Longwood, home to the world’s premiere horticultural gardens, is only 2 1/2 hours from the Washington D.C. area and a delight for anyone who loves to shoot magnificent flower displays, majestic trees, photogenic water displays and opulent architecture. The spectacular conservatories, gardens, woodlands and meadows are spread over 1,000 acres. The 20 indoor gardens alone cover 4 acres. The many outdoor gardens include an Italian water garden, rose garden, and a topiary garden. Our Safari will coincide with the Festival of Fountains, during which three fountain gardens are open day and night.

Join instructor Judy Reisman on this day-long Safari during which you will be shown how to capture stunning wide-angle views of the gardens and conservatories, as well as close-ups and macro shots. Judy will demonstrate the new filters she has been designing so that you can get an immediate impressionistic image as well as other useful gadgets for flower photography. We will also look at ways of improving the available light through fill-flash, reflectors, and other methods. Also demonstrated will be the use of cloth backdrops to obtain clean backgrounds.

We will shoot in the conservatories in the morning while we can use tripods. Bring a bag lunch as we will picnic outside. During the afternoon, we will explore the outdoor gardens. The formal portion of the Safari will end at 5 p.m. but you may want to stay on and shoot the multi-hued fountains after dark.