Marilyn Botta Photography

Shoe Shine

by Leave a Comment

 

I had a pair of leather boots in my closet just sitting there. I had not worn them in quite a while and the thought occurred to me that they would look a lot better if they had a shoe shine. I had not shined any shoes in many years, so I thought I’d have to purchase everything. But, then I vaguely remembered that I had a box containing shoe polish, saddle soap, buffing brushes, and rags somewhere in my closet. I found the box right away, just waiting for me to finally polish my shoes. The thought came to me that these shoe care items would make a great image. So, I set out arranging the boots, polish, and brushes on a sheet of newspaper, which is what I would use to protect the floor. I photographed this interesting scene in the studio. I was pleased that I was able to turn such mundane materials into a lovely vision.

Hospice Photos at Home

by

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

by

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.