Morning Art Walk

I have done a pretty good job of setting up my Inbox with really good things like newsletters from creative folks I admire, while also limiting junk and more influence to consume and buy carelessly. I recently discovered the work of photographer Lee Anne White. Lee Anne lives in Gainsville, Georgia and I really love her work. Her recent post on substack, Art in the Garden, featured an eastern redbud leaf that had been chewed by leaf cutter bees. I don’t think I would even have noticed these same leaves on my morning walk if Lee Anne had not introduced me to this way of seeing. She is right. The shape is sculptural. And the walk was more joyful for the noticing.

Connecting to the Landscape

The messy way I often place flowers into a vase could not possibly be called flower arranging. I’ve checked out gorgeous books on flower arranging from the library, studied the pages, and searched for inspiration, but so far, I still prefer to let things fall as they may. Gathered from the garden. Simple things elevated. I would say this is my style.

The Importance of Background

The fancy bar of soap I bought in the little shop in Bowling Green, the same Saturday that we visited Mount Olympus Farm, came wrapped in this tissue paper. It was so pretty, I smoothed it out and saved it. The poppy pods are almost lost against the patterned paper, but somehow they still stand out.

The vintage tray and green pot seemed made for each other. I do not know the name of this green foliage that came in my weekly bouquet. It smells divine. Maybe it’s a type of mint? The flower frog, tucked in the pot, holds the stems upright for the picture. The background is a black foam tri-fold designed for a student science fair project or presentation. It’s easy to set up and works beautifully.

Decisions

When I saw this inexpensive framed art in the thrift shop, I was pretty sure it would work as a background for photographs.

For $3.99, I figured I’d give it a try. I had to pry the float frame (which was cheaply made) off with a screw driver. Then I used a box cutter to slice the canvas away from the inner frame.

Next step, fix the background to the wall with pushpins, making sure the print was level.

This is all a lot of work and most of it is just plain old fun. I pull out the various tools I need, drape old IKEA curtains over tables, try out different vases and flower combinations. I usually take these still life photos with my 35mm lens and the 85mm lens to see which works best. I open and close the garage door to see if the photo looks better with flatter, even light or with more contrast.

And if I am feeling especially energetic, I get out the tripod (why is it so darn hard for me to line-up a tripod properly?).

I realize that professionals often shoot tethered to a laptop so they can see their results in real time. I do not have this luxury. I do the best I can, often using the Live View mode on my camera.

But basically, the result is always a surprise.

This one?

Or this one?

Or maybe this one?