Marilyn Botta Photography

Mardi Gras Masks

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I came upon these two Venetian masks in Goodwill. I was drawn to them and felt these beauties would make an unusual and vibrant image.These pair of Venetian-style masks are displayed prominently, one adorned with colorful details and the other in a stark black and white motif. A bouquet of red alstroemeria flowers and a single red rose add a vibrant touch to the composition, while a lit red candle provides a warm glow from the side. I placed the red candle atop an hourglass containing white sand. I photographed this arrangement against a white backdrop and added a lovely blue texture to create an etherial, otherworldly look.

All of these are somewhat similar, but different. Some have skulls, some have flowers or candles, yet all show the beauty of the masks displayed different forms.

Boots, Lilies, and Skull

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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.

 

 

Deep Red Rose

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I have always loved roses. There are so many varieties and colors of roses, but to me, the most beautiful is the red rose. I envisioned a deep red rose with water droplets on the petals. I decided that a close up of the rose would reveal the mystical beauty of this gorgeous flower. I then spritzed the flower with water droplets, which clung to the delicate petals. I chose to photograph this spectacular beauty in a dark setting, thus bringing out the red color. It is really such a rather simple photo of a flower, but the deep red against a dark background made for a rather dramatic effect and enhanced the elegance of this exquisite flower.

Orange Lilies, Pumpkins, and Candle

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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.

Yellow Sunflowers

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I always loved sunflowers; all different sizes. The blooms, bright yellow, are so beautiful but the backside of the flower is exquisite. It is just as expressive and lovely as the front. I decided to concentrate on doing a close up. I had not used my macro lens lately, but I found the closer I zeroed into the lush, complex, green petals of the backside, the more excited I got. I always think an image, especially a sunflower, is so much more dramatic when moving as close as possible and photographing just a portion of the flower. I think this vivid picture was exactly what I had envisioned.

Green Grapes and Pears and Table

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I decided to do a still life with the color theme green and brown. I like those earthy colors because they blend so well together. I already had a small, green ceramic vase, and rather than my usual red grapes, I felt that green grapes would be in keeping with my theme. I bought some yellow chrysanthemums to offset the green and brown tones. Once I had the specific composition mapped out, I assembled my vision on a shiny brown reflective desk. The brown pears, green grapes and all the elements came together. For a dramatic flair, I photographed the scene against a black background.

My second image is similar except it is assembled on a wooden board, taken against a white background. I then used a texture in Photoshop to add the blue background. It is similar to the first, yet different.

Hydrangea, Pears, and Plums

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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.

White Daisies, Orange Lilies, and Ukulele

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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.

Still Lifes with Blue Vase

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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.