Garden photography course with Clive Nichols at Wakehurst Place

I’ve long admired the amazing photographs of the world-renowned garden and flower photographer Clive Nichols.

So when I found out that he was taking a Garden Photography course at Wakehurst Place in Sussex, I didn’t think twice about signing up.

Last Saturday, despite the lashing rain (!), my friend Lisa Cox and I made our way to Wakehurst.

There were seventeen of us on the course including garden designers and amateur photographers with a passion for capturing gardens.

In the morning, Clive gave a fantastic presentation covering the different aspects of taking shots.  And to illustrate each point, he shared his stunning photographs with us.

Afterwards, we went out into the grounds and he set up shots in various locations. It was so useful to see where he placed his tripod, which lenses he used and how he composed each photo.

Then it was our turn. And after lunch, we carried on the practical work capturing images with Clive’s guidance.

So, today’s blog post features a selection of the images I took…

We all had such a wonderful day and not even the drizzle, wind and cold temperatures could dampen our enthusiasm.

I came away from the course feeling totally inspired. I learnt so much and picked up lots of tips on composing images, light direction and backgrounds.

Now I need to practise…lots…and also consider buying a couple more bits of kit.

For anyone who’s looking to improve their garden photography, I would highly recommend attending one of Clive’s workshops.

Many thanks to Sarah Oldridge, the Adult Education Co-ordinator at Kew/Wakehurst Place, who made everything from the initial booking to the actual course go so smoothly.

By the way, if you’re not familiar with Wakehurst Place, it’s the country estate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  And as well as being a beautiful place to visit, they regularly hold adult education courses there.

(Images : Rona Wheeldon for Flowerona)