I enjoy combining many seemingly unrelated objects into a cohesive composition and telling a story too. The theme is reading by candlelight so, in addition to the candle and books, I added a red candle holder, an alarm clock, and pears. I felt that his creation needed some lovely pink lilies to bring it together. The pink glass vase matched the pink lilies. This arrangement has a classic, still-life feel with a soft, blurred textured background.
Pink Lilies and Pears
I have always loved lilies, the way the buds keep blooming for days. I decided to highlight pink lilies by placing them in a blue ceramic jug. To enhance the beauty of the flowers, I surrounded them with a brown and beige lit candle, and a white and black ceramic vase. I felt that this composition would be enhanced by two green pears. I placed the candle on a black iron ornate candle holder. My creation was photographed against a white background. I added a texture with an orange hue to enhance the beauty of this unique still life.
Green Hat, Yellow Lilies, and Chess
I love putting together lots of different props to create a cohesive composition. I gathered a brown candle, green hat, vases, a chess piece and yellow lilies. Who would think that these unrelated items could come together to form a masterpiece. My composition was arranged on a muslim cloth featuring yellow lilies in a terracotta vase. I positioned a green fedora hat, between two vases containing the flowers. An ornate candlestick holder holds the brown lit candle. The objects are arranged on a textured surface against a muted backdrop, creating a serene and balanced scene. The two images are different in that they both have different background colors.
Vintage Cameras
I always wished I had not sold my old Nikon FM 2 film camera. At the time it was considered one of the fastest SLRs. When I upgraded to digital, I decided I didn’t need it anymore. But when I started doing still life photography, I thought that my antique camera would make a good subject. But, recently a friend had some old camera equipment used by his father packed away in a closet. He was doing housecleaning and came upon a box of two cameras–a Canon and a Minolta, plus numerous lenses. He asked if I wanted it and I said yes because I simply wanted to photograph these treasures.
Ruth’s Vase and Green Apples
I went to visit my friend at Brandon Wilde a few weeks ago. I had admired a vase she had on her desk and thought nothing of it. But the next time I went, she insisted she wanted me to have it. I thought it only fitting that I use this beauty in a picture. I had some beautiful lavender lilies so I added them to this porcelain vase with a southwestern motif. I felt that the green in the Granny Smith apples would offset the vase’s design. I photographed this scene against a black background for dramatic effect. I felt the red candle holder and flame would enhance the composition. It was a labor of love for my wonderful friend.
Boots, Lilies, and Skull
I had these old brown boots in my closet that I had not worn in a while. I wanted to use them in a photo, but decided to add a few items. Why not use the boots as vases? I absolutely love lilies, especially the gorgeous pink and purple ones, so I placed them into the boots. I felt the green stems and pink blooms would offset the brown in these boots. I decided to use a red candle holder and a skull. One would think that the elements I chose for this image would not work if taken by themselves. But together, the contrasting colors, shapes, and subjects form a pleasing, distinctive, yet unusual composition that somehow pleases me. For dramatic effect, I chose to photograph this creation in my studio against a black background.
Orange Lilies, Pumpkins, and Candle
I love everything about the Fall–from the beginnings of cool crisp days, to even the end of daylight savings time. I love the colorful Autumn leaves. I decided to incorporate all the elements of this season into these images. Pumpkins are a big part of the season. I incorporated some lovely orange lilies to match the pumpkins. I added some green grapes to a green ceramic vase, as well as an upside down goblet with a white candle and flame. You can see more of my work on: marilyn-botta.pixels.com.
Purple Hydrangeas and Plums
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.
