Marilyn Botta Photography

Redcliffe Plantation

by

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

by

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

by

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.

Ukulele, Yellow Lilies, and Lemons

by

My friend loaned me her ukulele for this photo shoot. I posed ukulele in back of a still life with a brown ceramic vase with yellow lilies and lemons against a black background. I realize this is just one picture but I thought it needed a post of it’s own. I liked using a musical instrument in my still life.

Still Lifes with Blue Vase

by

I recently purchased a pretty blue vase at Goodwill. Someone discarded it but I picked it up and decided to use it for some studio still life photos with beautiful flowers. Someone else’s trash can become someone’s treasure. Here are four images using the blue vase, some similar, yet different. I decided to use lemons and yellow lilies in a wicker basket, some I used purple poms and oranges, in a glass beaker, as well as grapes. I used black backgrounds on some and one I added a texture.

Daisies, Poms, and Pink Lilies

by

I love adding flowers to my Still Lifes. I decided to get some purple daisies, pink poms, and pink lilies. I added in some unusual props such as a skull that I picked up for Halloween. As usual, fruit plays a big part of the picture and the green apple blends well with the green part of the daisies.

Venetian Shoot

by

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.

White Lilies

by

I just love white lilies against a black background. Here are three similar yet different images of white lilies. I hope you enjoy these pictures and love them as much as I do. I enjoyed taking these beautiful pictures.

White Daisies Still Lifes

by

I had some beautiful white daisies that I used to do some Still Lifes. Previously I had sculpted a head out of clay and thought it would make for an unusual addition to these photos. I also added some green apples, and a red candle complete with smoke. I think white flowers always look lovely on a black background. So, here are my latest Still Lifes which are somewhat different than my usual images. I enjoyed working on these and I hope you enjoy them too.

Portraits of Beth

by

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.