatum, Verbascum -designer Jo Thompson – sponsors M & G Investments awarded silver gilt medal

Stephen Studd – The Homebase Garden Urban Retreat – cedar wood and concrete outdoor structure and path, water rill, yew tree topiary balls, planting of foxgloves, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, geranium, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ and Iris – Designer Adam Frost – Sponsor Homebase awarded Gold

RHS Chelsea flower show 2015 Cloudy Bay Garden in association with Vital Earth – Designers Harry and David Rich – Sponsor – Cloudy Bay – Bord na Mona – awarded Gold medal

Another on my to have list is the shepherd hut by Plankbridge, office or hideaway, tbc.

With climate change a reality, al fresco dining areas are increasingly important areas of the garden. This one designed by Tony Woods had an outdoor kitchen, edible living wall and had water conservation at it’s heart. 

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: laser cut steel pillars, brick paved patio area with dining table and chairs, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’ – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: laser cut corten steel pillars, edible vertical wall planted with lettuce, herbs and nasturtium, brick paved patio with table and chairs, wood panel garden wall – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: outdoor kitchen area with polished cement work surface, kitchen sink, vertical living edible wall of salad plants, different varieties of lettuce, chives, chilli peppers, rainbow chard, kale, viola, nasturtium, strawberry, hand made clay brick paved patio with table and chairs, wood panel garden wall – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water

The RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden also had water conservation at it’s heart and creating spaces that are beneficial to wildlife.

Greening Grey Britain Garden Nigel Dunnett RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 London Photographer Stephen Studd Photography

Photographer: Stephen Studd  –  The RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden, Wheelie bins for household rubbish and green wheelie bin for recycling with a living roof cover planted with edible plants and herbs, viola, chives, strawberries, thyme, sage and mint, drilled wood panels for insect hotel, Designer: Professor Nigel Dunnett

Naturalistic planting is becoming more evident at Chelsea, a technique that I use in my own garden. It has been backed up in numerous studies that the colour green promotes quicker healing and recovery from illness and is also good for mental well being and stress reduction.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The M&G Garden, view of Forest of Dean sandstone path, Aquilegia chrysantha, Briza media ‘Golden Bee’, Euphorbia wallichii, Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Geranium ‘Bill Wallis’, Angelica dahurica, Deschampsia flexuosa, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Luzula sylvatica, Valeriana pyrenaica, Saxifraga umbrosa, Quercus pubescens – Designer: Cleve West – Sponsor: M&G Investments

Paul Hervey-Brookes Associates, 11 Lansdown, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1BB, England, UK. landscape garden designer Viking Cruises Wellness garden gold medal RHS Chelsea Flower Show London UK 2018 photography by Stephen Studd photographer, Built by Gareth Wilson Gardening Services Ltd

Stephen Studd – The Brewin Dolphin Garden – slate steps leading up to seating area with Salvia and foxgloves – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal

This softening with green can also be used in urban landscape design and community centres.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The David Harber and Savills garden, Equisetum fluviatile – Water horsetail grown in gravel, concrete wall – Designer: Nic Howard – Sponsor: David Harber and Savills

Finally the plants are the real show stoppers at Chelsea and here are some of my favourite views over the past 5 years.

Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – mixed herbaceous border, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, Geum ‘Princess Juliana’, Iris ‘Mer du Sud’, Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’, Verbascum ‘Merlin’, Camassia – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal

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Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden – planting of Doronicum x excelsum ‘Harpur Crewe’ and Euphorbia polychroma, Papaver – water rill and concrete stepping stone Designer – Marcus Barnett – Sponsors The Telegraph – Awarded Gold medal

Stephen Studd – Pure Land Foundation garden – Jesmonite white waved walls, mixed planting with Iris ‘Kent Pride’, Milium effusum ‘Aureum’, – designer Fernando Gonzalez – sponsors Pure Land Foundation – awarded Silver gilt

Stephen Studd – The Time in Between garden – Protea cyranoides ‘Little Prince’ – Designer Charlie Albone – Sponsor – Husqvarna – Gardena – awarded Silver gilt

Stephen Studd – The Brewin Dolphin Garden – garden sculpture made from slate with Digitalis purpurea, common foxglove – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden, bronze coated fin panel screens, Isoplexis canariensis – Designer: Andy Sturgeon – Sponsor: The Telegraph

Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, view of stone bothy with old terracotta plant pots and Lupinus ‘Terracotta’ – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire

Chelsea flower show 2017 Chris Beardshaw garden for Morgan Stanley

Stephen Studd Photography Artisan Gardens; Plant Exploerer`s Garden; Designer Karolina Tercjak Penny Wright Anna Kapuvari Tom Edgar Mattt Lowe Simon Garnett ; Sponsor ; Scottish Agricultural College Awarded Silver Gilt RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012

Stephen Studd – The Homebase Garden Urban Retreat – Designer Adam Frost – Sponsor Homebase awarded Gold

Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, and Camassia, against rusted steel wall panels – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal

Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden – Eremurus himalaicus -Designer – Marcus Barnett – Sponsors The Telegraph – Awarded Gold medal

Stephen Studd – Dark Matter Garden – bamboo in large rusted steel container and Verbascum -designer Howard Miller Design Ltd – sponsors Science and Technology Facilities Council – Liverpool John Moores University – Urbis Design – awarded

Don’t you just love Chelsea.

Really missing Chelsea this year and seeing lots of friends there and coming home with bags full of design ideas, but looking forward to next years. Do check out this years RHS Virtual Chelsea by clicking this link.

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Missing Chelsea

It’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show Press Day, or would have been, which usually sees me waking up at 4am for early access to photograph the show gardens. Instead this year I woke up at 4.30am panicking I was late, my Chelsea body clock is still there, today there was a beautiful sunrise, still, sunny and the air filled with bird song, just like Chelsea last year. The Andy Sturgeon garden for M&G, won Best in Show & Gold Medal.

The garden was one I kept going back to, it felt very calming and contemplative amongst all the busyness at Chelsea.

Being a Yorkshire lad, the Welcome to Yorkshire garden by Mark Gregory was a must see, it really looked like it had been there since the time the canal lock was built, a great feat of engineering and planting.

As a garden photographer having early access to the show gives you time to really look around and see the gardens that resonate with you, even if they didn’t get the coveted Chelsea Gold. There was something about the David Neale – Silent Pool Gin garden that I really liked. This garden showed that stark concrete environments can be softened by plants, a water feature and thought out garden design.

Green really was the colour last year, with bold use in The Greenfingers Charity Garden. designed by Kate Gould, which also used soft pastel tones in the planting which were very calming.  The garden was designed to resemble one of their hospice gardens and be restful, uplifting and interactive, a place of play, relaxation and peaceful contemplation.

It was great to see the The Green Switch Garden designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara another garden of contemplation and everything Zen, the joy on Kazayuki’s face when he won another Chelsea gold was lovely to witness.

Rusted metalic colours were also evident last year, I really liked the digger bucket turned in to a lily pond on the The Walker’s Forgotten Quarry Garden, designed by Graham Bodle.

Also the banana leaf on the CAMFED Garden Giving Girls in Africa a Space to Grow, designed by Jilayne Rickards.

The copper chair on the Silent Pool Gin garden

The High Maintenance Garden designed by Sue Hayward had repurposed galvanised metal tanks and old metal railings with trailing roses.

The Resilience Garden designed by Sarah Eberle with the old silo, addressed the challenges posed by climate change and the pests and diseases that threaten forests today and in the future.

Chris Beardshaw’s  Morgan Stanley garden looked at how to create sustainable gardens through materials sourced and also in the constructing of them. It was another garden that felt peaceful and relaxing.

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Morgan Stanley Garden . A Sustainable garden based around herbaceous planting supported by a water feature and structure created by the large Taxus mounds and curving Pinus nigra austriaca – Designer: Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor: Morgan Stanley – RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Morgan Stanley Garden . A Sustainable garden based around herbaceous planting supported by a water feature and structure created by the large Taxus mounds and curving Pinus nigra austriaca – Designer: Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor: Morgan Stanley – RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019

Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Morgan Stanley Garden . A Sustainable garden based around herbaceous planting supported by a water feature and structure created by the large Taxus mounds and curving Pinus nigra austriaca – Designer: Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor: Morgan Stanley – RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019

The RHS Back to Nature Garden, designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White was a fun space for children, with dens tree houses and water, big ideas packed in to a small space. Who wouldn’t like to be in the tree house and have a go on the rope swing?

