As I was leaving to go walking on Sunday morning, I noticed raindrops on my Crepe Myrtle tree. I knew it rained Saturday night so I thought there may be some pretty droplets on the delicate flowers. I just so happened to have a camera with a macro lens upstairs luckily. So I went back in and grabbed it, came out and started shooting. It was so hot and steamy that morning that my lens was getting fogged up. But I kept wiping it off with my cloth and managed to actually see what I was photographing. The background is softly blurred in shades of pink and green which highlight the beautiful droplet on the flower.
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.
Lilies, Plums, and Grapes
Here are three different images using lies, plums and grapes. I found some beautiful pink lilies with many pretty green buds that I decided to use to create still life. I felt that purple plums and red grapes would add vibrance to this composition. I placed the plums in a colorful ceramic bowl, and the grapes into a red champagne glass. I had an elegant red vase into which I place the lilies. I assembled the elements of my vision on a brown wooden board with some plums and grapes overflowing. For dramatic effect, I shot the scene using a black background. I like the way the black contrasts with the vivid colors of the lilies and fruit. I also chose to use a black goblet on one version. All of these are very similar, yet different.
Still Lifes with Blue Vase
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.
Daisies, Poms, and Pink Lilies
I love adding flowers to my Still Lifes. I decided to get some purple daisies, pink poms, and pink lilies. I added in some unusual props such as a skull that I picked up for Halloween. As usual, fruit plays a big part of the picture and the green apple blends well with the green part of the daisies.
Hair at Last
After losing my hair during 3.5 months of chemotherapy for breast cancer, I was pleased to finally see my hair coming back. It started on the sides and back of my head and I looked like a man with a fringe of hair around my head but it finally covered the back and top of my head. It will take a long time to grow it back to the long layered look that I had before chemo but it is on the way. At this point I will settle for a pixie look as long as the front can be combed into bangs. I know I must be patient but here are a few self portraits I took. The one with the flowers in the front with bare shoulders was taken naked with the flowers covering what I need to keep private. The black and white shots had no pink in my hair, but I added the pink in Lightroom.
Boobie Queens
I did a photo shoot of breast cancer survivors (a.k.a. Boobie Queens) at a party in their honor. The party took place at Le Chat Noir–a little nightclub in downtown Augusta. I took portraits against the brick wall–some with their Boobie Crowns and some without. We all had a great time celebrating our victory over breast cancer. We are all sisters in pink.
Flowers in Studio 2020
I set out to photograph some lilies and other pink flowers with fruit. I decided to add this to its own post since I wanted to highlight the flowers. The pink flowers bloom on a bush in front of my house but I don’t know their name. They bloom every year. I added some different textures to show how the same photo can be changed with different backgrounds. I also set the lily up on the silver platter to show the reflections.
Pink Flowers and Reflections
I have an endless fascination with flowers, particularly pink ones. My friend Fran had these gorgeous pink flowers blooming right on a bush in her back yard back in late February. She gave me permission to cut a few off the bush. In the studio I placed the flower against a black reflective surface and used my strobes. The other shots were lilies in my studio in March 2019, again on a black reflective surface. The flowers in the saucer were on a white background so I added a texture to punch things up.