Garden photography for designers and landscape architects
The photographs your work deserves
Garden designers and landscape architects are the largest part of Clive’s work: finished gardens photographed for portfolios, press, awards and client presentations – in the first and last light of the day, when the planting looks the way you designed it.
Why designers commission Clive
Forty years photographing gardens, and the botanical knowledge to go with it – Forty years photographing gardens, and the botanical knowledge to go with it – Clive’s plant knowledge is extensive, an understanding that has served him well in terms of what he chooses to photograph and when.
Photography at the highest level, a standard that magazines and awards juries have come to expect. Clive’s work appears in House & Garden, Gardens Illustrated, Architectural Digest and Veranda, and in books from publishers including Rizzoli, Random House and Phaidon.
A full studio behind the camera: tethered shooting, assistants and stylists where a shoot calls for them, and retouching to a finished standard.
Among the designers who commission Clive: Polly Wilkinson, Andy Sturgeon, Xa Tollemache, Kate Gould Gardens, AWB Associates, Cameron and Harry Holding.
Planning the shoot
- Tell us when it peaksMost gardens have a window of a few weeks, usually between May and July; late-summer and autumn plantings extend the season.
- We hold a windowFee and usage agreed up front, so there is nothing to negotiate later.
- Weather decides the dayClive shoots when the forecast delivers, at dawn and dusk. A full day covers both.
- DeliveryA curated, retouched edit, captioned and ready for your portfolio, website, social channels and press submissions.
Usage
Every commission comes with a clear licence covering your own portfolio, website, social media and award and press submissions. Editorial placement of the finished garden – a feature in one of the magazines – can be arranged through the studio.
Questions
How far ahead should I book?
As early as you know the garden is coming into its own. Peak weeks fill first; get in touch with the location and the likely window and we will hold it.
What if the garden isn’t ready on the day?
We hold a window rather than a date. If the planting or the weather is behind, the shoot moves with it – the garden is photographed when it is right.
What can I use the photographs for?
Your portfolio, website, social channels, award entries and press. The licence is agreed with the fee, so there is nothing to renegotiate later; editorial placement is often arranged too.
Do you photograph the details as well as the views?
Yes – the planting combinations, flower close-ups, hardscaping, lifestyle elements and moments that show the designer’s unique style, touches and details, alongside the wider garden views. Tell us what matters most in the design and it will be there.
Can the owner be involved?
Of course. Many designers commission on the owner’s behalf, or share the photographs with them; a book of the garden makes a good gift at the end of a project.
