Marilyn Botta Photography

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Oranges, Lilies, and Blue Vase

April 28, 2025 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

 


A vibrant arrangement features orange lilies in a blue vase, accompanied by a woven basket of mandarin oranges and three lit candles. The calm composition is enhanced by the contrasting colors and soft lighting. The orange and green candles add to the calming atmosphere.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: basket, beauty, bloom, blossom, blue, bright, ceramic, ceramic vase, creative, dark, flame, flora, floral, flower, flower vase, flowers, glass, green, green candles, lilies, lilly, lily, lily flower, mandarin oranges, orange, orange candle, orange flower, orange lily, oranges, petals, porcelain, still life, summer flowers, vase, vintage vase, yellow

Lilies, Apples, and Limes

March 31, 2025 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

I always feel that a black background adds a dramatic flair to a composition. This still life creation features a blue vase with orange lilies. Green apples sit at the base of the blue jug. I had a martini glass and added four limes to match the apples. I added a thick orange candle placed on a pewter candle holder. The orange in the candle offsets the orange in the lilies. The black background enhances the reflections.

This still life creation features a blue vase with orange lilies. Green apples sit at the base of the blue jug. I had a martini glass and added four limes to match the apples. I added a thick orange candle placed on a pewter candle holder. The orange in the candle offsets the orange in the lilies. I placed green apples at the base of the jug. The composition is set against a muted background, highlighting the vibrant colors of the objects.


 

 

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: art, artistic, beautiful, beauty, black background, bloom, blue, candle, candle holder, color, composition, fine art, flame, floral, flower, flowers, fruit, green, green apples, jug, lilies, lilly, lily, lily flower, limes, martini glass, nature, orange, orange candle, petal, pewter, photography, reflections, still life, the blossom of lily flowers, vase, vintage vase

Sunlit Bridge at Phinizy Swamp

June 25, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

 


I visited Phinizy Swamp in Augusta, GA, last week. It is a beautiful nature preserve and wetlands. Although it is very lush in the Summer, I still managed to find some gorgeous scenery. It is so peaceful and tranquil along the footbridge, where Spanish moss and lush green trees grow on either side of the bridge. The blue sky was a lovely contrast to the green foliage. The sunlight casts a pattern of shadows on the pathway, enhancing the natural serenity of the scene.

 

Filed Under: Landscapes Tagged With: beautiful, beauty, blue, blue sky, boardwalk, branch, bridge, colorful, environment, foliage, forest, grass, green, greenery, lake, landscape, leaf, lush, moss, natural, nature, no people, outdoor, outdoors, path, pathway, peaceful, picturesque, quiet, railing, railings, scenery, scenic, serene, shadows, solitary, spanish, spanish moss, summer, sunlight, sunlit, sunshine, trail, tranquil, tree, Trees, trunk, walk, walkway, wetlandswetland, wild, wood, wooden, wooden bridge, woods

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

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

Phinizy Swamp

January 22, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

I love going to Phinizy Swamp in the late afternoon when shadows are more prominent. There is something so beautiful about how the bridges curve around under the cypress trees. The day I went there the sky was a deep blue with puffy clouds emitting sunlight giving it a heavenly feel. It is so amazing that a swamp can be so alluring and almost dream-like. I have wonderful memories of visiting this magical picturesque oasis in the middle of a busy world. The peacefulness is almost hard to explain unless you’re there.


Filed Under: Landscapes Tagged With: areas of outstanding natural beauty, beautiful, beauty, bird sanctuary, birds, birdwatching, blue, blue sky, bridge, calm park, colorful, conservation, duck, ecology, ecosystem, environment, environmental, grass, grassy, green, greenery, hiking, lake, landscape, lush, marsh, moss background, mossy, national wildlife refuge, natural, nature, Nature park, outdoor, outdoors, park, Pond, preserve, reserve, river, scenery, scenic, serene, sky, species, sunlight, swamp, tranquil scene, Trees, walking, water, wetland, wetlands, wildlife, woodland

Jersey Shore

January 22, 2024 by Marilyn Botta Leave a Comment

This picture was taken on an unusually warm May day. As you know, May can be a fickle month in New Jersey, where one day it is warm and next it is very chilly. On this day, it was close to 90, which was very unusual. But I took advantage of it by capturing many beach and boardwalk images. This picture shows the coaster and wooden pier alongside a lone man with a knapsack walking the beach. In my mind, he seemed homeless, as if his knapsack held his possessions and clothes. I have no idea what was in his mind, but the scene left me with a lonely feeling.


Filed Under: Landscapes Tagged With: asbury, asbury park, asbury park beach, asbury park nj, atlantic, atlantic city, atlantic ocean, beach, beach haven, beaches, blue, blue sky, blue water, boardwalk, brick new jersey, clouds, coast, jersery shore, Jersey, Jersey Shore, jersey shores, landscape, New Jersey, new jersey beach, new jersey ocean, new jersey shore, NJ, ocean, ocean waves, peaceful, people, pier, rides, rollercoaster, sand, sandy, scenic, sea, seashore, seaside, serene, Shore, shoreline, sky, state park, summertime, surf, tranquil, water, waterfront, waves

Hydrangea, Pears, and Plums

July 11, 2023 by Marilyn Botta


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.

Filed Under: Still Life Photography Tagged With: basket, beautiful, black, black background, bloom, blossom, blue, bosc pears, bright, delicious, flora, floral, flower, food, fruit, fruits, green, hydrangea, hydrangeaceae, juicy, leaf, leaves, multicolor, multicolored, organic, pear, pears, petal, petals, plum, plums, produce, purple, red, ripe, still life, sweet, wicker

Deana in NJ

June 22, 2023 by Marilyn Botta

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.



 

Filed Under: Portraits, Uncategorized Tagged With: black sweater, blue, brown hair, gray sweater, green, leaves, nature, NJ, outside, photos, portrait, pretty girl, red hair, rock, socks, tights, tree

Still Lifes with Blue Vase

May 4, 2023 by Marilyn Botta

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.



Filed Under: Flowers and Trees, Still Life Photography Tagged With: art, artwork, backgrounds, basket, beautiful, beauty, black background, blooms, blossom, blossoms, blue, botany, bowl, branch, bright, bunch of flowers, ceramic, color, colorful, colours, creativity, fine art, flora, floral, floral still life, flower, flowering, flowers, fruit, glass beaker, Goodwill, grapes, green, green vase, greeting card, horizontal, indoor, leaf, leaves, lemons, life, light, lilies, mug, oranges, pastel, petal, petals, photography, pink, Poms, postcard, purple flowers, still, still life, still life flowers, stillife, studio photography, studio shot, vase, vase of flowers, white, wicker, wicker basket, yellow, yellow flowers, yellow fruits

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