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Saxon Holt

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Overview

PO Box 1826 Novato, California 94948

Saxon Holt is a professional garden photographer who has been photographing gardens for 25 years and lectures about the importance of "seeing" the essence of a garden.
He is also the Photography Program Director at San Francisco Botanical Garden

w: saxonholt.com - Portfolio, credits

w: Mental Seeds - blog

w: PhotoShelter - On-line Galleries

e: view email sholt@saxonholt.com

Additional Information

Latest Book - The American Meadow Garden

Description

Because Saxon Holt's pictures are widely published, he is a passionate advocate for authenticity in garden photography.   His job is to capture the real core of a garden and communicate it to others. His past three books have all won awards, not simply for the photography, but for overall excellence as collaborations with authors and his publishers.

Authenticity also means getting to the core meaning of the photograph itself, distilling it to convey a clear message.  In his lectures and workshops Saxon enthusiastically illustrates how to get to the essence of the gardens he photographs.

His work increasingly focuses on the relationship between gardens and the land, seeking a sustainable aesthetic that can enhance both gardener and the earth. In the seminal 2004 book Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates, Saxon was determined "to change the aesthetic of what we expect to see in a garden photograph". His recent books, The American Meadow Garden with John Greenlee (Timber Press 2009) and Hardy Succulents with Gwen Kelaidis (Storey Publishing 2007) allowed him to explore gardens that have an authentic connection to place.

He is the Photography Program Director at San Francisco Botanic Garden where he has creating a series of lectures and workshops around the theme "Picture the Garden." The series pairs photographers and architects in discussion of the visual element of design and leads to all day photography workshops. Professionally, he is a member of Stock Artists Alliance, American Society of Media Photographers, American Society of Picture Professionals, Garden Writers of America, and blogs regularly on his own website, Mental Seeds, and the award winning garden blog, Gardening Gone Wild.

Topics

What is a "Good" Garden Photograph ?

This 45 minute presentation, illustrated with published garden photographs, begins with the basics of what makes up a photograph beautiful. We will touch on Composition, Light, Lenses, Color, and Technical Quality. The presentation builds on this first level to discuss how a good photograph can Reveal, Inspire, and Provoke, and culminates at a third level of consideration whereby a good photograph needs to communicate with Intent from a position of Authenticity. Presented to Western Horticulural Society, Seattle Garden Club

 

Lawn Reform

This 45 minute presentation presents workable examples of lawn alternatives that can work in any part of the country.  For many gardeners traditional, lush mowed lawns are increasingly recognized as a wasteful and boring use of limited garden space.  There are so many more practical, fun, and ecologically appropriate uses of lawns - from edible landscaping, to patios, to meadows.  Saxon has seen these gardens in his travels around the country for books such as The American Meadow Garden (with John Greenlee), Small Patios (with Hazel White), and Lose Your Lawn (with Evelyn Hadden) and will show example and explain why they work where they do.  Presented at San Francisco Garden Show

The Aesthetics of Sustainability

This 60 minute presentation begins with the premise that The Camera Always Lies. What we see in a picture, the aesthetic, often conveys unintentional messages. With the current interest in sustainability it is important to show pictures that reinforce the actual tenets of sustainability. Using examples from the award winning books: The American Meadow Garden, Hardy Succulents, and Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates, the presentation uses authentic gardens to discuss the elements of sustainability and shows how we need to accept a new aesthetic in garden photography. Presented to San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, Seattle Garden Show, Sacramento Lawn and Garden Show.

Success with Succulents

Taken from Hardy Succulents, the 2008 book that received awards from both The American Horticultural Society and Garden Writers of America, this 45 minute presentation celebrates succulents in tough climates. Photographed in gardens as cold as zone 5 from Connecticut to Colorado, and as wet as humid east Texas and rainy Washington State the presentation shows how gardeners can make good homes for these tough plants in almost any climate. Presented to Northwest Horticultural Society and Southern California Horticultural Society and numerous Garden Club of America chapters.

Picture the Garden

This program package is based on the garden photography workshop series at The San Francisco Botanical Garden and can be adapted to other venues. A presentation on "Good Garden Photography" is followed either that evening or the following morning by a hands on workshop for a limited number of students.

Locations

California 94948