In the age of social media, I find it increasingly important how photography is to our industry. As a flower farmer, we are constantly surrounded by a visual feast—one that must be captured before it is quickly gone. After the rapid growth in our first year, I decided that 2016 was the year to collaborate with a local photographer and start getting images of myself, Reggie, and our beautiful flowers. I hoped by doing so, we could build a professional resume for our website showcasing us and the flowers we grow. I often find that people make a significant connection with flowers when there is someone in the picture telling their story. It was time to do just that!
I reached out to my dear friend and colleague, Jackie at J. Harper Photography with a few ideas. I had been following her work for a few years and had seen her grow into a talented photographer, from weddings to families—her work was special. Our first meeting to discuss photos was full of laughter, industry stories, and of course a pint of beer. I knew she was the one to capture the magic of our farm, and had no doubt that we were going to make a great team. Towards the end of June she arrived on a warm and sunny evening, it was destined to be a beautiful shoot. Jackie’s face lit up when I grabbed a few buckets full of peonies that were harvested only an hour before. I wasn't nervous to be in front of the lens, I felt comfortable and confident as Jackie moved me to different spots around the field. As the light started to fade I made a big sprawling arrangement to illustrate that everything we grow at the farm is also used for my floral designs. A few weeks later, Jackie received her film back from the lab, made digital edits, and sent me a collection that made my heart skip a beat.
After the success of the Peony shoot, Jackie and I marked our calendars for late August just when the dahlias were at their peak. The week of our impending shoot, I got a call from the editor at Design New England Magazine interested in doing a story on my father and I. She wanted to focus the article on growing flowers in New England, especially doing so in a cold climate. The magazine was ready to do the story that week and wanted to send a photographer. “Do you have one in mind in your local area” she asked—I absolutely did, Jackie Fox. After coordinating with the editor we planned to shoot on the same day we had previously agreed on. That day arrived, and with it came rain and wind that pummeled the valley and fields. Concerned as to what we were going to do, we decided not to reschedule. I am beyond thankful we didn't, because the photos she shot that day made three pages in the March/April issue of Design New England.
The response to the article was huge— not only did the inbox fill, but our story was also featured by our friends over at Garnet Hill on their Blog, and countless shared images on social media including on Country Living Magazine's Instagram page. I was also just interviewed for NH Business Magazine— Reg and I look forward to seeing the article in next months issue!
This past winter and into spring, my mom and I have been working on polishing up our current website! Thanks to Jackie's incredible photos, and our many successful weddings last season we had the inventory to make the website even more special. You can check out our new landing, home, wedding, and gallery page over on Tarrnation Flower Farm! My mom handles all of our graphic design—from web page, to stickers, business cards and more, she is a huge part of how the farm works behind the scenes. She edits my newsletters, blog posts, and sometimes even emails! I am blessed to have the most amazing mom, and with Mothers Day coming up Sunday I want her to know how much I am grateful for her love and support. She is also incredibly talented so make sure you check out her website, Russell Design Studio. Happy Mothers Day to my mom, and all the other awesome moms out there!
Finally, I am wrapping up today with a reminder that next week I will continue this blog series with stories from my travels at Floret Flower Farm! Make sure you tune in on Wednesday to check it out—it is a true inspiration what Erin does at Floret and I look forward to sharing my story with all of you!
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE ARE COURTESY OF J. HARPER PHOTOGRAPHY — THANKS JACKIE!!