I had an old silver teapot on my credenza, just gathering dust. I bought it years ago in Charleston thinking it might be worth something. I still don’t know about that, but it was pretty. Before using it in my image, I first had to polish it. I always wanted to use it in a still life, but didn’t know what to do with it. Finally, I decided to add some Peruvian Lilies to the opening. I love the look of pears so I added them as well. I added a lovely ornate candle holder with an orange and yellow thick candle to offset the orange in the flowers. The background is a texture I added in. i think the darkish background brings out the beauty and drama of this arrangement.
Pine Cones
Where I live, there are many pine trees. I always see the standard pine cones all over the grass and wooded areas, but I never knew what they look like before they mature. I was out walking when I noticed these interesting growths on the pine trees and I wasn’t sure what they were. They were skinny and some very long, so I did a search and found out that these interesting yellow and green cylindrical growths were indeed baby pine cones. I came back with my camera and macro lens and took many shots. The wind was whipping the tree around but I managed to get a few good images.
Since the hurricane in September in Augusta, GA, there are so many downed pine trees. These have mature pine cones–the kind I am familiar with. The second picture is a macro shot of one of these beauties.
Party of Skulls
I decided to create an image with skulls being the stars. I came across an unusual gold skull and decided to add it to the other two skulls I have. To enhance the eerie quality of this composition, I added a dark orange texture. For a more dramatic effect I added several different sized lit candles. I had an old child’s hat that fit perfectly on the gold skull’s head.
Gerry and Dawn
Gerry and Dawn recently got married but didn’t have any really nice portraits of the two of them. I offered to take some studio portraits of them in their wedding outfits. The couple are a bit unconventional in that Gerry wore a gray shirt and black motorcycle vest and Dawn wore a lavender gown. I took many photos of Gerry and Dawn in various poses, most of which show their love for each other. Here are the best images taken. They were very cooperative and it was a fun day.
Mini Carnations and Green Pears
I decided to do a still life using mini carnations and green pears as the theme. I put the carnations into a pear-shaped brown glass vase. I also added the carnations to a small black-and-shite ceramic vase. I added a green lit candle to a metal holder and placed two green pears beneath it. I placed all the elements on top of a wooden board. I added an orange texture as a background to bring out the beauty of this composition which have complementary colors.
Boston Terrier Puppy
My friend just got an adorable Boston Terrier puppy. She is so bouncy and full of energy the way puppies are. I decided to take some pictures of this adorable subject, which was not easy because she is continuously on the move. For just one moment, she stopped after I made a kissing sound and looked at me. Bam- that’s when I shot the photo. I added a beautiful blue texture as a background to bring out her colors. Her “parents” were thrilled that I managed to capture this special photo. One second later, she was running and jumping again.
Orange Lilies and Apples
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.
All About Orange
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.
Halloween Fantasy
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.
Guardian Lion and Zebra
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.