Every now and again, you get a client call for a gig that gets you all giddy.
This was one of those gigs.
And considering the circumstances and the times we've been navigating through, I couldn't welcome giddy with any more open arms.
For those who have been around me long enough, you've seen the name: Oakwood Gardens in Hillsboro, Oregon. A couple of times a year, they have me come out to photograph their stunning, ever-evolving 7-acre gardens and alpaca farm. For reference, here’s what it looked like just a few months ago in the dead of winter.
While I've been out there to shoot the grounds on several occasions in various seasons of the year, this time was particularly special! Not only did they give me full run of the glorious grounds, but, in an act of incredible generosity, for just under 2 weeks, they even allowed me to stay in a beautiful studio (link) on the property that opens right up into the garden.
For visualization purposes, imagine literally standing outside your bedroom door with your morning coffee to be greeted by (and get to feed) alpaca on one side, and then looking in the other direction and getting a glimpse of the magical sunrise light that was peeking on various parts of the garden grounds between the myriad of cloud patterns through this Portland-area spring.
What this incredibly rare gift of time afforded me was a dream situation - I didn't have to rush to find my shots and compositions. Ask any nature and landscape photographer - that is more valuable than gold.
While I was able to snag a few shots during the first few days, that time was mostly spent finding what and how I wanted to shoot various parts of the garden and be able to carefully plan how best to execute. It was over the next 7 or 8 days that I was gifted the opportunity to wait for the right light and conditions to be able to capture those frames the way they looked in my mind's eye.
From the rose gardens to the waterfalls to the ponds, reflecting pool and the woodlands, the dogwood, the gazebos and arbors, the grasses, the lilies, the plants and trees and flowers I had no idea even existed. Nothing short of that time and space could have been more perfect, especially considering the circumstances. It even gave me the chance to capture a few 360s, in the perfect spots at the perfect moments, as the sun was bidding its finally farewells one of those glorious evenings. I was even fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of June’s full Strawberry moon before she dipped back underneath her cloudy covers for the night.
So in the interest of transporting you to those moments, I'll keep the words to a minimum and allow you to explore as I did. I'll start with that 360 image above to immerse you in the mood, then feel free to scroll through the image gallery below, and then finish off with a couple additional 360 images in an effort to keep you there...
P.S. If you’re looking to get married, or even if you just need to decompress or get away for a few days in one of the many Airbnb rentals they have on the property (all come with free alpaca food), check ‘em out, www.Oakwood-Gardens.com.
P.P.S. If you missed it from my last Strawberry moon here, and you wanna sit in the midst of the alpacas, I’ve included that below as well…trust me…DO IT!!! While this one is a video, like the 360 images above it, you can drag around and look in all directions. If you’re in a VR headset, just sit there in the midst of the pasture amongst the adorable buggers! Thanks our partners Superswell VR for that one…
For more of my withings and watherings, find me at www.Instagram.com/WasimOfNazareth