Shooting in the garden
Occasionally, traditional garden work at Genus HQ has to stop and the garden is taken over for a shooting party; seasonal product shoots with photographers, stylists, and models to be more precise. We much prefer to have images for our website or magazines taken in our own garden; it’s easy to plan the day with our props and tools already on site and certain gardening jobs can be purposely left undone for the models to undertake with some on hand tuition. We’re always there to check the correct tool is being used and being held or operated in a professional manner.
An early start can take advantage of the low sun to create striking backlit images and we adhere to seasonal tasks so that the models are not planting potatoes in October or sowing runner beans in December. It’s an interesting day and great fun as the various disciplines start to express their interest in gardening and the questions start to get asked. ‘Why do we just hold the leaf when transplanting seedlings?’ ‘How do you prevent your brassicas from being turned to lace by hoards of caterpillars?’ and ‘Could I do this at home?’
Conversation continues around the Genus kitchen table where the photographer gives us tips about F-Stops and apertures and we’re kept up to date on healthy eating by the models as we bite into our third chocolate coated coconut macaroon. It's an unusual departure from our regular gardening activities but a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes with the running of a modern online business.