Another garden for children was the Montessori Centenary Children’s Garden designed by Jody Lidgard which had to win the ‘in your face with colour’ award. It was packed with great ideas about growing food, including this edible living wall.

Finally last years Chelsea paid tribute to the 75th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day Landings in Normandy with a commemorative D Day 75 garden designed by John Everiss, set against the Royal Hospice. It was a very strong emotive and moving space, especially with the metal sculptures set in slate and the 10,000  ‘Sea Thrift’ which the troops would have seen on the beaches as they landed.

There might not be a live RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, but there is a Virtual Chelsea, starting with Members Day today and continuing each day until May 23rd you can find out what’s on by following this link RHS Virtual Chelsea

I will be posting some of my favourite Chelsea gardens and plants this week on my social media accounts and also on another blog post on Wednesday.

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Capturing the Beauty of Plants

In the February issue of Outdoor Photography magazines Holiday & Courses guide, I give my tips for capturing the beauty of plants.

After 30 years as a professional travel and landscape photographer I have a good understanding of the natural world, having spent many a day bunkered down and immersed in the natural environment with my Mamiya 6×7 camera (pre-digital) waiting for the right light conditions that I wished to capture. So when I was approached to produce photographs of plants for a book 10 years ago, I jumped to the challenge. It led me down a whole new branch of photographic exploration, plant photography.

As with any aspect of photography, after initial trials you find your feet and style. My approach to plant photography really moved on from the initial commission for the book. I am far more interested in the art of plant photography and what makes one photograph really stand out from the others?

There are certain elements that you need to consider when making a great shot.

• Explore your subject before rushing to photograph it, walk around and see what you are drawn to, see how the light plays on the plant. Think about your composition, how is the subject going to fill the frame? Backlit flowers will always look good if the petals are translucent as it accentuates the colours, giving off a luminescence and showing off the patterns. Don`t be afraid to try out different angles, getting down to the same height as the plant is very effective, or look up to flowers from below them.

• Time of day is an important consideration when taking your photographs. Harsh midday sun makes most subjects look unflattering. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times of day as the light is warmer, less harsh and the colours of the plants look richer.

Mornings also tend to be less windy, flowers are hard to photograph when they are moving around too much. Windy days are the toughest to photograph flowers on, unless you choose to use the blur creatively with a slower shutter speed.

• Weather conditions are most important. Most people are surprised to hear that overcast days can be very beneficial for plant photography. This is because clouds act as a perfect light diffuser, creating even lighting and saturation without the worry of harsh highlights or shadows.

• The background of your photograph needs consideration as untidy, busy, cluttered backgrounds kill a shot as the viewers eye gets distracted away from the subject. If there are shadows use them to make the subject stand out, or move in closer to the subject with a tight crop.

• For close ups I would always recommend the use of a tripod, they allow you to frame the plant perfectly and keep the image sharp. Also, look at the flower you are photographing to make sure it is free of blemishes or missing petals.

Experiment and have fun, try out new angles, backgrounds and processes you might be surprised with the results you obtain capturing the beauty of plants.

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Flower photography workshops can be found on my website www.stephenstuddphotography.com

Photography holidays & courses to Cambodia,  Vietnam, Marrakech the USA and the Gower, can be found on my website www.digitalphotographyholidays.com
‘May the light be with you’

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Photographing Into the Sun

This can be tough to get right, but I’ve found that the latest camera sensors seem to be dealing with this difficult lighting situation really well. Experiment with your camera to see how it copes and create beautiful dreamy contemporary images.

I am using this technique in both my travel and garden photography and clients really love the feel it gives.

Here are a few tips for shooting into the sun.

KEEP YOUR LENS CLEAN

Dust, grease and scratches increase the risk of getting distracting flare. If you have a lens protecting filter on, take it off as sunlight can bounce in between the filter and the lens like in the shot below.

Without the filter.

USE MANUAL MODE 

Choose the ISO you want, shoot in RAW and manual focus. Choosing your own aperture and shutter speed gives you the desired control over the effect you are after. Underexposing the image by meter reading for the sun will give you a dark silhouette and what I call a 1970’s feel which is dated to say the least.

For the shot below I got my exposure reading by pointing the camera to the far right (away from the sun), once I’d set the meter reading in manual mode I pointed the camera into the sun and got the perfect exposure with detail in everything, the subject has a blown out highlight which is the bright sun giving a more contemporary feel.

