Marilyn Botta Photography

Yellow Sunflowers

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I always loved sunflowers; all different sizes. The blooms, bright yellow, are so beautiful but the backside of the flower is exquisite. It is just as expressive and lovely as the front. I decided to concentrate on doing a close up. I had not used my macro lens lately, but I found the closer I zeroed into the lush, complex, green petals of the backside, the more excited I got. I always think an image, especially a sunflower, is so much more dramatic when moving as close as possible and photographing just a portion of the flower. I think this vivid picture was exactly what I had envisioned.

Green Grapes and Pears and Table

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I decided to do a still life with the color theme green and brown. I like those earthy colors because they blend so well together. I already had a small, green ceramic vase, and rather than my usual red grapes, I felt that green grapes would be in keeping with my theme. I bought some yellow chrysanthemums to offset the green and brown tones. Once I had the specific composition mapped out, I assembled my vision on a shiny brown reflective desk. The brown pears, green grapes and all the elements came together. For a dramatic flair, I photographed the scene against a black background.

My second image is similar except it is assembled on a wooden board, taken against a white background. I then used a texture in Photoshop to add the blue background. It is similar to the first, yet different.

Lilies, Plums, and Grapes

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Here are three different images using lies, plums and grapes. I found some beautiful pink lilies with many pretty green buds that I decided to use to create still life. I felt that purple plums and red grapes would add vibrance to this composition. I placed the plums in a colorful ceramic bowl, and the grapes into a red champagne glass. I had an elegant red vase into which I place the lilies. I assembled the elements of my vision on a brown wooden board with some plums and grapes overflowing. For dramatic effect, I shot the scene using a black background. I like the way the black contrasts with the vivid colors of the lilies and fruit. I also chose to use a black goblet on one version. All of these are very similar, yet different.

 

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.

Purple Hydrangeas and Plums

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I came upon some beautiful purple hydrangeas and decided to incorporate them into a still life. I had a multicolored purple glass vase at home that I had picked up a few weeks before. I love the look of wicker baskets and fruit, so I added a round wicker basket filled with a few plums to my arrangement. It really started to take shape when I incorporated the elements on a brown wooden board. I felt that a green background would best bring out the composition that I was aiming for. I photographed the scene against a white background and added a green texture during editing. I think the contrasting colors and shapes make for a very pleasing image.

I decided to experiment with the elements that I had used in a prior image. However, this one would be against a black backdrop, photographed on a black table. I used the round wicker basket, and purple plums, but I substituted a clear glass purple vase and added a small gold glass. It is amazing that just by changing the elements of an image, a whole different composition will emerge. They are similar yet different. I like the reflections on the table too.

 

Hydrangea, Pears, and Plums

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I have never used hydrangeas in a photo before and wanted to see how it would look. I came upon some in a store and thought I would somehow incorporate these delicate blue flowers into a still life. I had a pretty wicker basket at home already and decided that some brown Bosc pears and red plums would complement the gorgeous colors of the hydrangeas. I set this up and decided that a black backdrop would create a perfect contrast to the vivid flowers and fruit. I was pleased with the composition. I was about to give up for the day when suddenly I got a brain storm and this whole creation fell into place. Luckily I persisted.

Orange Lilies, Ukulele, and Pears

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I purchased some beautiful orange lilies. I decided to use them in some Still Life photos featuring a green hat, green vases, Bosc pears, and a ukulele my friend loaned me. I photographed these images against a black background so they would pop. I rather like them and I sure hope you do too.

 

Redcliffe Plantation

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One late afternoon in January, my friend and I decided to take a trip to an old Southern plantation called Redcliffe Plantation located in Beech Island, S.C. It was a beautiful winter day in January. It is a very historic site, completed in 1859. It was once the home of James Henry Hammond and three generations of his descendants as well as numerous enslaved African-American families. Since it was winter this gorgeous oak tree was bare, but due to the lateness of the day, the sun was beginning to go down and the deep shadows of the branches extended across the grass. The white family mansion can be seen overlooking the enslaved quarters. This was a Southern plantation, after all, and there were slaves. Rays of sunlight filtered through the tree branches creating a magical look.

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.

 

White Daisies, Orange Lilies, and Ukulele

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These lovely creations are my latest features in my Still Life repertoire. These are three very different Still Lifes using white daisies, orange lilies, limes, oranges and a ukulele. I found all of these vases in my favorite place, Goodwill. Each image uses a different vase. The orange lilies really spoke to me and I felt they would look beautiful against a black background with a green vase. The green ceramic vase spoke to me because it comes from Costa Rica and shows turtles as a design. White daisies added to the green vase really looked exquisite. For the last image I  decided to add a ukulele to the picture with white flowers and green ceramic vase. Again, a black backdrop filled the bill. I love the varied colors and how I incorporated the contrasting  colors to realize my vision.