(Im)Perfect Gardens…
I have a hard time composing in tight spaces. I sometimes just can’t see the lines, or put together the colors in any reasonable way. I study works of classic wilderness photographers like Eliot Porter, but sometimes it doesn’t come together. Such was the case this week, in a nice garden in the woods that I came upon on the banks of the Lamprey River.
It had all the right elements…dense greens, with deep reds and sublte purples, as cardinal flowers and joe pye weeds stood above the understory of ferns. But yet, I never found a killer composition…the challenge of these scenes continues.

Garden in the Woods II

Garden in the Woods III

Garden in the Woods IV
I visited the spot four times this week, in different light and conditions. Nothing worked for me. Perhaps there is no perfect intimate landscape shot for this scene…maybe it just is. There to be enjoyed…as an ‘imperfect’ perfect landscape. I observed some neat things while there…hummingbirds feeding at the cardinal flowers and a rare white varient of the showy red blossom…and that’s enough to keep me searching for the perfect photographic composition in the wilds.
I guess if I want a perfect garden scene, I should just go to a perfect garden… Like Prescott Park in Portsmouth…so I did…Friday morning…

Prescott Park at Sunrise