I thought it only fitting that I do a Halloween themed image. I decided to photograph this scene agains a black backdrop to give it a spooky and eerie quality. I always seem to get some flowers into many of my creations. These pink lilies add a pretty pop of color, as does the bright orange candle. The brown pewter candle holder enhances the color of the beautiful textured candle. I placed a small skull atop a green glass vase. A scorpion and mini pumpkins complete my the eerie atmosphere and my vision.
Roses and Pears
Roses come in many different colors, but to me, the red rose is the most beautiful. I love the way the delicate fragrant soft petals are enfolded so perfectly. I decided to use these beauties in a still life along with some pretty brown pears. I placed the roses into a green ceramic vase to offset the red in the roses. I placed a red lit candle on top of a wrought-iron holder and added a single red rose at the bottom. I arranged the pears at the foot of the vase. The entire composition was situated on a beige table cloth. I then selected purple and blue textures for the background to enhance the vivid colors of the elements of this creation.
Reading by Candlelight
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.
Baby Elephant in Wonderland
I came upon a baby Lenox elephant while looking for inspiration at Goodwill. I wanted to create a serene scene by using soft muted colors of green, blue and beige hues.I added two candles of green and beige, matching the color scheme. Light yellow/white carnations, in a green glass vase, added to the serene and peaceful atmosphere. In addition, I added some pretty rocks surrounding the elephant. It is abstract, something one would not normally find in nature, but that is my interpretation. I enjoy placing objects that don’t go together in a beautiful cohesive scene. It is amazing how that works to create a lovely and unusual fantasy still life.
Baby Elephant
I was out looking for some inspiration for a still life when I came upon an adorable Lenox elephant. It was hard to believe that someone gave this away to Goodwill. But their loss was my find. I bought it because I thought it was just so cute and beautiful, not really knowing what in the world I was going to create. I had some old stones that I collected a while back sitting in a plastic bag. I thought that at some point I would think of something to do with them. I had a brainstorm and this is what I came up with. I used a texture to bring out the beauty and soft lighting of this lovely cozy scene.
Hubcap and Orange Lilies
I was out doing my walking last week when I came upon a hubcap, in good condition. I decided it might make an interesting picture. I tried to use travel as a loose theme, so I added an old New Jersey license plate, yellow sunglasses, and a wrench. In keeping with the colors of the flowers, I included a green apple. I added a candle and metallic candle holder to complete the image. I felt that a black backdrop would enhance the scene.
Chess, Hat, and Flowers
While shopping for interesting items to use for s still life, I came upon a pretty green candle and a black chess piece–a king. I decided to create a magical fantasy. I placed a green spherical ceramic vase, a black chess piece, a green hat, and green patterned cloth on a tan drop cloth which I used as a table cloth. I added some white daisies to the vase. I then incorporated a green glass vase with pink blooming lilies, and a green lit candle on a bronze candle holder. My theme was the color green and various complementary colors. This arrangement was photographed against a white backdrop in my studio. I added a brownish, orange texture during editing. The lighting is soft and subdued.
Green Grapes and Pears and Table
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.
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.