The shot below same technique, meter reading away from the shaft of sunlight, then moved the camera position on a tripod and then the image taken into the light, leaving detail in the surrounding rock formation at Upper Antelope Canyon.

TRIPODS MAKE LIFE EASIER

When shooting backlight with the camera on a tripod, it’s easier to move the camera angle to control any distracting flare. The shot below is on a tripod, see lots of flare.

ISO 100  f22 @ 1/8th sec

This type of flare I don’t like. Once the camera was on the tripod I shielded any bright sunlight getting into the lens by ‘flagging’ to block light and protecting the lens from flare. I use my Lee filters black filter pouch placed above the lens until flare disappears. This can take a few goes to get right. In the photo below the black Lee filters pouch is in the top of the frame. However you can already see the flare has been reduced with more contrast.

ISO 100 f22 @ 1/8th sec  with 0.6 Grad soft ND

This is the shot I was after below. Fully flagged and no flare shooting straight into the sun. To hold more detail in the final image I used a 2 stop soft graduated ND filter.

ISO 100 f22 @ 1/8th sec with 0.6 Grad soft ND

ND GRADUATED FILTERS 

These will help balance the exposure in your photograph. Remember to keep your filters clean.

As the sun was obscured behind a small cloud in the photograph below there was less chance of flare so I kept the ND grad on. Again I exposed for the far left of the frame, then pointed the camera into the sunrise light for a clean, fresh and modern sunrise feel.

0.6 Grad soft ND

HIDE THE SUN BEHIND AN OBJECT

Placing the sun behind an object gives you less chance of flare and can create a beautiful feel to your photograph. The shot below was taken for Paul Hervey-Brookes show garden for Viking Cruises at the RHS Hampton Court Palace flower show.

The shot below taken again on Paul Hervey-Brookes garden at the Chelsea Flower Show .

EXPERIMENT

One thing to take into consideration is that various camera models do act differently using this technique. Get to really know your camera model and what the sensor can deal with. Have fun and try out different apertures and lenses to see what effects they give. Once you’ve mastered the technique with a tripod you can use it in other styles of photography where a tripod can’t be used.

BLACK AND WHITE

The technique also works well when converting images to black and white. At the Grand Canyon the moody dramatic conditions immediately made me think I wanted a black and white image, the conditions were crying out for it. I shoot in colour in RAW, then convert to B&W later in Lightroom. You can see on the left side of the photograph the sun was shining through the clouds. I again used a 0.6ND soft graduated filter to hold detail in the stormy rain filled clouds.

Do you use this technique in your photography? Hope you found the tips useful so you can put the technique to good use, I would love to see your results. Thanks for taking time to drop by the blog.

I have a blog post all about converting to B&W HERE

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WARNING: Be really careful, don’t look into the sun for too long as it can damage your eyes. The main reason this technique works really well with a tripod is once the photograph is lined up you don’t need to keep looking through the viewfinder into the sun. With hand held shooting into the sun you can blind yourself.

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IGPOTY – Flowering Agave – behind the photo

Pleased that I have been Highly Commended in this years International Garden Photographer of the Year competition, in the wildflower landscapes category with this shot taken at the Grand Canyon in the late afternoon.

After I had driven to an observation point I went for a look around the area to see where the late afternoon light was hitting for a landscape photograph.

On top of a steep rocky outcrop I saw the small agave plant with the tall yellow flower head shining brightly in the sun that was hitting it. I immediately thought that it would be a great image to take for the IGPOTY competition. There was a fair bit of cloud around so I had to move quickly as it looked like the sun would disappear behind a cloud at any moment, plus the nearest rocky outcrop was starting to go in to shadow.

Setting up my Canon 6D camera as quickly as I could on top of my Manfrotto tripod, I waited until the sun was at the base of the Agave whilst still lighting up the flower head. I had positioned the camera so the flower head sat in the shadow of the background of the Grand Canyon between the two sections that had sunlight on them, that way the flower head would really shine out of the shadow. I also chose to take the image in portrait orientation as I liked the tall flower head against the backdrop of the vertical cliffs, emphasising the height of the Grand Canyon against a moody looking sky.

