Marilyn Botta Photography

Hospice Photos at Home

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I was asked to do some hospice photos of a lovely lady in her home. She had just turned 90 recently and it was indeed hard to believe because she had such beautiful skin, no wrinkles, or other signs of aging one would see at 90. Her niece was her caregiver and had the same name. The day outside was absolutely perfect, warm and sunny. We started out in her bedroom where she was getting her hair fixed for the occasion. I then began to shoot and her smile was gorgeous. She also had two professional caregivers who were so gracious and allowed me to capture the genuine love they had for her. I did not use flash inside but used the natural light. I turned some into black and white as well. The whole time I was shooting, she was so cooperative and smiling. This was a lovely experience and I hope I brought some joy to the family and thank them for permitting me to do this photo shoot.

 

Hospice Photo Shoot

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I was asked to take some photos of a lovely lady of 91 and her daughter recently at the Marshall Pines memory care facility. She is technically in hospice, but she is stable right now. I went there with the hospice coordinator who was familiar with the family. Rather than being a sad visit, it was really fun because there was such a sweet interaction between mom and daughter and I could just feel the bond and love they have for one another. I decided to take the photos without any flash equipment because I felt it would be distracting and intrusive. The original images were in color, but I turned them into black and white to create the mood I was looking for.

Deana in NJ

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In June 2023 I went on a trip to NJ to see family (son, grandkids) and I met my son’s friend, Deana. She was gracious enough to let me take some photos of her outside. I think they reflect her sunny disposition and her beauty. I used a fill flash that I had built into the camera which worked very well to eliminate shadows in her face.

 

Venetian Shoot

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We did a Venetian photo shoot with some model brides in an old abandoned church in downtown Augusta, GA in January. I did the bride shot against the doors in color and in black and white. It was a lovely sunny, yet cold day, but the natural light streaming through the window was perfect and no flash was used. Also took pictures against the large windows.

Portraits of Beth

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On a Sunday in February I had a photo shoot with Beth. I purchased two very pretty dresses for her to wear for the portraits and the fit was perfect. I think the dresses offset her red hair. Here are four of the best ones. Two are the same image but both are edited differently.

Self Portraits

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I have been taking very close up self-portraits using a macro lens. These are the latest ones I took. I think they reflect my mood at the time I did the photo. In one I am contemplative, and I think the other one with the broken glass perfectly depicts my general feelings about life lately.I named it Just Everything. They are not the most flattering photos, but this was me in July 2022.

Monroe and Stephen

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In early June 2022, I asked a lovely couple, Monroe and Stephen, if they would be models for me in a studio shoot. They agreed and I had a wonderful day with them. They were such good models because it was so natural and they barely needed any prompting. You can see the true love in these pictures. It was such a pleasure doing this photoshoot. I used both a black and a white background. The black background I made into black and white. I did this is a Low Key way. The white background I added a color texture  for the background. Here are the ones I liked the most.

Self-Portrait

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This is a self-portrait that I took in April, 2022. I think it is very reflective of how I feel. It is a close-up of me taken with a macro lens and a tripod in my studio. I got the idea by looking at similar images on line. I would like to take this kind of shot of a model, and hopefully I will, but for now I am my own model. Unlike many of the photographers I see posting on Facebook, I do not have a bevy of people waiting to get their portraits done. I guess if I make a request on FB for models, I should be able to get people to pose for me. I did get a few people and I love how those images came out (Beth, Susan, and Gerry). The black and white images of Gerry are, in my opinion, some of my best work. He was a good model. It would be super if I actually got paid for things. But, for now, I am happy just getting to apply my art to anyone who will model for me. They are actually doing me a favor, and if they want pics and will pay me, all the better.

Self-Portraits

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It has been 7 months since I finished chemotherapy, in which I lost my nice hair. Now, after 7 months it is starting to look like an actual hairstyle, albeit not what I ultimately want. It is a work in progress. I thought I’d take some self-portraits to show I can still look pretty good, even after everything I’ve been through. I like to take my own photos because I know exactly how to pose to look good plus I can do editing to achieve the ultimate result I am looking for. The photos are similar but different due to different backdrops and different lighting.

Susan

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I did a photo shoot of my friend, Susan. She came with all kinds of different props such as a flowered wreath for her hair. I supplied the large hat. It was a fun day. I had some beautiful chrysanthemums that added some beauty to the shoot. She also brought her camera which I photographed in low key. All other pictures were shot against a white backdrop and I added textures in Photoshop post processing.