Things to be Happy About

I am not a fan of forced optimism. I need time and space and ways to process disappointment and heartbreak. But I am also deeply aware of the many things in my life that bring meaning, and in that meaning, there is an abiding joy. The flowers continue to inspire me; they lead the way and I try to follow.

I talked to a flower farmer today who assured me that she would have beautiful varieties of fall flowers through October. So I guess this project will continue through until first frost.

It’s taken me a while to find my footing in the still life work, but I’m finding my groove now. Well, except for one area—leveling the tripod. Help! I can see straight by looking through the viewfinder (which I usually do first). BUT, I cannot seem to replicate what I see when I look through the view finder using the tripod. There are so many things to adjust, and it’s all a bit wonky. I have an ongoing search online for videos to help me learn this basic skill. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Making the Most of Things

I can only do what I do, so I photograph what I actually notice. Trusting that my way of seeing is worth sharing.

Lisianthus, petals and leaves

Food is expensive these days. As we aim to live within a reasonable budget, I try to come up with creative ways to use what we already have in the pantry. I make hodgepodge meals for dinner, find a few new recipes for eggs, and let go of outdated notions that meals must be perfectly balanced to be good. The constraint gives freedom.

It’s much the same with fresh flowers. Like food, they often expire quickly. Because I pick and pay for the flowers myself, I try to photograph them for my current project in as many ways as I can imagine. Some ideas work out; others do not. I spent a good while this morning adhering the lisianthus leaves to white paper with double stick tape. Then gently placing withering petals over the backdrop. This might seem tedious, but it was actually very calming. The casual cascade of petals upon a bed of leaves, and the deep joy that comes with being used fully.

Big Flowers

In general, I find that big photographs of flowers look kind of cheesy. I’m sure this is all about the nuance of the picture where things like camera settings and lighting and processing matter. I tend to prefer a minimalist approach to photo styling and editing, so this is simply a matter of taste. Subjectively objective.

I do love the artful pictures of Australian photographer Kara Rosenlund. She has a series, Best in Show, that features colorful dahlias. She gives the backstory on how her collection came to be and how she made these gorgeous photographs in her post. They have names like Daphne, Gladys, and Mavis—all names with meaning for Kara.

After studying Kara’s work, I decided I’d give something similar a try. We visited the lovely Flower Field in Toano near Williamsburg, Virginia this passed week. The owner, Susan, was so kind to open the field early for us to pick flowers and shared her passion for flowers, too. Luckily for me, there were some dahlias and lots of zinnias, too.

I brought a few prized dahlias home and got to work. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make pictures like Kara’s, ones that filled the frame with the flower blossom. I decided to try different prime lenses (35mm, 50mm, and 85mm), stick with natural light in the early morning (in my garage this gives a softer light without shadows), use my tripod, and keep the styling very simple. Kara used a makeshift studio on her kitchen table which seemed pretty similar to my setup. I figured I’d have to crop the photos to get that full frame look, and this turned out to be true. But the file sizes were large and even with cropping, the pictures are still of excellent quality.

I am happy with the results. I’m not sure which of this group will make it into my florilegium project, but I am certain at least one will be included. I followed Kara’s lead and named my flower portraits after people I love.

Reset

Asparagus and Celsoia

“each reset creates evidence that a hard moment can be survived without being endlessly solved. sensitivity and care can remain intact. the change lies in refusing to let every emotional disturbance expand until it occupies the whole internal landscape.”
— ayushi thakkar, the life-changing skill to stop rumination