As my camera was on the tripod I could keep the ISO down at 100, I set the aperture at f22 as I wanted a very large depth of field with the flower head in focus to the furthest point you can see in the distance which is more than 70 miles away. I also used a 0.6ND soft graduated filter to keep all the detail in the clouds.

Within 5 minutes the scene was over as the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

If you get a chance to see the IGPOTY exhibition at Kew I would thoroughly recommend a trip to see it. Not only will you get to see the beautiful exhibition and prints, but also the very inspirational grounds and plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London.

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See Colour, Think Black and White

OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE INTERVIEW

In the February issue of Outdoor Photography magazines Holiday & Courses guide, I give my tips for producing stunning black and white digital images.

I can remember developing a print from a black & white negative in a school art class – and this being a life changing moment. I was hooked, I knew what I wanted to be; a photographer. Printing was one of my passions when I was studying for my degree in photography many moons ago and loved the whole process of developing the black & white film and developing prints. I still miss this part of photography, but nowadays black & white digital photography can still retain its visual impact.

When leading photo tours and workshops I say to my guests, ‘See colour, think black & white as this adage has served me well over the years. It will extend your opportunities, especially when conditions don’t lend themselves to colour photography. Some locations work really well in black & white such as the Grand Canyon especially when there are moody, dramatic skies.

Some of the steps I use when producing digital black & white images include the following: Before taking the photograph, it is important to pre-visualise your result and it is also valuable to have a knowledge of the Zone System. Shoot in colour in RAW mode, colour space Adobe RGB.

You will have far more control over the finished result by photographing in colour and then making a black & white conversion using image processing software; my preferred one being Lightroom. Shoot on the lowest ISO possible. At high ISOs the noise (grain) is more evident; the lower the ISO the less noise. If you want to increase the grain on an image, it is best to add this in post production.

To process my images in Lightroom I do not use the basic develop module apart from maybe adding a little clarity. Instead I use the tone curve and develop the image to how I visualised it when I took the photograph.

There are many different digital print papers on the market, which have various feels and tones. This is similar to wet processed black & white prints, where each make of paper has a certain quality, along with the chemicals used in developing the print with any dodging or burning adding to the final look.

A favourite paper of mine used to be Kentmere Kentona paper, which had deep warm rich blacks with a warmer base white. To replicate the feel and look of this paper, for the digital photograph of the overgrown temple in Cambodia

in the develop mode of Lightroom I used the split tone function. This adds more depth and character to the finished result.

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CAMBODIA PHOTOGRAPHY

I first travelled to Cambodia in 1999 and it was the first place after visiting countless countries as a travel photographer to truly capture my heart. I have been returning to Cambodia ever since this first visit and I am still truly in love with the country.

The reason I originally travelled to Cambodia was of course to visit the vast and sublime Angkor Wat complex.

However it was the friendly and charming nature of the Cambodian people that so quickly stole my heart.

During my early visits travel around the country was incredibly slow going. Quite often I would find myself clinging on to the back of a motorbike for hours on end as the bike balanced on the banks between paddy fields, slowly picking its way to a far destination promising unique treasures such as deities carved in river beds on sacred mountains.

Nowadays the roads and transport have greatly improved, opening up more of this rustic and unspoilt country.

Despite the improvements to roads, it is still very rare to see other tourists anywhere but the hot spots around Angkor. The bulk of the country remains undeveloped with red dust tracks

and rice paddies peppered with the tall spikes of sugar palms.

Combined with the traditional wooden Khmer houses that rest on stilts and the occasional passing ox-cart

this landscape is rich with photographic gems offering a literal plethora of amazing locations for photography.

The coast of Cambodia boasts amazing sunrises and sunsets

and small towns like Kep, famous for the crab market, are places to head for at sunset to see the days fresh catch hauled back to shore.

I have been taking photographic groups to Cambodia since 2012 and one thing that I hear being said again and again is “I can’t believe we are the only ones here”.

Cambodia still feels fresh and vibrant in comparison to its tourist weary neighbours and moves at a gentle slower pace.

For the discerning travel and landscape photographer Cambodia has it all and in my opinion is Asia’s best kept photographic secret.

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I run travel and landscape photography holidays and tours in Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, Marrakech the USA & UK.
Please visit the website for full itineraries and dates of tours: www.digitalphotographyholidays.com

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Tips to Photograph Spring Flowers

Spring is a fantastic time of year to get outdoors with your camera as nature is bursting with so much energy and colour. A walk in the woods in springtime will reveal a myriad of wild flowers, our gardens and parks will have plenty of subjects to photograph too.

