Photographing Mayfield Gardens near Oberon: why this NSW garden is made for the camera

Mayfield Gardens, near Oberon in the NSW Central West, is a very well-known garden, and I went there as a photographer to see it for myself. It's an incredible location for photography. There's a lot of space, lots of different places to walk, great food, and themed events through the year. This post shows what I photographed and how I'd approach a big garden like this one.

Why Mayfield Gardens is a great place for photography

It's the variety. In one visit I photographed a stone arch bridge with a waterfall pouring through it, still ponds full of reflections, a grotto waterfall, a hedge maze, a wisteria walk, a formal parterre with a sculpture, an obelisk in a round pond, a chapel, and a water cascade climbing a lawn to a domed temple. Then there are the views out over farmland and hills.

The water garden: a stone bridge, ponds and waterfalls

The stone arch bridge works from almost every angle. I photographed it from across the pond, from the gravel path and from the terrace beside the waterfall. Red maples frame it. Getting low over the water lets the bridge and the maples reflect in the pond.

There's plenty more water to photograph. A grotto waterfall spills between stone openings into a large pond. A small weir has a red timber bridge behind it. Benches sit where you'd want to stop and look, and they make good foreground too.

The formal gardens and the homestead

Other parts of the garden are formal. A long water cascade runs up a lawn to a domed temple, lined with cypress trees. From inside the temple you look through a curtain of falling water down to the homestead and the farmland beyond. There's also a parterre of box hedges and clipped columns around a sculpture, an obelisk standing in a round pond between cherry blossom trees, and a chapel with tall timber doors and rows of chairs.

The homestead photographs well from two sides: across the sloping lawn from below, and from the gravel drive under the trees.

The wisteria walk

The wisteria walk is a brick walkway under a pergola hung with white flowers. With the sun coming through, the shadows on the brick are half the picture. I photographed it with a visitor walking through, and empty with just the benches. Both work, and they tell different stories.

Tips for photographing a big garden like Mayfield

Light

Some of my photos have blue sky and some are overcast. Blue sky suits the wide views, the homestead and the cascade. Overcast light is softer and kinder to the ponds and the maples. The colours stay rich and the reflections stay clean.

Seasons

I was there when the wisteria, cherry blossom and rhododendrons were in flower and the maples had fresh leaves. Each season gives you a different garden. Mayfield also runs themed events during the year, so check what's on before you pick a date.

People in the frame

You'll share the garden with other visitors. I'd rather use that than fight it. A couple on a grass path, or a family walking under a pergola, shows the scale of the place and shows people enjoying it. For empty frames, be patient or come back to a spot later. If someone will be recognisable in a photo you plan to share, ask them first.

Walking routes

Destination photography for gardens and venues

A place like this sells itself through pictures. People decide to make the trip when they can see the bridge, the blossom and the view. If you run a garden, venue or tourism business, I can photograph it the same way, with wide views, details and visitors enjoying the place. See destination and venue photography for what's included. Shoots start from $195 inc GST within 15 km of Epping, and places further afield, like Mayfield, are quoted per brief.