I have a friend who regularly enters his photos in local
shows. I’ve been to see Andy Smith’s work in galleries
many times. His work can be avant-garde, a cleverly
enhanced landscape, or black and white with a splash of
prismatic color. It’s always intriguing. He has the eye to
find the elements of a great photograph.
I always invite him to my garden party during bloom
season. A few years back he sent me a set of photos he
took in my garden. One I found especially intriguing. It
was beautiful, but I could not figure out the cultivar. He
had brought out colors with processing that I did not see.
He inspired me to do the same.
Not being an irisian or horticulturally literate frees him,
as he says, “to look at the garden without restrictions.”
Every one of my irises is labeled and usually (if the garden
gnomes cooperate) they stay in place. You’ll perhaps
recognize some cultivars, but I submit them unlabeled.
Look at them without preconceptions. Look at them as a
work of art. Look for color juxtaposition, shade and light,
line and and form, focus (in and out). I hope you’ll enjoy
them as much as I do.
This issue’s tip is to invite an avid photographer to
crawl around in your garden. You might be surprised at
what they find.
d
2
3
4
5 6
Spring 2019 AIS Bulletin 27