Morning Light

I’m taking a digital garden photography class online through Longwood Gardens. It’s been fun and has me looking at my garden in different ways and experimenting with my camera. I jumped ahead a couple of weeks to where we are learning about light. (I start a web design class at my old college, University of the Arts, soon, so I wanted to get a bit ahead on the photo class before that starts.) One of my favorite times in the garden is in the morning when the sunlight illuminates the plants so beautifully. I certainly still have a lot to learn about photography, especially when it comes to controlling how the camera sees light, but I had fun playing around with the idea this morning.

The Siberian Irises are blooming right now and they look absolutely gorgeous when back-lit by the morning light. 

Siberian Irises.

One of my favorite plants to appreciate in the morning is the smokebush. The light and shadows on the leaves is pure magic.

Smokebush.

I love how you can see the shadows of other leaves and stems in the highlights on some of the leaves.

Smokebush.

Here’s that warm sun shining through. 

Smokebush.

Sun shining down on the catmint and roses.

Catmint and pink roses.

Purple Columbine, purple spiderwort, and pink roses with the top of the shed in the background. I have to say I’m not a huge fan of spiderwort except when it’s blooming. It seeds itself all over and usually NOT where I want it. After it flowers it looks pretty unsightly and I cut it back, which is a good thing I think because that causes the leaves to grow in again.

Flower garden.

It has been very windy the past couple of days, which has caused the climbing rose to drop petals. I like how the dappled light looks with the petals on the ground.

Rose petals.

The rose petals on the ground next to the Hens and Chicks, also dappled with light.

Hens and Chicks succulent.

This purple columbine is in a shadier spot right now, but you can see the light behind it.

Purple Columbine.

This peony is also in a shady spot at this time of the day, but you can see the sun behind it.

Peony.

 As the lights and shadows change throughout the day, so does the garden. It makes you take notice of different things at different parts of the day. I find that pretty fascinating.