With the advent of digital photography and phones with cameras  we are all photographers, but what makes one photograph really stand out from the others? The answer to that is there is no single correct way to photograph flowers, however, certain elements do have to be taken into consideration to make a great shot.

Firstly before you start, in your cameras settings, select the highest possible resolution. This will give you clearer detail in your photographs, enabling the image to be used larger without signs of bluriness or noise.
Time of day is an important consideration when taking your photographs, the early bird really does catch the worm! Harsh midday sun makes most subjects look unflattering. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times of day as the light is warmer, less harsh and the colours of the plants look richer. Mornings also tend to be more still, flowers are hard to photograph when they are moving around too much. Windy days are the toughest to photograph flowers on, unless you choose to use the blur creatively with a slower shutter speed.

Weather. Most people are surprised to hear that overcast days can be very beneficial for garden and flower photography. This is because clouds act as a perfect light diffuser, creating even lighting and saturation without the worry of harsh highlights or shadows.

Consider your subject before rushing to photograph it. Walk around and see what you are drawn to, see how the light plays on the flowers. Think about your composition, how is the subject going to fill the frame? Backlit flowers will always look good if the petals are transluscent as it accentuates the colours of the petals, giving off a luminesence and showing off the patterns. Don`t be afraid to try out different angles, getting down to the same height as a flower is very effective, or look up to flowers from below them.

The background of your photograph is very important as untidy, busy, cluttered backgrounds kill a shot as the viewers eye gets distracted away from the subject. If there are shadows use them to make the flower stand out, or move in closer to the subject.

For close ups I would always recommend the use of a tripod, they allow you to frame the flower perfectly and keep the image sharp. Also look at the flower to see it is free of blemishes or missing petals.

If you do hand hold your camera, as a very general rule of thumb with a standard lens 1/60th of a second is the minimum shutter speed to use, with longer lenses such as a 200mm look around 1/250th of a second to avoid camera shake. For checking correct exposure always check your histogram not the LCD preview.

Snowdrops: 1/60s  f11

Finally break the rules, experiment and have fun, try out new angles and backgrounds, you might be surprised with the results you obtain.

Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ photographed against the sun, post processed in Lightroom.

Try out different processes such as black and white such as the photograph below of a tulip.

Homage to Edward Weston – 3rd place IGPOTY : Monochrome

When photographing wildflowers be careful not to tread on other flowers, leave them just as you found them for insects and others to enjoy.

Wild Garlic (Ramsons) © Stephen Studd Photography for BBC Gardeners World.

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I  am running bluebell flower photography workshops in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire in April: further details can be found here: www.digitalphotographyholidays.com

I also run flower photography workshops www.digitalphotographyholidays.com

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USA Landscape Photography Road Trip

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“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Arthur Miller

After my first road trip around the American South West with my wife in 2008, I was hooked by the immense landscapes this region has to offer.

I spent all of that first trip photographing the landscapes for an agency, I was captured  by the changes in light and magnificence of the vistas. I knew this part of the world would be one that I would return to over the years.

My most recent trip here was in September 2017, spending 3 weeks photographing the landscapes for a commission and another 2 weeks leading a group of photographers on a photography tour I run. My circular route which started in Las Vegas, took me on roads that are as straight as the eye can see to small friendly towns, and through some of the world’s best desert scenery in the world

Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is aptly named, the red sandstone formations give the area a warm fiery colouring even in bright sunlight.It can get pretty hot here too, but the warm hued landscapes are worth the heat, especially near to sunset when the place comes on fire.

Just a couple of hours drive from the Valley of Fire is Zion National Park, one of my favourite places for photography. In the lower part of Zion you literally get neck ache looking up at the towering peaks of the mountains from the Virgin River which flows through this immense scenery.

However the top part of Zion is my favourite spot. I took a series of photo’s of the Navajo sandstone rock formations back in 2008 which won an award in the landscape category of the International Photography Awards.

Since then I have spent much time photographing in this area as I am fascinated by the unique Navajo sandstone landscape.

