Sonnenberg Gardens

On Labor Day we went to Sonnenberg Gardens. I love my blog because I was able to look up the last time I went to Sonnenberg Gardens, and it was over two years ago. That’s just wrong. I usually go at least once a year, if not more.

It’s always fun to start with the trial gardens. I didn’t get the names of anything, just photos:

These are so cool – some kind of ornamental kale:

The beds in front of the conservatory are beautiful, as always:

We went into the Cactus House and saw tons of cactii, but I won’t bore you with all of the photos, just this little one with red fruit:

We moved on into the Orchid House, and I will bore you with a post of the flowers later:

This year, among other things, I focused in on all of the statuary that we saw:

They had a special Hydrangea House display by Wayside Gardens:

I love hydrangeas:

A beautiful lily in the Japanese Garden:

Some beautiful lichen on a rock:

I don’t remember this statue being cleaned up last time I was at Sonnenberg:

This is what is above the statue:

I also don’t remember this one being cleaned up:

I love symmetry:

We used to be able to walk under this one:

The Ice House. Have I mentioned I love my wide-angle lens?

This same photo taken with a regular camera:

The Carriage House:

I love being able to capture the Italian Gardens without having to stitch photos together:

Elevator in the really dark foyer which is as wide as this door – ack!

Ohhh, ahhh, more beautiful statuary:

More cool symmetry:

And just when I was getting ready to take an awesome photo of the entire house, my battery decided it was done, so this was taken with a regular camera:

ID of Photographic Prints #1: Cyanotype

Notes from class “History and Identification of Paper, Print, and Photographic Processes,” taught by Gary E. Albright at the Rochester Regional Library Council.

Cyanotype: 1880-1029, blue image color.
A true photograph, one layer structure with no binder, no baryta layer.   Image lies in top layer of paper, paper fibers are clearly visible, has a matte surface.

Courtesy of Onondaga Historical Association, Photograph Store Image #693, Yates Castle grounds

The cyanotypes I have “handled” are thin and fragile.   Note not to confuse cyanotypes with dyed photos.