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paula_b_gardener5bon

best time for hosta photography

I am quite sure that this is a subject has most likely been covered before, but if anyone with knowledge on this subject could tell me a couple of tips, that would be great.

Does anyone here have any suggestions on the best environment to take pics? Morning, evening, overcast, twilight, etc. any suggestions would be helpful. I am struggling to get the best colours in my hostas to show on camera.

Thanks,
Paula

Comments (33)

  • gamountains
    10 years ago

    Most photographers prefer overcast days. Then if you're familiar with Photoshop there are some nifty tools where white balance and color can be adjusted.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Video - Color Adjustments Photoshop

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Professional photographers use the 'magic' 1/2 hours at sunrise and before sunset to capture the best light for photos.

    Living on the side of a hill means I don't get sun 'on the ground' until long after sunrise.

    gamemountains, another way to balance lighting on sunny days would be to use a UV filter. Most new digital cameras will minimize ultra-violet light impact on photos, but UV filters can help a little and protect the lens for cheap money.

    Jon

    This post was edited by jonnyb023 on Tue, Jun 18, 13 at 7:48

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    jonny is close ...

    and this is presuming you are as uneducated about cameras as i am ... and relying on some low technology camera... no fancy lens.. no f stop insanity ... etc ... and i have no clue about these phones and recent gizmos .. that do everything in the world short of boiling water for raman.. lol...

    first.. if you have to squint...your pix will be washed out... its to bright ...

    same if you have those fancy glasses that darken themselves ...

    one solution to being washed out .. is to take your pix to a photo editor.. and balance brightness .. but NEVER change color ...

    soooo.. when are you not squinting ... well.. dusk and dawn ...

    my best time is after dinner .... the last half hour or so ... before dark ... and you're too late.. if the flash starts popping.. just put the camera away at that point ...

    and... if its one of those evenings.. when the clouds pop pink ... that is the time to take pix of blues ... on the color wheel.. they are complimentary colors.. and enhance each other...

    all that said.. in the age of digital .... just go out every night.. and snap the same hosta.. until you capture that perfect pic .... even a pro will take a dozen snaps of the same topic... then go in the house.. and throw 11 of them away... take them off the card... and plan on tomorrow ...

    for clarity of depth ... take you pic on the most ginormous pixel setting ... and then crop it in your photo editor ... i take mine on 2400 x 3600 .. or something like that.. and the hosta looks puny ... but then cropping out everything else.. makes it look like you had some fancy zoom lens ... its all about capturing enough pixels ... so that when you do this.. there are still enough there ....

    so in this exercise ... go out there... and snap 5 or 6 of the same hosta ... one each on each pixel setting.. then go edit them.. and you will see the difference ...

    i really does simply boil down to playing around with the camera ... something i always wanted to do.. but refused the cost and waiting to have film developed ... now.. its all right there in your magical camera card.. and editor ...

    and if you think all these good shots are not edited... you are deluding yourself.... that is how they get all those fancy borders.. and frames.. and writing on the pic.. etc .... sure.. some of them have the fancy cameras.. and the knowledge.. but they are still editing .... on some level or another ....

    ken

    ps: there are actually peeps.. who MUST take pix at high noon.. and they have fancy umbrellas.. and peeps to hold them.. to create the light level they need....

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Ken,

    Rest assured none of my pictures are 'photoshopped', not that anyone would suspect they were. I have no patience and do not own any photo editing program. I just take the best picture I can and I have a nice camera that knows far more than I do about taking pictures.

    I know you didn't mean your statement as a personal remark against anyone in particular, but I just thought I would put in my two cents and speak up for myself...which I know you can appreciate.

    Jon

  • hostafreak
    10 years ago

    What Ken said is true. I have been in photography far longer than I ever even knew about hostas. Pro photographers can afford to discard most of their photos,as far back as film,remember that? I find,in my garden,at least,the best time is around 1;30 to 2;00 PM is best. That's when my woodland garden goes into overhead shade,and no glaring sun hits the hosta leaves. Early in the morning is good,too,as Jonny pointed out,no sun hits my garden until late morning,as I am on the side of a hill,too,and that's where my garden is also. They used to use the phrase 'cloudy bright',and that still holds true today. The problem is,digital cameras seem to capture more light than film ever used to. Another problem with digital is,when there isn't enough light without a flash,the pics will come out blurry,due to low shutter speed. As Ken said,I don't know how those phone cameras work. All I know for sure is that phone cameras use less sophisticated lenses than real cameras use. Have you ever seen a pro photographer using a phone at a sporting event? No,and you never will. I'll get off my soapbox now! Phil

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Phil,

    My camera, a Nikon SLR, does pop up the flash a lot of the time when I don't want it as the pictures don't look as natural with the flash.

