July 17, 2009
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C O U P O N for all of It's About Thyme's gardening friends on our
email list. 30% off all plants... anything with leaves. Print out this coupon
and bring it into the nursery this week for this dramatic discount.
(some restrictions apply; expires July 24)
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The nursery's new 12 foot bridge (photography by Julie Blake)
Japanese Bridges: Thanks to local craftsman Tom Colwell, we are
now able to offer a range of different Japanese bridges to customers. They
can add a graceful, Eastern touch to any garden when placed over a
pond or dry river bed. Prices start at $400 for a 6 foot bridge (unfinished).
Austin Pond Society Pond Tour: takes place this Saturday and Sunday.
Visit 16 of Austin's best ponds for $12.50. (Wristbands available at the
nursery.) Visit www.austinpondsociety.org for more details.
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Five Photography Tips for Gardeners
by Dale Rempert
1: Shoot in the morning, or when the light is diffuse and the winds are calm.
Most garden flowers are at their peak at this time, and with any luck they
will still be coated with the morning dew. If you must shoot in the midday
sun, choose a cloudy or overcast day to help soften the light.
Many professional photographers use a diffusion screen held between the
sun and the subject, which provides a wonderfully soft light source. You
can make one at home out of white rip stock nylon and a frame. Morning
light has the advantage of being warmer as well as softer than the midday sun.
2: Study the light. Photography is all about light. Observe how the light
hits the plant. Look for the shadows and highlights. Walk around the plant,
observe how they change. If the shadows are too heavy, hold a piece of
stiff white foam board and reflect the sun light into the shadows. Or use it
to create highlights on an overcast day.
Avoid getting into the light when taking the picture. Casting your own shadow
on the subject is a common problem. And we all know seeing your shadow
can bring six more weeks of winter!
A Dale Rempert original: note the interesting angle, and the
small depth of field. Taken in full sunlight at midday.
3: Use a tripod. Keep camera and plant completely still. This is critical to
capturing a sharp image. Many almost-perfect pictures have been ruined
by a shaky camera or a breeze-blown flower.
4: Choose a wide aperture (small f-stop number) for a narrow depth of field.
A shallow depth of field draws the viewer’s attention to what is in focus –
the flowers – and blurs and distractions in the background. Using a wide
aperture lets more light into the camera. This allows you to shoot faster and
reduce the risk of a blurred image.
5: Be creative. Try shooting up at the flowers from the ground, straight down
or directly from the side. Place the sun directly behind the flowers so they are
backlit. If you have a macro or close up lens or extension tubes, use them to
get in close and shoot a detail of just one flower. Shoot from all angles.
Finally, a little secret of the trade: Carry a spray bottle with a 50/ 50 mix of
glycerin and water. Adding the glycerin to the water makes the water droplets
bigger and helps them stick to the flowers. Softly spray the plant to look like
they are coated with dew. Glycerin is natural and is totally safe for the plants.
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Visit www.dalerempertphotography.com see more of Dale's beautiful
images. He is available for portraits and landscapes.
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![ItsAboutThyme_logo[1] by you.](https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2453/3680390926_a47790c3da.jpg?v=0)
Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the
nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 Tel. 512 280 1192
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