Another few hours drive away sees you at Bryce Canyon which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters. Bryce is distinctive for its hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than Zion and is much cooler as the rim at Bryce varies from 2,400 to 2,700 m, due to the remote location it doesn’t get the crowds that other parks do.

Sunrises here are particularly special.

as the hoodoos glow in the morning sunlight.

As Utah is +1 hour ahead in time from Nevada and Arizona, sunrises are at a very comfortable 7.00am in September, no excuses for getting up for these views.

Horseshoe Bend near Page in Arizona is another favourite place for the landscape photographer, especially at sunset.

Again in Page is Antelope Slot Canyon in Navajoland, a place that is really high on the photographers bucket list. Places are limited to just 6 people for the photography tours in Upper Antelope Canyon, with only 2 tours a day they can sell out years in advance. I have been lucky to have photographed here twice and already have a booking for 5 places for the September 2018 tour.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon

Photographing Antelope Slot Canyon has been one of the highlights of my professional photography career, the images you capture here are truly awesome, with the ever changing light bouncing around the canyon walls that have been weathered into beautiful shapes and patterns over eons of time.

Just 120 miles from Page is Monument Valley Tribal Park in Utah, the sacred heart of the Navajo Nation and a place I had always wanted to visit from an early age, it doesn’t let you down once you get there and it’s easy to see why it became an iconic symbol of the American West. My first visit was in 2008 when there was no hotel there, we camped under a cloudless sky looking at the Milky Way all night and I knew it was a place I would return to again and again.The skies here can be outrageously moody.In a very synchronistic way that always seem to happen on Navajo Land, I have teamed up with a Navajo friend who has taken me way off road to a place only accessible with a Navajo guide, this has been the highlight on the photo tour I run here. The drive is totally amazing going over terrain that only a local would be confident doing, but once at the top of one of the mesa’s the panoramic views of the sandstone formations from a distance bathed in warm evening light are breath taking.As for the desert night skies high up from this vantage point, you can see the Milky Way and a billion stars as there is no light pollution here. The sunrises from up here too are a landscape photographers dream.

It’s always hard to leave Monument Valley and the amazing landscapes, but 180 miles drive away you reach yet another photographers bucket list location the Grand Canyon from the East side with its jaw dropping views.The Grand Canyon is world famous for the light, which photographs well whatever the weather conditions are. I personally prefer real moody scenes as they really add drama to photographs,the same scene can change within a very short space of time, making it worthwhile to stop and photograph the ever changing views that appear in front of your lens.There are so many great turn outs to stop at along the south rim meaning that you don’t have to walk far for stunning photographs.

There is also an excellent free shuttle bus that goes to the main view points, that start way before sunrise, which is excellent news for photographers.

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Historic Route 66 was my next stop on the circle route back to Vegas, which takes in Americana and old-school kitsch.Hackberry stores literally in the middle of nowhere is sure worth a stop on the way back,as is the strange little town of Chloride, those that have been there will know what I mean!

Taking this 14 day circular route from Las Vegas it is possible to photograph every day of the road trip, spending a few nights at the best locations, with plenty of sunrise and sunset shots along the way. There are relatively short drives on quiet roads, the longest drive I ever did in between locations was 3 hours, but still stopped on the way for some unique American shots.

The one thing you will need for a two week road trip is plenty of storage space to back up all the photographs you will take. Instead of heading back to the madness of Vegas after this nature immersion I like to stay in Boulder City, Nevada. On the way you pass the Hoover Dam, worthy of a quick visit. Boulder is a small compact city that you can walk around and has some fantastic places to eat and craft beer micro breweries. From here it’s only a short drive to Las Vegas airport to fly home.There’s great value to be taken from photography road-tripping as they are not only full 

of wonderful adventures, but also give you space for new ideas and help you improve your landscape photography skills, and you’ll come away with powerful compelling photo’s and a whole new way of seeing the world.

CAMERA EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS: Sturdy tripod as it can get windy, remote release, ND soft graduated filters, ND filters, spare memory cards, selection of lenses with lens hoods, including a fast wide angle lens if you intend to do any astro-photography. Plus of course back up hard drives, laptop/tablet.

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I RUN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY ROAD TRIPS in South West USA each September, the next one starting on September 9th 2018. Maximum 4 guests only, with just 1 place left. Full details and itinerary can be found on my website HERE

I also lead travel and landscape photography tours and workshops in Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Wales & England: www.digitalphotographyholidays.com

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Kinetic Musical Troughs and Colour – a glance back at RHS Chelsea 2017.

