I did a hospice shoot on Friday of an 88 year old woman. She had an incredible family there that day for Christmas and the shoot was magical. I captured Miss Sandy with her loved ones. It was more of a family shoot–intergenerational–than a hospice shoot. Here are a few samples of the shoot. I turned many into black and white. I like both of them because there is a different feel. To see more, go to my site: Marilynbottaphotos.com.
I found an orange wax candle, and a peach and cream colored ceramic vase while looking for items to use in my still life. The vase was matched with some gorgeous orange lilies which offset the orange in the candle. Two red apples were placed at the base of the candle holder, and added a gray stone vase with little baby yellow carnations was added. The entire composition was offset by a beautiful texture I added as a background. There is a lovely contrast between the rustic vases and the vibrant colors of the flowers.
This still life features mostly shades of orange with some green and yellow on the side. I found a lovely peach and cream vase. I added some gorgeous orange lilies and some mini yellow carnations to a green vase for some contrast.I added some mini orange pumpkins and a wide orange lit candle in keeping with the orange theme. I feel this arrangement speaks Autumn. A delicate blue texture was added which give this composition a soft easy and relaxing feel.
I chose a scorpion, and a teradacyl to accompany a small skull. I placed the skull atop a green glass vase and I chose three mini pumpkins, resting under a ceramic green vase. I added green hydrangeas to the vase and place them alongside a red vase with pink lilies. I photographed this against a white backdrop but added a blue-green texture as a background to accentuate the whimsical scene. The setup creates a quirky contrast between the natural and the macabre in a harmonious composition.
I thought it only fitting that I do a Halloween themed image. I decided to photograph this scene agains a black backdrop to give it a spooky and eerie quality. I always seem to get some flowers into many of my creations. These pink lilies add a pretty pop of color, as does the bright orange candle. The brown pewter candle holder enhances the color of the beautiful textured candle. I placed a small skull atop a green glass vase. A scorpion and mini pumpkins complete my the eerie atmosphere and my vision.
I came out last Sunday to go walking and I just couldn’t resist going back into the house and getting my camera which already had a macro lens. It had rained the night before, so the buds were so new and sparkling, ready to become blooms. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was just beginning to shine through the foliage. The bright natural light enhances the the vibrant color and detail of the buds.
I enjoy using everyday, mundane, items that nobody even thinks twice about such as utensils in the sink, and turning them into art. We sometimes miss beauty that surrounds us in different ways. Who would find beauty in a couple of spoons sitting in some soapy water in the sink. I took a little artistic liberty with this image in that I added a pinkish layer to give it a little color. I arranged these shiny spoons in a pleasing manner in the sink and added some bubbles. My goal was to show that seemingly ordinary things we see all around us can have beauty when visualized through an artist’s eye.
I came upon a Chinese guardian lion statue which I originally thought was a gargoyle. I had never seen this before but it looked intriguing so I picked it up. On the same day, I found a zebra bust that someone had discarded. But, another man (or woman’s} garbage can be another woman’s treasure so I bought it too. I also found an animal print vase that spoke to me. I wanted to incorporate these three elements into a a fantasy still life using flowers and a candle. I arranged these items on a beige cloth and photographed the scene against a white backdrop. I then turned the white background into a texture befitting the image. I think I achieved my vision of creating a beautiful fantasy still life.
Roses come in many different colors, but to me, the red rose is the most beautiful. I love the way the delicate fragrant soft petals are enfolded so perfectly. I decided to use these beauties in a still life along with some pretty brown pears. I placed the roses into a green ceramic vase to offset the red in the roses. I placed a red lit candle on top of a wrought-iron holder and added a single red rose at the bottom. I arranged the pears at the foot of the vase. The entire composition was situated on a beige table cloth. I then selected purple and blue textures for the background to enhance the vivid colors of the elements of this creation.
I enjoy combining many seemingly unrelated objects into a cohesive composition and telling a story too. The theme is reading by candlelight so, in addition to the candle and books, I added a red candle holder, an alarm clock, and pears. I felt that his creation needed some lovely pink lilies to bring it together. The pink glass vase matched the pink lilies. This arrangement has a classic, still-life feel with a soft, blurred textured background.
