March 2022
I started chronicling the changes in the Filoli gardens a year ago with the intent of keeping at it for a month or two. The vastness and variety in the gardens means that there is always something interesting to see and to shoot. It seemed that a year would be a good break point. And, it may well be. But, what is fascinating now is how different Spring 2022 is versus last Spring. So, time will tell where we go from here. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
April 2022
Tulips. Tulips. Tulips. Every few days there are new displays of tulips and they keep coming. There are, and will likely continue to be, literally thousands of tulips. The variety is, as always, a great draw. It’s hard not to just shoot tulips! I have to force myself to look right and left and up and down to see what else is blooming. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
May 2022
May came and went in a flash! Fortunately, I was able to spend some quality “morning time” in the garden rooms. The explosion of roses seemed to be earlier than normal, but I suspect that is more interpretation rather than fact. It remains astounding the amount and variety and age of the roses at Filoli. But, for me there were two things that stood out about this May. First, I really enjoyed spending time with the succulents that were being staged by the horticulture team. The textures were arresting and the way light reflects through and off of these plants is fascinating. Secondly, the sunny, mild days seemed to cause the flowering plants in the sunken garden to flourish into almost impressionist paintings (squinting required). I imagine it like “70s hair” growing a little long and getting a bit wild. It made for some great images. I wished I’d shot more of these. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
About this project: 45 Minutes At Filoli
This project originated because my wife and I were looking for a pandemic-friendly afternoon outdoors and we visited Filoli in Woodside, CA. Spring had just begun to coax the blossoms and blooms along and I thought it might be fun to revisit the gardens every week and create a pictorial record of the changes. I decided on two guidelines. First, get in and out in 45 minutes to an hour. Second, go ultra-light by picking a lens from my old lens collection and sticking with that throughout my visit. Mostly, sometimes, I was able to stick with these guidelines. While my visits often stretched longer, trying to keep things simple and work fast gave the project an energy I enjoyed.