The day was overcast, so instead of trying to catch birds in the shade, a trip was made to Allan Gardens in downtown Toronto, a place I’d heard and read about, but never been.
In short, do yourself a favour and go! In sub-zero weather, I enjoyed shooting indoors in a lavishly planted series of greenhouses, wearing a t-shirt. It was quiet, full of an amazing variety of plant life, and photographically I’d highly recommend taking a trip!
The range of habitats for plants included humid conditions for orchids, dryer rooms for cactus, a colder room for spring bulbs such as daffodils, and much more.
I’ve gone many times to the Centennial Park greenhouse in Etobicoke, but this greenhouse series is significantly larger and is a great place to spend a few hours on a cold winter day.
Equipment-wise, I shot a lot using flash, extension tubes to allow me to get closer, a 70-200 Canon lens for many shots, the broader photos were taken with a wide-angle lens, and then as I worked my way back on the way out I used an 85mm prime lens to really bring out the details in some of the intricate plants.
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