Garden 'siteseeing' with photographers

On our weekly excursion to visit gardeners and gardens in other locales, we celebrate the visual aspects of our favorite hobby as we stop by to see some professional and amateur garden photographers.

If you're interested in the finer points of what goes into excellent garden photography, A Photographer's Garden Blog by David Perry will enlighten you with examples from a pro. The Seattle resident discusses what works, what doesn't, and why he took certain approaches.

He often gets philosophical -- letting images -- sometimes dramatic, sometimes charming, always arresting -- make a point on a different topic entirely. An image of a beautiful old tree helps him overcome cynicism in this political season and free apricots reinforce the generosity of everyday life (which he plays forward by providing step by step photos of a quick and easy rustic apricot tart).

Also in Seattle, the Post Intellligencer has an open blog for readers interested in gardens and photography, which is often interesting. Experimenting with fall leaves, fern fronds, flowers, and beautiful scenery, photographers can share what they've done and how they did it -- and get instant feedback from others as to whether it worked. A great idea!

Digital Flower Pictures. com is the effort of a professional gardener in Connecticut who loves to take photos. The discussions are more about gardening than about photography, but the photos are definitely worth a visit: a moody photo of a scarecrow, a macro shot of a daylily seedling, arty magnolia leaves covered with drops of water, and many more.

Mark Eccleston of Shropshire, England, is the Green-Fingered Photographer, who wants to bring "nature to your screen." He writes about whatever's going on in his life -- from helping kids plant bulbs in a community garden to

Do look at the moth on the knapweed, Sept. 9.  And tag along with him to visit the Wiggly Wigglers' charming garden. It's like making a new friend who shares some of the same interests as yours.

One thing that today's visits convinced me of -- I've got to get in the habit of slipping my small digital camera into my pocket whenever I leave the house. The past couple of days, I've seen some great shots that I would have loved to have shared.

Still,  it's been delightful visiting those who always have their camera at the ready whenever a plant or garden is near.