Taking my first peek at the show last year on the Sunday before press day,  Manoj Malde’s ‘Beneath a Mexican Sky’ garden stopped me in my tracks with it’s in your face bold use of colour. Having spent some time in Mexico myself I know that Mexicans are not shy of using colour.

Manoj’s garden had a quiet, relaxed feeling to it and had one of my favourite plants Agave Americana, showing the blue green colours against the orange wall and turquoise water feature.

Walking around taking in the show gardens I noticed that there seemed to be a predominant colour palette of reds, oranges and yellows coming through, as seen here in Charlotte Harris’s RBC Garden with planting of Aquilegia canadensis with Zizia aurea.

The Hagakure Hidden Leaves garden designed by Shuko Noda was framed in red, picturing another tranquil, peaceful and calming space.

As a professional garden photographer at Chelsea, I know that one of the hardest spots for a garden designer to fill is the one that Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins ‘The Silk Road’ garden filled dramatically and really showcased the colour scheme of yellows, reds and oranges in such a large scale.The Viking Cruises ‘Garden of Inspiration’ by Sarah Eberle had bright vivid mosaics and of course the orange tree to take you straight to the Med.The Breast Cancer Now Garden: Through the Microscope designed by Ruth Willmottused the colour palette of oranges, reds and yellows to great effect.

A new feature at the show in 2017 were the BBC Radio 2 Feel Good Gardens, which were designed to uplift the senses and encourage people to lose themselves in the sights, scents, sounds, flavours and textures.

The Zoe Ball Listening Garden, designed by Skipper of the light fandango, James Alexander-Sinclair was another show stopper with the kinetic musical troughs. They were mesmerizing, just watching the sound waves ripple on the water and seeing what patterns they produced with the occasional splash from deep bass sound, a novel idea well executed.The Anneka Rice ‘Colour Cutting’ garden designed by Sarah Raven was a colourful garden which had a lovely retro, nostalgic feel to it.

The garden was a riot of colour which was blended together with great talent.

As an allotment holder, the Chris Evans ‘Taste Garden’ designed by Jon Wheatley, reminded me of visits as a young child to my Uncle Harry’s garden in Ipswich, whilst giving me allotment envy.The vegetable garden also reflected the warm colours of reds and bronzes.

The Jeremy Vine ‘Texture Garden’ designed by Matt Keightley had so many great design ideas packed in to a small space, wow what a wall that was and great use of oversized irregular-shaped paving stones that created a feeling of space.Matt’s sumptuous planting truly showcased beautiful flower, grass and conifer plant combinations alike.

Prunus serrula, Iris germanica ‘Kent Pride’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’ & ‘Pumilio’, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’

His garden really stood out with the combination of textures in it and coppery red tones with the grasses catching the sunlight transforming their colours whilst waving gently in the wind.

Copper was used to great effect in Charlotte Harriss’s garden with the patinated copper pavilion.

The sunrise light on the Breaking Ground garden, designed by Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam had a striking copper wall and Stipa gigantean and other grasses again absorbing the warm morning light.

Finally the RHS ‘Greening Grey Britain‘ garden designed by Professor Nigel Dunnett was brimming full of take away ideas. The living roof over the wheelie bins, growing herbs and edibles was a great idea, even down to the wooden legs with drilled holes for solitary insects.The very contemporary urban garden showcased the principles of sustainable rainwater management, with naturalistic informal planting set against the strong shapes and forms of the paths and hard surfaces. The RHS ‘Greening Grey Britain‘ campaign is addressing the fact that we are paving over the UK, which is harmful to wildlife and is damaging to the nation’s health, whilst putting homes at more risk from flooding. Working with communities to transform neglected spaces into beautiful ones, researching about plants that can make the most difference to the environment and showcasing inspirational gardening at their shows and gardens. These spaces at the shows are always inspirational as they are achievable in our own spaces, no matter how small they are, helping everyonewith ideas to “get Greening Grey Britain, one plant at a time.” 

With the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 countdown on, I look forward to seeing the new trends in garden design at the show this year.

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My garden and travel photography website is: www.stephenstuddphotography.com

Flower photography workshops & photography holidays: Digital Photography Holidays

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