    I hold down the flash and the camera is smart enough to increase the exposure. I suppose there is a more professional way to do this if I would just learn to use the zillion settings that the camera is capable of,; but it works for me. It takes a steady hand or a tripod (have one, never used it...have 2 actually) to take low light pictures without blurring. Once again, my super smart camera can be tweaked to duplicate horrendously fast film which would help taking this type of picture...if I only had the patience to read the operating instructions. I think maybe 1% or less of owners ever read to understanding the 450 page user's manual (Really?)

    Jon

  • paul_in_mn
    10 years ago

    When conditions are too bright the colors wash out and the shadows(depth) are gone. Look at garden photos you like and there is depth in the photos.

    Paul

  • robo (z6a)
    10 years ago

    One thing I do in low light or when there's not a lot of differentiation (contrast) shooting greenery is activate a two-second time delay on my camera. That way you shake the camera when you press the button, but have time to steady it before the shutter goes. Sometimes I prop my elbows on the ground or another steady object to imitate a tripod.

    Another thing you can do is move around (change the angle of the light to the hosta) until the hosta greens look pretty true on your camera. And get down near the ground. :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: A great instructable on shooting plants

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Okay Robot; it's on our bellies early tomorrow morning....except it looks like a lot more rain heading our way.

    Hosta in the rain? No lack of opportunity there; but belly shots are for that one are out of the question.....for me anyway.

    Jon

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    10 years ago

    Ken, like your sense of humour!!!!
    I'm not a camera buff but own an automatic (kind of old) Konica, a digital, now all I use is my iPad for taking amazing pics, and I mean amazing...who would have thought, eh? (Slipping in my Canadian haha)...even in glaring sunlight the pics are great. Ken's advice works...take more shots and edit them later.

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks everyone. Today, I will take some pics at a few different times in conjunction with a few different settings and take 'lots'. Maybe I will have a blue, that looks 'blue' tonight.

    Paula

  • hostafreak
    10 years ago

    Jonny,my camera is a Nikon D70,a now long discontinued camera,but it still works well. I turn off my flash,so I can pop it up when needed. I still have a lot of interchangable lenses for this camera,from my film days Yeah,I have gotten lazy in my old age,and now shoot in programmed mode,most of the time. I have a tripod,and a good one,but I don't like lugging it around. I can take a lot of time if I would just use the sophisticated things in the camera.. Back in the days of film cameras,you had to focus manually,and set the lens setting,but now,with autofocus,and automation,we just forget how. Phil

  • MadPlanter1 zone 5
    10 years ago

    Any time you don't have direct sun on the plant and enough light to get a sharp picture is good. If your camera has a closeup setting, use that. The icon probably looks like a flower. Also if it allows you to pick the kind of light, go for "daylight" instead of "Auto". Just after a shower is great if you still have indirect light. The water drops look nice and the plant has good color.

    I do photoshop mine. I take everything in RAW, which is kind of like a negative. Lots of information, but it has to be processed to look right.

  • robo (z6a)
    10 years ago

    jonny, maybe we should just take pictures of giants instead! No kneeling required!! :)

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Phil,

    We don't ever want to go back to film.

    Robot, you have to get on your belly with giants. Shooting down on a 'giant' is just not right.

    ;-(

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    Thanks everyone. Today, I will take some pics at a few different times in conjunction with a few different settings and take 'lots'. Maybe I will have a blue, that looks 'blue' tonight.

    ==>>> this Saturday.... [or any day you will be there all day ...

    get a timer ... set for 60 minutes... i dont know what the canadian metric equivalent is ... probably has to do with hockey and labatts.. lol ..

    and go take a pic of the SAME HOSTA .. smae spot .. every hour...

    then .. after dark.. crack a labatts.. and compare ... they will be in order shot.. so you can tell ...

    and simply take a few mins.. to understand how the day went by ...

    then.. trash them all.

    and on sunday.... go take 10 pix.. of the same hosta.. at the hour you decided was best ... from the top.. side.. front back.. etc..

    later that evening.. labatts.. compare.. etc ... then trash them all .. and do something else ...

    practice makes perfect.. and in this case.. perhaps a labatts fiend... lol ..

    then.. next w/end.. try changing one setting ... go thru same thing... etc.. then another setting..etc ...

    ken

  • User
    10 years ago

    Like your suggestion for scheduling picture shoots so you can learn about your camera, and the light conditions in your garden. No getting down on the ground for me....would not be getting back up.

