Marilyn Botta Photography

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Phinizy Swamp in Summer

June 23, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment


The other day I went out to Phinizy Swamp, a beautiful nature preserve in Augusta, GA. I hadn’t been there in years but it didn’t disappoint, although it was very overgrown, as it is in the Summer. Once the cooler weather hits, it is much more beautiful and nuanced regarding the different colors. Things that were covered up in the Summer stand out because they are not impeded by the overgrowth. I still managed to get a few good shots showing just how lovely and peaceful it is there. If you’re a nature photographer this is the absolute best.

Filed Under: Landscapes Tagged With: background, beautiful landscape, beauty, bird, birds, blue, blue sky, calm, cattails, cloud, clouds, colorful, flora, foliage, grass, grasslands, green, lake, landscape, leaves, marsh, natural, natural background, nature, nature reserve, outdoor, outdoors, peaceful, picturesque, Pond, reflection, relaxing, scene, scenery, scenic, scenic spot, serene, sky, soothing, summer, summertime, sunlight, tranquil, tranquility, tree, Trees, view, water, wetland nature reserve

Bridge at Brick Pond Park

June 3, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment


I always love how peaceful Brick Pond Park is. Last week I went there and just marveled at how serene and almost otherworldly it can be at times. There can be many views of this lovely covered bridge sitting in the middle of the lake, but I walked around and found a spot between the trees, where I could photograph it. The mirror-like reflections make the lake look like glass. This scene evokes serenity to me, which is hard to find in this strange world we live in.

Filed Under: Landscapes Tagged With: beautiful, beautiful momentlake, beauty, bridge, brilliance, bush, calm, calming, foliage, footbridge, green, greenery, illustration, lake, lake vector, landscape, landscape background, mirror-like, natural, nature, outdoor, outdoors, park, peaceful, Pond, reflected, reflection, scene, scenery, scenic picture, Serenity, tranquil, tree, Trees, view, water, water surface, wooden, wooden footbridge

Green Hat, Yellow Lilies, and Chess

May 31, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

 


I love putting together lots of different props to create a cohesive composition. I gathered a brown candle, green hat, vases, a chess piece and yellow lilies. Who would think that these unrelated items could come together to form a masterpiece. My composition was arranged on a muslim cloth featuring yellow lilies in a terracotta vase. I positioned a green fedora hat, between two vases containing the flowers. An ornate candlestick holder holds the brown lit candle. The objects are arranged on a textured surface against a muted backdrop, creating a serene and balanced scene. The two images are different in that they both have different background colors.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: background, beautiful, blooming, brown candle, bud, candlestick holder, ceramic vase, chess piece, composition, flame, flora, floral, flower, flowers, green, green fedora hat, green hat, green vase, hat, king chess piece, leaves, lilies, lily, lit candle, may lilies, muted backdrop, orange background, patterned cloth, petal, Photo, pretty, serene scene, smoke, stem, still life, terracotta vase, texture, textured background, textured surface, vase, yellow, yellow lilies

Chess, Hat, and Flowers

May 27, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment


While shopping for interesting items to use for s still life, I came upon a pretty green candle and a black chess piece–a king. I decided to create a magical fantasy. I placed a green spherical ceramic vase, a black chess piece, a green hat, and green patterned cloth on a tan drop cloth which I used as a table cloth. I added some white daisies to the vase. I then incorporated a green glass vase with pink blooming lilies, and a green lit candle on a bronze candle holder. My theme was the color green and various complementary colors. This arrangement was photographed against a white backdrop in my studio. I added a brownish, orange texture during editing. The lighting is soft and subdued.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: art, beautiful, beauty, black chess piece, candle holder, ceramic vase, chess, chess piece, cloth, daisies, decor, decorative sphere, flame, floral, flower, flowers, glass vase, gorgeous candle, green candle, green hat, green vase, hat, piece, pink lilies, plant, still life, texture background, vintage, white flowers

Mardi Gras Masks

May 6, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

 

I came upon these two Venetian masks in Goodwill. I was drawn to them and felt these beauties would make an unusual and vibrant image.These pair of Venetian-style masks are displayed prominently, one adorned with colorful details and the other in a stark black and white motif. A bouquet of red alstroemeria flowers and a single red rose add a vibrant touch to the composition, while a lit red candle provides a warm glow from the side. I placed the red candle atop an hourglass containing white sand. I photographed this arrangement against a white backdrop and added a lovely blue texture to create an etherial, otherworldly look.

All of these are somewhat similar, but different. Some have skulls, some have flowers or candles, yet all show the beauty of the masks displayed different forms.



Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: abstract, alstromeria, art, beautiful, bokeh, carnaval, carnival, carnival mask, carnivale, celebration, colorful, costume, decorative, disguise, disguised, exotic, face, fantasy, Festival, flora, flower, golden, gras, green vase, hourglass, italian, magical, mardi, mardi gras, mardi gras mask, mask, masked, masque, masquerade, masquerade mask, orleans, painted, petal, red, red flowers, red rose, rose, still life, texture, theater mask, theatrical, venetian, venice, venice carnival, vivid, woman

Time Marches On

April 27, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

A blue and white porcelain rabbit sits among a still life arrangement of a burning red candle on a candlestick, a pile of hardcover books, a sand hourglass, a blue alarm clock, and smooth black hot stones on a black surface. The composition of objects suggests a theme of time and antiquity, with the juxtaposition of the timeless sculpture and timekeeping devices invoking a sense of history and the fleeting nature of moments.


 

Filed Under: Still Life Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: alarm, alarm clock, background, black, black background, blue, blue and white rabbit, books, burn, candle, candlewax, clock, colorful, dripping candlewax, flame, hot stones, hourglass, massage, meditation, pewter candle holder, porcelain rabbit, red, red candle, relaxation, sand, spa, still life, stone, time, timeless elegance, timer, vintage

Time for Spa Day

April 10, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment



I used to be a massage therapist and still have some of my tools – namely hot stones. I wanted to incorporate the time element into this image. Timing when doing a massage is everything. So, I added a blue vintage alarm clock as well as an hourglass. Since candles set the mood for a massage, I added a lit red candle on top of a metal candle holder. The hourglass sits on top of three books for height. I placed the stones on top of a table covered with a beige painter’s cloth. The stones are scattered on the table. This was photographed against a white backdrop and I added a colored texture.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography

Shoe Shine

March 18, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

 


I had a pair of leather boots in my closet just sitting there. I had not worn them in quite a while and the thought occurred to me that they would look a lot better if they had a shoe shine. I had not shined any shoes in many years, so I thought I’d have to purchase everything. But, then I vaguely remembered that I had a box containing shoe polish, saddle soap, buffing brushes, and rags somewhere in my closet. I found the box right away, just waiting for me to finally polish my shoes. The thought came to me that these shoe care items would make a great image. So, I set out arranging the boots, polish, and brushes on a sheet of newspaper, which is what I would use to protect the floor. I photographed this interesting scene in the studio. I was pleased that I was able to turn such mundane materials into a lovely vision.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: black, black shoe polish, boot, boots, bristle, brown, brown shoes, brush, brushing, buffing brushes, care, clean, cleaner, cloth, cream, footgear, footware, footwear, kit, laced, laces, leather, little brush, material, newspaper, polish, polishing, protection, rags, shine, shiner, shining kit, shiny, shoe, shoe care, shoe polish, shoes, shoeshine, tan, worn

Retro Cameras and Candle

March 18, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment


In keeping with the vintage theme, I decided to rest two film cameras (Canon and Minolta) on some old photo albums and newspapers. I had these albums tucked away in my closet. I recently acquired a candle holder and candle at a consignment shop. I decided it belonged in this image. In creating this composition, I tried to convey the beauty of these treasures that took such beautiful pictures in the past, but can still be used. A fresh green apple sitting in the front adds a pop of color to the arrangement.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: album, backdrop, beige, beige table, blue background, books, candle, candlestick, canon camera, cream, creme colored, film, film camera, flame, granny smith apple, green apple, minolta camera, old, old albums, old newspaper, old photo, pastel, Photo, photograph, photography, retro, snapshot, studio shot, style, table, tablecloth, texture, vintage, vintage camera, white, yellow

Vintage Cameras

March 7, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

I always wished I had not sold my old Nikon FM 2 film camera. At the time it was considered one of the fastest SLRs. When I upgraded to digital, I decided I didn’t need it anymore. But when I started doing still life photography, I thought that my antique camera would make a good subject. But, recently a friend had some old camera equipment used by his father packed away in a closet. He was doing housecleaning and came upon a box of two cameras–a Canon and a Minolta, plus numerous lenses. He asked if I wanted it and I said yes because I simply wanted to photograph these treasures.


Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: aged, antique, aperture, art, background, black, camera, canon, classic, color, composition, equipment, exposure, film, film camera, film dust, filmstrip, glass, image, isolated, lens, lenses, manual, megapixels, minolta, monochrome, negative film, nostalgic, old, old-fashioned, Photo, photo camera, photocamera, photograph, photographic, photographic equipment, photographing, photography, professional, retro, shutter, studio, vintage, vintage photo effect, zoom lenses

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