RMIT University Final Portfolio

12/06/10

Introduction : Parks and Gardens of England

The parks and gardens of England provided the inspiration and opportunity to showcase a portfolio of images. Walking through gardens always instils a sense of calm and happiness within me, which I tried to portray in the images I have selected.

I was aiming to capture the sweeping vistas of colour of the Valley Gardens in Windsor through to the simple lines of bridges and trees that showcased the tones and textures best using black and white images. The opportunity also existed to capture macro detail in the flowers and the plants, as well as the occasional surprising treat, like a peacock in full bloom.

My portfolio was created over three photo shoots. The first was in a number of the gardens in London, including Regents Park, Green Park, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The second shoot was in Kew Garden, using a slow shutter speed to capture a silky waterfall and where the peacock encounter occurred. The final shoot was at Great Windsor Park, in the Valley Gardens, which included the magnificent display of rhododendrons, only in full bloom for a few weeks a year. This was an opportunity to include some macro capture shots as well as explore colour, in the unusually bright sunlight on the day.

I used a polariser filter on all three shoots and shot mainly in the morning to middle part of the day.