    Were you referring to MOI about the umbrella, Ken? It was an accident! The yella umbrella was a big outdoor yella filter. I have PaintShopPro X4 and will adjust brightness on the shots when the shadow conceals details...sometimes. But I undo even brightness if it changes the color. However, I was really pleased with the exotic look given my hosta by the sunlight filtering through that yella fabric.

    I've also gone into the garden while it was raining, with an umbrella over my head, and taken some beautiful photos. Of course, not totally steady handed. But I love to walk in the garden while it has a slow steady rain. Plus, after I water and the garden is a good 10-15 degrees cooler than every other spot outdoors, I feel it is a magical place. Birds flying around, tree frogs rasping with joy, colors brighter, hostas murmuring how happy they are..... inspirational.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    When I was a young 'smart Alec' I went up to a friend who was an expert on cameras and told him I was having trouble taking pictures indoors.

    'What type of camera is it, Jon.' He asked

    'Brownie Box' I replied.

    He was very good natured.

    Jon

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The results of my photographic efforts are below. Grades please?
    blue
    {{gwi:1014792}}
    contrast
    {{gwi:1014793}}
    precise shades of blues
    {{gwi:1014794}}
    {{gwi:1014795}}
    {{gwi:1014796}}

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    btw - Those are straight shots - no alterations using any effects.

  • weekendweeder
    10 years ago

    I am very much a snap and shoot with my iPhone type of gal, so am in no position to grade anyone's photography, but paula the El Nino/First Frost(?) combo with June is stunning!

    Hosta are naturally photogenic (is at least what I tell myself, so I don't feel pressure to futz with a fancy camera. Just don't have the patience. And also I constantly am dropping my phone as it is. Had to get a sturdier case for it. Can't imagine lugging a camera out to the garden.)

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks weekendweeder. You are correct, it is First Frost and June.

    My garden isn't very big so not too much lugging to do.

    I haven't bothered with it much in the past but I am interested in learning how to make them look their best.

  • weekendweeder
    10 years ago

    Didn't mean to imply that my garden was huge (it's not). I just usually have my hands full with tools and dirty gloves, that I find it useful being able to shove my phone into a pocket.

    A friend who is a master gardener said that she likes to take photos after a rain. Or she will cheat and give her plants a good once-over with a hose to give it the same effect. Though I imagine that would be less desirable for waxy hosta.

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hmm, that is good to keep in mind.

    I took the pics at the end of the day, after I put the gloves and tools away! Actually, putting them 'away' is a strong term, as I have a caddy that I put beside the bench on my front porch right next to the front door so they are ready for me, first thing when I walk outside.

    Two reasons, if I see something that needs attending to (deadhead, etc) by the time I get to the shed I won't have forgotten what I am going there for. And secondly (probably most important) is I am lazy. lol

  • thisismelissa
    10 years ago

    Never in sun.
    I read in FIne Gardening that Dawn and Dusk are best.
    But the skeeters are awful at that time. Twilight I do not like cuz it's a funky color.

    I like bright overcast.... no shadows.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    I once watched a documentary on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoots once, to get some pointers on photographic technique, and they took almost all their pictures at the first 1/2 hour of daylight and the last 1/2 hour. They called it 'the magic time' with a warm red glow that surpassed any other time of the day. Somehow I have always remembered this show and the advice.

    Jon

    Oh, nice pics Paula, I think I can detect some warm red hues...

    This post was edited by jonnyb023 on Thu, Jun 20, 13 at 10:57

  • User
    10 years ago

    Jonny, I am sure you remembered the Sports Illustrated swim suit shoot for its great dialog, as well as its gorgeous examples.

    Ah, Jon-Boy, you left yourself open for that one. ......
    ....but I know what you mean.

    These days, my hands shake more. Not so easy to hold steady. There comes a breeze just at the wrong time, and the scapes wiggle on me. My back gets a twitch in it. I suddenly forget everything I knew about operating my camera, for some reason.

    Guess I should try reading the manual again.
    I have three things I take pictures with, depending on where I am. My smarty phone is Atrix 4g, which I use in a pinch--I can upload direct and immediately to Flickr from its WiFi connection to my account at Flickr.

    The ASUS TF201 Android tablet takes pictures nicely, but I have a hard time composing the picture since the brightness function with daylight sort of fades out the screen and what I'm focused on. I regard it as a point and shoot camera.

    Then my Nikon Coolpix or whatever it is, does fine, but I don't know how to stop it from turning spots of sunlight into burnt out spots in the photo. I have broken shade in my Back40 hosta area, and waiting for a cloudy overcast day could take a long time. I take my shots when I can get em, for better or worse.

