Larry Lederman’s eye for the aesthetic of branches, creased bark, and the leaf’s palette is well-trained, though photography wasn’t his first calling. What was initially a hobby came about late in his career as a Wall Street lawyer, at a time when escaping the office to the relative peace and simplicity of the NYBG‘s Forest seemed a panacea for New York City’s stresses. Here, he found through a lens what many artists chase for years–a muse that inspired through each of the four seasons, well beyond autumn’s changing leaves or the new growth of spring.
That inspiration has grown to encompass more than a hobby, with Lederman’s passion for the trees of the northeast now captured in a new book, Magnificent Trees of The New York Botanical Garden. Inside, you’ll find more than 200 individual photographs of trees growing in our 250-acre landscape, many of which have been captured repeatedly, in the varied lights of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Lederman’s finished effect is one of passing time, outlining the qualities and personalities of the trees as the project plays out.
Speaking with Mr. Lederman, we put together a clear idea of his motivation’s origins, as well as how this book–and the exhibition surrounding it–came together.
It snowed last night. It was very quiet and very beautiful, and it hung around until this morning when we were able to document it for posterity. Which is good because by this weekend when it’s 60 degrees again and we’re celebrating Fall Forest Weekend, we’ll all be asking each other “What snow?”
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Fall Forest Weekend is your opportunity to explore one of the oldest remaining remnants of the forests that once covered most of New York City and you can immerse yourself in the magnificent colors of fall foliage. Tree-climbing demonstrations, guided tours, and more make for an unforgettable autumn experience! Get your tickets now!
The New York Botanical Garden is the official U.S. partner of the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition, and your chance to enter this prestigious contest is fast dwindling. But never fear! Photographic fame and fortune are still within reach; with an entry deadline of November 30, you still have just under a month to gather together your best photographs and submit them for the chance to see your works featured in exhibitions around the world and to win thousands of dollars in prizes.
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The International Garden Photographer of the Year competition is open to everyone, amateurs and professionals alike. Entries are welcome from any country in the world. There are no restrictions on the type of camera you use, or the techniques you use to produce your final image. There are scads of categories to enter, and many additional prizes are available as well, including NYBG’s own “Wellness” prize. Winners will win cash and see their photographs hung in a gallery at the Garden during next summer’s Healing Plants Around the World exhibition.
Not everyone has the patience–or the real estate–for large-scale gardening, some people just have enough for burnaby condos for sale and even with a smaller garden. Honestly, it’s probably not even on the radar for someone who can’t keep a pot of English ivy alive on an office desk. But if you happen to have a knack for beautifying nature through your lens, rather than your trowel, the garden can still prove itself a source of spirited inspiration! That’s why the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition takes place annually. With the prizes just announced for this year’s competition, now is the time to pack up your tripod and do some fieldwork.
With nearly $8000 in cash being awarded to the top winner of this year’s competition, and thousands of dollars up for the taking in the many individual categories of the contest, IGPOTY’s prestige among nature photographers is well-earned. And there’s an added perk for friends of the Garden: as the exclusive U.S. partner of the IGPOTY competition, The New York Botanical Garden is offering an additional purse of $1000 as part of the lead-up to our 2013 summer exhibition exploring the healthful benefits of the plant kingdom. Winning photos in the Wellness category will not only take home some of that cash, but also the opportunity to see their photographs hung in the Ross Gallery as a part of the long-running exhibition. Think of it as your stepping stone toward IGPOTY glory.
Montana may lay claim to the phrase “big sky country,” but New York is no slouch when it comes to panoramic vistas. Near a hilltop, or just beyond the boughs of the Forest‘s trees, you can catch the blue expanse above the NYBG without the cityscape that usually frames it. No radio towers, no skyscrapers marking up the periphery–just clouds of every shape and consistency.
It’s good for daydreaming.
On afternoons where the barometer reads high and the sun is clear, you see opal blue in rich or dusky shades. Other days, the sky is a scatter of swoops and ruffles that you’d have to climb pretty high to enjoy elsewhere in the city. But as I remember it, “show, don’t tell” is a rule you pick up in middle school language arts class. I suppose I should follow it, huh?
More from our local do-it-yourself shutterbug! Followers over the last year will have seen our previous contributions from Joel Kroin, whose pinhole captures cast a narrow bridge between the charm of old-fashioned photography and modern composition. His shots of the Garden grounds almost give a tricky glimpse into the past.
Normally Joel doesn’t bring his pinhole camera to the Garden quite as often once the leaves return. “With so many flower and leaf colors, this time of the year is not my favorite since leaves obscure fine plant lines,” he says. In this case, one shot in particular catches our eye, as well as the essence of the Rock Garden–a classic Alpine landscape underscored by the peaceful gush of water over stone.
Sunday night, The New York Botanical Garden got a brief mention on AMC‘s hit TV show ‘Mad Men.’ The episode–full of more twists and turns than the Floral Flyer‘s route–was set in 1966. This got us to thinking: What was the Garden like in 1966? We did a little research and learned that in 1966 (on April 19, three-days from today!), the Stone Mill–then known as the Lorillard Snuff Mill–was designated a New York City landmark. But we couldn’t find more, so we turned to the archivists of the Garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library, who, in surprisingly short time, uncovered a treasure trove of images that look as if they had been stills pulled from un-aired scenes of this dark and addicting drama.
Larry Lederman’s eye for the aesthetic of branches, creased bark, and the leaf’s palette is well-trained, though photography wasn’t his first calling. What was initially a hobby came about late in his career as a Wall Street lawyer, at a time when escaping the office to the relative peace and simplicity of the NYBG‘s Forest seemed a panacea for New York City’s stresses. Here, he found through a lens what many artists chase for years–a muse that inspired through each of the four seasons, well beyond autumn’s changing leaves or the new growth of spring.
