Bellevue's Botanical PhotoWalk - LIVE w/ Merrill Images

The PhotoWalk Experience

Join travel photographers John and Lisa Merrill for a fun small group garden PhotoWalk at Bellevue Botanical Garden. With their on-location tips and encouragement, you’ll work with light and compose for impact -- and intentionally make vs. take photos. The Merrills welcome participants at every skill level, with any camera and will help you create compelling artistic images to treasure and share.

The PhotoWalk begins with a briefing highlighting the abundant photo opportunities of the Bellevue Botanical Garden – intimate close-ups of flowers or insects, the vibrant Perennial Border, the tranquil Yao Japanese Garden, and a suspension bridge over a ravine.

Then you’ll create on your own, and John and Lisa will be nearby to answer questions or offer suggestions. They’ll occasionally demonstrate photo techniques including varying your perspective, using frames for intimacy and context, isolating a subject with shallow depth-of-field, or using reflectors or diffusers to modify natural light. Many PhotoWalkers appreciate the opportunity to dive into the playful and powerful world of expressionist photography with multiple exposures, ICM (intentional camera movement) and other creative techniques.

What to Bring

John and Lisa welcome questions about any aspect of this PhotoWalk, including gear. Other than your camera and a desire to create and have fun, everything on this list is optional:

• Camera (dSLR, mirrorless or phone) with a charged battery, and an extra if you have one
• Camera manual (or file downloaded to your phone)
• Lenses – if you have more than one, bring any that you want to use. A wide angle and telephoto are great options to expand creative possibilities
• Circular polarizing filter - one to fit the diameter of each lens – highly recommended to reduce sheen on surface of water/windows and saturate colors
• Flash - if you have one and want to learn to use it to add “fill light” with portraits
• Tripod – if you have one and want to use it to slow down and refine your images, or create expressive imagery with very long exposures
• Comfortable walking shoes, raincoat, hat, water and snacks. A foam pad to kneel on or folding step stool can be helpful.

Photo Review Experience

After uploading up to 5 photos to a shared folder, the group will reconvene via Zoom to discuss them, give and get supportive feedback, and be inspired by what others created at the same location. The Bellevue Botanical Garden’s PhotoReview session will be on Tuesday, September 2nd at 5:30PM PT (a recording will be available for anyone who can’t join.)

This class requires a minimum of 10 participants. You will be notified and receive a full refund if the minimum is not met. A full refund is available up to 24 hours before the event. Unfortunately, there are no refunds within 24 hours of the event. To initiate a refund, you can either do so through your registration or email [email protected].

About Your Instructors - John and Lisa Merrill are travel and social impact photographers who create images to evoke joy and wonder, inspire action and strengthen communities. The Merrills are inspiring educators who enjoy nurturing others’ creativity. They’re grateful for the community of Seattle-area photographers who join them for small group PhotoWalks and workshops at libraries, art schools and camera clubs. Merrill Images photo adventures include San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Vietnam, and Slovenia, and UnCruise small ship expeditions in Baja, Alaska and Costa Rica.

Learn more and view their work at Merrill Images

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