The Ruth Bancroft Garden Field Trip 7/30/2011

This 2.5 acre garden is located at 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek 94598. The focus is on water conserving plants with it’s 2,000 cactus, succulents, trees and shrubs from around the world. Admission is $10 for adult and $7 for seniors. Parking is at the office entrance at 1500 Bancroft Road. Tripods are allowed as long as they are set up on paths.

Here are a few tips on photographing plants: Try to find some unique perspective to make the composition more interesting then just a catalog photo. How about including wasps, bees or any king of crawling critters. Try different depths of field by shooting at several aperture settings. Use a diffuser to eliminate harsh sunlight. Fill a frame with a single flower, leaf or plant for more detail as opposed to including too much background that may be distracting. In other words, try different techniques that may capture the beauty of these plants.

Gary Larsen