For this Friday’s ‘Photo Friday’, I’m posting this picture (see below) of a Professional Photographer taking shots of my Container Gardens on a deck designed by a new company called, “Scenic Post and Rail, LLC” in Broad Brook, CT.

Now talk about passion!  The professional photographer, Catherine Cella of Joyful Reflections Photography, is someone I met through a gift certificate I donated to a local Boy Scout’s fundraiser last spring.  http://joyfulreflectionsphotography.com/.  We held our first meeting at her beautiful home and shortly afterwards, I designed a landscape plan for her backyard area near a shed and in front of the woods. 

Of course, I noticed her photography and style the minute I entered her home.  She has this beautiful country porch, wonderful woodlands around her property, and many elements of style all around her home, inside and out, and she has an extremely energetic personality.  We connected immediately.

Catherine end up attending our 2nd Annual “Gardens, Gallery and Gift” event in Broad Brook this past weekend.  There is no doubt, this is an event where any photographer has opportunities everywhere for photos, from the gardens on the properties, to the butterflies floating about the plants, to the flowers at my booth and my Container Gardens all around my tent.  She took many stunning photos and I’m honored to be part of them.  Especially the one with the funny floating frog figurine on an inner tube that everyone loved at the show.  It was perfect in my Container Garden themed with succulents and drought tolerant plants. 

Well, one thing led to another, and the following Thursday, yesterday, I was commissioned to stage my container gardens on this deck with newly installed custom glass railing systems.  Gosh, I wish I met the couple designing and promoting this wonderful decking system before we put up railings at my Mother-in-Law’s home which faces a lake!  This system allows you to see through without anything blocking your view.  And imagine, no staining required ever!  But the element that turned me on the most about this railing system of glass, is the way the flowers in my container gardens on the deck reflected in the glass.  Oooh-la-la, that was nice!  I would thoroughly enjoy that aspect the most and I oohed over that image.

As I oohed about this “reflection” in the glass, and Catherine hopped around the property in every direction to take the most stunning photos of it all, she said, “Don’t get too excited Cathy, you may pass out in this heat!”  And then we joked, “Isn’t this ironic and funny? Your business is ‘Joyful Reflections Photography”.  How perfect is that?!”  Reflections is a big part of her style – see her website for more.

She and I almost did pass out – We were so thrilled, and the heat was a little tough, but the passion continued.  I can’t wait to see “Scenic Post and Rail” display their product this season on their upcoming website.  It will launch soon.

But when Catherine was lifted into a bucket loader, that really topped off the day!  I had to capture this photo and share it with you.  The passion in her work is clear, and it made me feel like I’m not so crazy when I get overly passionate about my plants and containers.  When you love what you do, the adrenaline comes through.  And it did on this day for all of us.  This new product is also something the business owners are extremely proud of and I can see why.

BTW, if you would like to reach the entrepeneurs of this railing system, feel free contact me at 860-977-9473. I’ll hook you up and will let you know when their website launches!  Cathy T

U go girl!