Summer 2021 At Filoli
June 2021
In June, as with every June I suspect, the roses were in full blooming glory. Colors and textures as far as the eye could see. The roses at Filoli are spectacular in variety as well as the sheer number of plants. I haven’t counted, but there are more than a lot! And, age. There are some very rare varieties and some very old plants. The rose garden is in the wide open sun mid-day and so to follow the good light, I shifted my shooting to the late afternoon and early evenings. Warm, low light really brings out the textures and translucence of the rose blooms. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
July & August 2021
Delightfully delicate Dahlias in colors and varieties like I’d never seen–July started off with a dastardly case of Dahlia-delirium. Elsewhere in the garden, the Hydrangeas were taking there time to show their true colors. So, every visit offered new surprises. Perhaps the most interesting thing about July was the number of people enjoying the long Thursday evenings. The gardens, pool and fields were full of energy as people roam the property the way this national treasure should be experienced. (Note: July and August images are combined because we spent August and part of September at our cabin in British Columbia.) 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.