Marilyn Botta Photography

Pine Cones

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Where I live, there are many pine trees. I always see the standard pine cones all over the grass and wooded areas, but I never knew what they look like before they mature. I was out walking when I noticed these interesting growths on the pine trees and I wasn’t sure what they were. They were skinny and some very long, so I did a search and found out that these interesting yellow and green cylindrical growths were indeed baby pine cones. I came back with my camera and macro lens and took many shots. The wind was whipping the tree around but I managed to get a few good images.

Since the hurricane in September in Augusta, GA, there are so many downed pine trees. These have mature pine cones–the kind I am familiar with. The second picture is a macro shot of one of these beauties.

 

All About Orange

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This still life features mostly shades of orange with some green and yellow on the side. I found a lovely peach and cream vase. I added some gorgeous orange lilies and some mini yellow carnations to a green vase for some contrast.I added some mini orange pumpkins and a wide orange lit candle in keeping with the orange theme. I feel this arrangement speaks Autumn. A delicate blue texture was added which give this composition a soft easy and relaxing feel.

Crepe Myrtle Buds

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I came out last Sunday to go walking and I just couldn’t resist going back into the house and getting my camera which already had a macro lens. It had rained the night before, so the buds were so new and sparkling, ready to become blooms. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was just beginning to shine through the foliage. The bright natural light enhances the the vibrant color and detail of the buds.

Raindrop on Flower

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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.

Chess, Hat, and Flowers

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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.

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.

 

 

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.