Spring Garden Photography

Whisper it, but spring is around the corner and I am all togged up, camera in hand, waiting for the rain here in Devon to stop. Last year was the same, but I got out there eventually and managed a few nice shoots, two of which are out this month in The English Garden and Country Living magazines… Glorious Mothecombe gardens near me, and Lamorran house, just down the road in Cornwall. Many thanks to them for letting me in…PLEASE let me in again. SOON!

Hotel Photography at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire

The Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire

I recently spent three busy days shooting at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire (hosts to the Ryder Cup and a very famous current American President!), with Martin Hulbert, interior designer extraordinaire, who has remodelled and designed most of the rooms over the years. The lounges and bar areas were magnificent, and we took time to shoot the conference facilities too. Slightly surreal as it turned out, as the current Covid crisis meant that the whole place was empty… made things easier for our work, but Im sure that now they have reopened, things are a lot busier there! I love the attention to detail in Martins work; the fabrics and wall coverings are all hand painted, the colours are beautifully restrained and furniture all hand picked, or designed and made.

I have also been shooting gardens galore… its high season and the planting is lovely, the days are long and I am making the most of it. I have done features for Country Life, Country Homes and Interiors and various other garden publications. Let me know if you are an editor looking to fill space next year! I have lots of options..

Garden Photography near Winchester

I have also set up and begun selling some of my prints. These are beautifully printed black and white images, of Italy, gardens around the world, corners of Devon, Venetian gondoliers and barrels of cider in atmospheric barns! … ideal for interior designers with walls to fill in hotels or houses… take a look at the page, I have even found a fabulous framer who can finish off the piece to perfection.

Happy New Year!

I didn’t send any Christmas cards this year, but decided instead to send a New Year version. Thanks to all of you who I worked with last year, and let’s try and do it again this year!

I’m going to try and work hard on keeping my ‘footprint’ to a minimum this year, being clever with combining jobs so that I travel more ‘smartly’. I’ll also shoot more stock images locally, become more efficient in my vegetable garden, waste less and change my gas guzzling motor.

Enough of my resolutions, I’m looking forward to a good year of shooting (hurry up spring!), and would love to collaborate with you this year. Do get in touch if you have any beautiful interior, hotel or garden projects that need photography, and if any of you have nice places that would look good in print, do let me know. I’d love to come and see them!

Have a great New Year, Peace and Love to all. Mark

David Harber Sculptures, Garden Photography

Photography for David Harber Sculptures in Italy

I've been photographing a lot for David Harber recently. He and his team make the most amazing garden and interior sculptures, using metal and stone. They are often on a monumental scale, and are always built with the surroundings in mind. So, for instance, the circular metal sculpture above is situated so that the sun rises in the centre of the circle (it can be moved easily so that it works at all times of the year). Truly beautiful, they are found throughout the world now, in some of the most fabulous locations. I am very pleased to have been asked to photograph them!