Bringing It All Home: Garden Photography, Garden Making and The Art of Seeing

Karen Bussolini photo of Hollister House Garden

Hollister House Garden Washington, CT

There’s nothing like looking through the viewfinder of a camera to tell you whether a garden composition works or not. Photography is an abstraction, a discipline and a great tool for understanding and designing gardens. The process involved in making meaningful photographs – setting an intention, paying attention to framing the scene, studying mass, light, composition and point of view – is as important in garden-making as it is for photography.

Creating compelling images requires a visually interesting subject and a commitment to seeing well. Focusing – both literally and figuratively – on wildly different kinds of gardens all over the country has taught me much. As the Italian writer Tiziano Terzani once said, “It’s not how far you’ve traveled, it’s what you’ve brought back. Wherever I roam, ideas, solutions, plants and stories have a way of taking root in my own home ground. They enrich and inform my work as a writer, photographer, speaker, eco-friendly garden coach and designer. The insights and experiences I’ve brought home, along with a good-sized dose of practical advice, provide many lessons in creating visually rich photographs and gardens.

See some of Karen’s published photography

Contact Karen to book this talk