Why Garden Photography?
Winterbourne House & Garden at UoB
It’s the start of 2026 (can we till stay that in late January?) and I want to reflect on why I wanted to be a garden photographer.
As I mentioned in my introductory blog, I decided to pursue garden photography as a career move because it combines my enjoyment of photography with my love of being outdoors.
As part of the process of curating a new, more meaningful life for myself, the book Designing Your Life (Burnett & Evans) prompted me to complete a career oriented word cloud that culminated in me mashing together the words ‘gardening’ and ‘photography’. At first I didn’t think there would be such a job as a ‘garden photographer’, but some quick research led me to realise there is a dedicated group of professionals working in this sector who produce some incredible art showing off the creative and horticultural skills of an entire industry sector. From designers and landscapers, through to plants people, nursery and garden centre owners, horticulturists and growers, down to enthusiasts who throw open their homes and gardens as part of the National Garden Scheme. Economically, the Garden Industry contributes £38bn a year to UK GDP (according to the RHS State of Gardening Report). Not to mention the array of nature based services that gardens and gardening provide to society such as flood mitigation, climatic cooling in urban areas and positive impacts upon mental and physical health.
During my recovery from work related burnout, I found being in our garden and tending to our plants helped me reconnect with who I am. It would calm my racing mind and force me to slow down and be present in the moment. You can’t be checking emails or doomscrolling news or social media whilst your hands are covered in compost or you are trying to sow minuscule seeds.
The following four images are from a recent venture out into our garden to see what’s occuring.
During the period of my burnout recovery, I took my camera on a few outings to some local gardens. I discovered the hidden gem of Winterbourne House & Gardens at the University of Birmingham. This Arts and Crafts marvel, nestled right next to the campus I studied at 25 odd years ago, features some of my favourite spaces to sit and chill in the heaving metropolis of Birmingham. I’ve also found myself volunteering there, learning about the fascinating history and craft of letterpress printing, but more on that in another blog post. The house gardens weren’t open to the public when I was a student and I’m immensely jealous that current students have this wonderful venue available to them. Here are some photos from my 2024 visit:
Part of what inspires me as a garden photographer is that gardens are, by their very nature, constantly changing and evolving. Plants grow (we gardeners hope) and change throughout the seasons; flowers blossom; fruits set, ripen and are harvested; leaves change colour and drop; new shoots burst forth from the soil. And we humans can’t help ourselves from interfering by moving things around, pruning errant branches, sowing new varieties, such that from week to week, month to month, year to year, no one garden is ever the same from one day to the next. This infinite variety keeps me coming back time and again.
One of the other things I enjoy about being a garden photographer is the quality of the light we strive for. Us photographers, or ‘light writers’, love shooting during what is often known as “golden hour”. This is the times of day immediately preceding sunrise and sunset when the light tends to be warmer and softer, or less contrasty, than the middle of the day. Now, this does mean dragging yourself out of bed very early to arrive on location and be ready to shoot but you really can’t beat experiencing the serenity of a garden in the early light of dawn or bathed in the soft glow of a warm sunset. You often have the garden completely to yourself, and I’ve joked with other photographers that some garden owners may never have experienced this time of day in their own gardens, for shame.
The last thing I’ll mention, for now, is the people you get to meet along the way. To date everyone I’ve met on this new career path of mine has been passionate, knowledgable and supportive. Whether it’s members of the Garden Media Guild (GMG) and Professional Garden Photographers Association (PGPA), or gardeners and garden owners, everyone has welcomed me to their community with open arms and been generous with their time, hospitality and enthusiasm. I’m really looking forward to where my journey as a professional garden photographer leads me to in 2026. Subscribe to my blog to follow along the way.