“Bashful”

Last week when I was coming home from a run I noticed that my beloved peonies had all but wilted and the petals been discarded. At the time, there were only a few remaining flowers. Spring has been so rushed and harried with work and activities for the kids that I had almost missed the joy of photographing the peonies.  That afternoon, instead of ironing and doing the banking, I cut the last of the living peonies and did some still life work. This was a time to be inspired, to create, take a deep breath and recharge my soul.

I didn’t have time to go to the studio, which means I didn’t have any back drops to use.  I knew that for some of the shots I wanted a white back drop.  I could have used a white table-cloth, or a sheet and hung them from a door, but, I didn’t feel like going to the trouble and I knew I could create the white back drop myself using light.

Using my Nikon D800 and my Nikkor 105mm 2.8 lens I set out to create.  I grabbed some props, antique prescription bottles, an antique miniature milk bottle, a white cheese cloth, a black stool, some ribbon, and some sheets of music.  I don’t know how long I moved around in front of my front door playing and creating.  I lost all sense of time and felt so relaxed.

To create the white back drop effect I used only natural light.  I metered my exposure on the flower so that it would be properly exposed and the backlight would be blown out.  To avoid flare, I angled my lens down just enough to allow some haze, but to eliminate flare.  I wanted this shot to be flawless and dreamy therefore colorful flare spots were not welcome.  My settings are below for your reference:

ss 1/100 f 5.0 ISO 400

I could have worked with the above scenario for hours.   But, alas, the kids needed to be picked up from school and driven to activities, and, honestly, my equipment is so heavy that after a considerable amount of time, my neck and arms begin to tire.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my equipment and the Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses that I have give me great flexibility when working in the various areas of photography that I focus on.  I do love them, but I have recently been evaluating mirrorless cameras, especially for travel and street work.   Lighter weight cameras and lenses would be fabulous when having to hold or carry them for any length of time.   In addition, I just recently came across a new camera that I found interesting.  Light, is a compact camera that appears to have many features.  I don’t know that it has the flexibility I need, but I think it is worth checking into for travel and street work.  I thought I would share the link with you in the event you might have interest in a compact camera that appears to have a lot of great features.

To compare this photograph in black and white, please visit my Thursday post on Monochromia.

To view more of the photographs from this still life session, check back on the blog soon or follow me on Instagram.  I post to Instagram much more frequently there.

Dazzled by the Light I

SS1/60 f 4.5 ISO 1000

“Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides.” ~ Junichiro Tanizaki
To see this image in black and white please visit Monochromia for my Thursday post.

The process for creating this photograph and most of my other flower photographs is a bit more complicated than using a white or black backdrop.  I have surprised people when telling them that no, it is not a white or black back drop, it is how I used the light that created the effect in my photograph.

To create a white back ground using only natural light, I am using back lighting or side lighting.  I meter on the subject, the flower, for proper exposure.  This creates a white or blown out effect in the back ground or side area.   If I metered on the light, my subject would be under exposed.  The angle of my camera determines the amount of haze or flare in my image.  If my lens is angled up toward the light more light is going to enter the lens and haze or flare will occur.  To avoid this effect, I simply angle my lens down so that light isn’t directly entering it.  This is a very simplified description of angle of incidence.

To create a black back ground using only natural light, I use front lighting.  The light is hitting my subject so that it is well lit.   When I meter on the subject for proper exposure, this makes everything behind the subject dark and creates a dark or black back ground.   In this scenario, if I let the camera determine exposure, or if I metered on the area behind my subject, my subject would be over exposed.

I hope you found this information of use, or at least interesting, for your photography journey.  Please let m know if you have any questions.

Bouquet of Adoration for True Friends

Bouquet of Adoration

SS 1/60 f 4.0 ISO 500

Natural Light, subject in front of window.

60mm Macro Lens

“True friends are like bright sunflowers that never fade away, even over distance and time.” ~ Marie Williams Johnstone

To see this image in black and white be sure to visit Monochromia for my Thursday post.

Tulip I

Tulip I, a Day Dream

SS 1/60 F 4.5 ISO 640

Tulip I is the first image in my 2015 tulip series. I used natural light to photograph several tulips that were decaying. Tulip I is a day-dream. I used back lighting, ambient light, and a shallow depth of field to achieve the swirly, dreamy effect.

In post processing I did a simple curves adjustment, just to give a little color pop.

A Recent Newborn Shoot

 

ss 1/60 f 5.0 ISO 1000

manual settings and focus, natural light

 

 

ss 1/60 f5.0 ISO 1000

manual settings and focus, natural light

 

ss 1/60 f5.0 ISO 1000

manual settings and focus, natural light

 

ss 1/60 f5.6 ISO 1000

manual settings and focus, natural light

 

ss 1/60 f5.0 ISO 1000

manual settings and focus, natural light

All of the newborn images above were shot using my Nikon D800 and my 50mm 1.4 lens. Individual settings are above.  Which is your favorite?

 

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.”
– Eda J. Le Shan

2013 Tulip Series – 01

“If I had my life to live over again, I would ask that not a thing be changed, but that my eyes be opened wider.” – Jules Renard

Rising Up to Brighter Days

 

 

 

Rising Up to Brighter Days in Black and White

(Black and white flowers may not demonstrate the cheer and hope that colorful flowers do,  but, I loved this image in black and white.  Many, many years ago, black and white would have been the only option to present this image and I believe it would have had the same meaning – Rising Up.)

As today is the first day of Spring I feel myself rising up out of the winter doldrums.   The days are getting longer, the sun, when it shines, is shining brighter.  I am longing for warmer days and more sunshine.  As the tulip in the image is rising up toward the sunlight, my spirits are rising in hope that soon, warmer, brighter days will be here to stay for a while.  Let’s all open our eyes wide so that the senses will be reawaken in the days to come – with birds chirping, flowers blooming, grass growing, and children laughing.

 

2013 Lily Series – 01

Tonight begins a journey with the Lily.  Historically, the Lily has represented majesty.  In some parts of history it can be found that Lilies of various colors represent something other than, or in addition to, majesty.  For example, the white Lily, as I posted last week, represents purity and virtue.  Throughout the 2013 Lily series you will see Lilies of varying color as well as black and white images of Lilies.  The Lily itself is a magnificent flower.  It can be a challenge to photograph, but if you have wonderful natural light, those challenges seem to fade to artistic creation.  I hope you enjoy the series and look forward to your comments and feedback.

The Opening Act – Sensuality