Photographing Nature

Guest Speaker Jill Jeddrie was warmly welcomed by Esther Amiro at a recent meeting of the Chester Garden Club. Jill used beautiful photos projected from her computer to illustrate her remarks about what she looks for when photographing nature.

Water in various forms, whether as droplets of rain, soft dew or even icy coatings on berries, is a favourite feature of her photos. She noted that even dead leaves take on a special quality when encased in ice, and that the patterns of ice on the surface of a pond can suggest dramatic images.

Jill spoke about seeking images from various elements in nature, mentioning the wonder she feels when photographing "critters", and pointing out the advantage of close-ups that often reveal detail overlooked in the larger views of a scene. 

She said that approaching familiar objects from a new angle can open up interesting perspectives whether that object is a flower, a boat's reflections on water, or the knarled shape of a tree trunk. She doesn't hesitate to crop photographs to bring out the best in the subject matter and, she reminded her audience of the basic aspects to keep in mind when creating a photograph:  texture, line, form and light.

A short business meeting followed Jill's presentation and the members in attendance were delighted to receive healthy slips of Brugmansia that had been potted up by last month's speaker, Susan Davis, of the Risley greenhouses as a gift to members of the Garden Club. Membership has its privileges!