    In the month of May, I took over 1200 garden shots, mostly of the hosta. I mean EVERYTHING was picture worthy in my eyes. In June so far, 2/3 over with, I've taken 800 garden shots. Averaging 400 shots every 10 days it seems. Could not begin to do that (or afford to do that) if it were a film camera. I'm more likely to keep less of the shots that are bad though. Although uploading direct from the cameras is a good thing, it can also lead to out of focus and blurry images if not reviewed before uploading.

    And shooting in the rain can lead to unexpected problems. I took a lot of pictures and they looked fine normal size. But when I viewed them in slideshow full screen, I saw that there was a spot of dirty water or something similar, in the same spot on a series of photos. Oh boy. That was irritating. Someone mentioned a little before this happened, be sure to clean your camera lens. And the lesson came home to me, loud and clear. Those spots on the lens can ruin all your beautiful photos, and flowers and leaves do not stay the same for very long. It might be the only chance you get to shoot a fantastic plant.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    10 years ago

    Moc,

    The only thing I know that will tone down bright sun 'mechanically' is a UV filter. It will make clouds more visible on a sunny day. It is not used very much on digital cameras, but my Nikon DSL (D80) has a screw on adapter for fancy lenses.

    The UV can be left on at all times on a SLR (single lens reflex). It will help a little with bright sun and not be noticeable on shady days. Some use it just to protect the camera lens.

    I have an old Coolpix too. It has been around and around the world, it replaced my Olympus Stylus which had many hundreds of thousands of miles on it as well. I just took it out to look at it and it has some film in it that has to be 15 years old. I wonder; what in the heck is on it? Can I get it developed. Hmmm, some mystery. It could be any of 20 countries or maybe just family photos.

    What a kick to find out. Hmmmm.

    ...to be continued.

  • Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
    10 years ago

    My favourite time to take garden pictures is when the light is dull and flat, as in an overcast day (we get plenty of those here in SW BC), particularly when the plant or an overview is what I'm after. Having said that though, I LOVE taking shots in sunny backlight of things like flowers in close-up, like the shot of these 'Raspberry Sorbet' florets....

    And I love shots right after it has rained, with the raindrops still on the leaves...

    Pieter

  • User
    10 years ago

    I like your photos, Pieter...always a pleasure to view them.
    In my space, taking pictures after a rain event it is sometimes still very dark, and the flash comes on. It highlights the plant alright, and darkens the background. I wish I could get it to duplicate what I see with my bare eyes. The moodiness of after rain (apres pluie, a la francais) is charming, textured, heightened color.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    Were you referring to MOI about the umbrella, Ken? It was an accident! The yella umbrella was a big outdoor yella filter.

    ==>> no ... shadrack came over to take professional level pix for his book ... and his wife.. used a photo umbrella to perfect the brightness/contrast or whatever ... i think they actually had a photo meter to decide ...

    they had no option of when they were to be in any garden.. so they had to come prepared to take good pix.. no matter what the time of day ...

    a different umbrella is silver inside.. and can be used to add flash.. i think...

    so.. nothing to do with your yellow umbrella post ...

    --=====

    PAULA!!!!! you are a brilliant student.. i think you now know how to do blues ...

    note that two have white edges ...

    in one pic.. it is almost washed out... and in the second its not ... so one pic is perfect.. and one is almost .... if you look real close.. its too white.. and you lose a bit of clarity .... on certain edges... so that one would be trashed.. and i would go try that one again ...

    and i bet.. they were taken 10 or 15 mins apart.. as you practiced.. and the perfect lighting.. can be that ephemeral ... momentary ...

    but the simple point is.. just look at your 5 pix above.. critique yourself.. and go back out tonight ... or whenever...

    did you try cropping them.. or say you werent interested???

    ken

  • User
    10 years ago

    When Ken asked if Paula had cropped her pictures, I have to say that I like to crop mine to draw the focal point in perfectly. However, taking as many as I do, with other hosta in the background, I don't like to cut them all away. It might be the only shot of that background hosta that I get that whole month. I don't want to lose it.

    However, when there is nothing but mulch, or an ugly water hose off to the side, a good crop job will work wonders. The photo is much improved.

    I use PaintShopPro X4 to do my "tagging" of descriptors, and to crop and add text to the photo. Sometimes I leave the imprinted date as part of the picture too, when I would otherwise trim away that portion to make a good photo. I do not see as well as I once did, so some are not always in focus. But I keep some of those if I need to document the leaf color. The hosta grow so quickly, tomorrow each has a new look. Turn your back on them for a week, and you're in for some surprises.

  • in ny zone5
    10 years ago

    Like with a lot of things, like pruning bushes and trees, the best time is when you think about it and when you have time. Bernd