Members-only

page pg_standard.xsl April_2011_Education

Instructor Spotlight: Robert Lyons

The primary tool you’ll need for one of Robert Lyons’s Continuing Education classes at Longwood Gardens doesn’t live in your garden shed—it’s a camera.

“Without a doubt my favorite place to take photos in the Gardens is the Flower Garden Walk when it’s in bloom,” says Lyons who has been teaching photography at Longwood Gardens for 4 years.

This Friday, April 15, from 7 am to 1 pm immerse yourself and your camera in the Gardens with Lyons who has been taking garden photographs since 1977. There are still a few openings for his half-day workshop, Seeing the World Around You.

Meet the instructor
Lyons, who also directs the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware, is originally from Northern NJ.

“From a young age I always had an interest in photography,” says Lyons, “However, I was not able to engage my interest until graduate school when I bought my first camera to document my research.  I soon became hooked and was shooting images of Minnesota wildflowers and landscapes of the Midwest prairies.”

Lyons can relate to his novice students because he is entirely self-taught. “I learned by doing and spent a lot of time with talented professional photographers,” says Lyons.

Lyons got his start at teaching photography classes at Longwood during a staff in-service course on herbaceous plants.

“I brought my photography with me for the class, and it was noticed as being pretty good. From there I was asked if I had ever taught photography before, which I had—and the rest is history,” says Lyons.

Lyons took many trips to Longwood Gardens prior to working here. He says, “I used to take field trips to Longwood when I was teaching at Virginia Tech (1981 – 1999), as well as visiting on my own to photograph plants no matter where I was teaching...and I’ve been teaching for 30 years now.”

Lyons says the impact and personal relationships he makes with his students is what he most enjoys about teaching at Longwood.

“One of my goals for my students is for them to acquire a comfort level to shoot inspiring garden images without fear. During my class Seeing the World Around You I teach basic ways to ‘see’ different elements in nature and push students to experiment with different angles,” says Lyons.

In Friday’s all-day class students can expect to focus on any element they find intriguing in the Gardens—there are no constraints. “This class is more of an introductory one, but I do tell my students to experiment with perspectives that are unusual—ones that perhaps the everyday visitor misses or overlooks.”

Can’t make this Friday’s photography class? See what other great classes Longwood Gardens has in store this spring: Click here.