Florilegium — Turning the Pages

A page by page look at my latest photo book, Florilegium: an anthology of flowers, printed by MILK photo books.

I am not a film maker so this video is pretty basic. I am learning as I go. First up, I bought a magnetic overhead phone stand tripod. I still needed my husband to press the shutter button to start the video, but at least he didn’t have to hold the phone over my head for 5 minutes. The first two videos were awful because the white balance kept changing as I flipped each page. With a little internet research and a YouTube video, I figured out that I needed to lock the white balance for videos. This helped a lot. We made the video outside, using our workbench table. This turned out to be a great idea because it’s a beautiful early fall day and there are lots of soothing sounds. Birds. Wind. Chimes. Occasional cars driving along our road. Pages turning. I did have fun tapping my fingers like an influencer touting the best features of some product, though I am truly not trying to sell you anything. I am trying to encourage myself to embrace the simple elegance of ordinary things, and I invite you to do the same. Even in making the film, I spent time with my work in a very intimate way — celebrating what I have already done. I’m so proud of this book.

One Photograph, One Paragraph

I was waiting for my appointment with the massage therapist who uses myofascial release techniques. The one who later placed her hands on my body and sighed with sympathy. I was glad the camera was in the back seat of the car and happy for the creative moment. Not every photograph needs to be an important photograph. Sometimes the photo remains a single isolated moment of seeing. Other times the clarity comes later. But either way, there is joy in the noticing. The chairs look like an open invitation to sit and rest, but clearly the message is mixed.

The Upside of Being Indecisive

The best part of gathering photos is that it allows me to think less, feel more. But sometimes, my feelings are wrong. I’ll take some photos that feel off or bad, only to edit and find that those iffy ones were the best in the batch. What would happen if I’d decided my way out of those? What if I became so decisive I’d decided my way out of making something that surprised me or helped me grow? —Greta Rybus, Berries and Quilts