Mar 8, 2017 |
About Reflections: Every photo is a frozen memory. BUT every memory is also a reflection. AND every reflection is a distortion of the truth based on perspective. This series explores literal and figurative reflections.
Nick and I were on a roller coaster road trip at the end of last summer, and our Virginia hotel was right next to this massive warehouse full of home décor. I’d never heard of it before, but apparently At Home is a chain that hasn’t made it up to my neck of the U.S. just yet. =(
I can’t tell you how long I wandered, or the amount of restraint I had to have to not buy everything in the store! It was difficult to leave, but eventually I narrowed down the things in my cart to only a few small reflective props, and only two impulse buys that strategically lured me in at the checkout aisle.
All of the photos below, and many more to follow in future posts, were made reflecting these objects off of one another.
If you’ve been following along behind the scenes, you may have noticed that I’d been using my little flashes up until this point. I swear by these little lights for my macro photography, and I love how portable and simple to use they are… but they have 2 downfalls:
1) They’re battery operated, so as the batteries start losing power it takes the flash longer and longer to recharge for the next burst of light. No big deal when you subject isn’t moving, but…
2) They also don’t have modeling lights. So that makes it really hard to see what you’re doing, especially when the subject is reflections. The slightest movement can totally alter your image and it can be hard to get the light back to where you started if you move it by mistake.
For those of you who are new to strobe lighting, modeling lights are the lights that give you a preview of where the light is actually falling onto your subject. They’re not as powerful as the full force flash that goes off when you hit the shutter, but they allow you to see where the highlights and shadows will fall before you take the photo. With flashes you have to guess and check.
The solution?
I borrowed some lights; Dynalites to be exact. I only used one light and then, for this particular photo, I clamped a “McClamp” to my table and then attached a small, 12-inch diffuser to the other end to soften the light. The black card on the table cut back on the amount of extra light that was bouncing off of the white surface.
However boring it is to photograph products, my product photography experience taught me that black and white cards are very useful tools for modifying light. I’m using matte board that’s white on one side and black on the other because it’s what I had on hand, but you could use foamcore, posterboard, and even construction paper.
Here’s a closer look at the set so you can see a bit more detail.
You can see what I got out of this setup below! The light is filtering through that mosaic candle holder and backlighting each little piece of glass. My camera is catching only a bit of the candle holder on the left, and is mostly focused on the reflection that’s bouncing off of the bottle.
You might notice that the surfaces of both objects are all a blur, and only the reflections are sharp. I find the literal and figurative depth of reflections so fascinating!
The same lighting and concept were used in the above detail shot, I just switched out the bottle for a soap dish.
I think I must have tried the larger dish at first, but I probably didn’t like the results and stuck the smaller one on top. So the result below is zoomed in on that smaller dish, the surrounding areas aren’t captured in the frame.
Woah… I covered a lot here. In all honesty, I planned on showing you more in this post, but I think that’s enough for today.
Next time, I’ll show you how one simple adjustment of this one light can create extraordinary results! Stay tuned for Part 4 =)
As always questions and comments are welcome below.
Mar 13, 2015 |
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My body folded into itself to stay warm as I hunched over a waist-high tripod. My back was starting to ache; I mean, my posture is horrible in the first place, but mix the frigid air with a way-too-low camera, and I may as well start answering to the name Quasimodo.
I caught the falling snow with a piece of glass, examined it under a macro lens, found nothing, wiped it clean, and repeat. The snow hardly resembled a flake of any kind. Shards and clumps of ice were all I saw.
Two hours into this I was ready to pack up the gear and head to some warmer ground… like the floor of my apartment. I could almost feel my toes again as I thought of my snuggly Gracie Lou.
I took the last images of the last snow catch and reviewed them on the screen. That’s when I saw it, down at the bottom of the frame: my first fully-formed snowflake!
The universe has a way of taking me right to that line before my breaking point. My excitement pushed me through the pain well past 2 am that night.
Persistence pays off.
Just as I was about to give up, I discovered this little ice gem.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Sep 5, 2014
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I was looking closely at the leaf that was supposed to be my background, when I noticed some discoloration surrounding the main veins that branched out inside it. Rivers of decay were running through the leaf, washing away the bright red to reveal a dull yellowy-brown. It was like seeing fall descend upon one leaf. What beautiful decay.
You get two photos today so I can show you the difference between a vibrant, just plucked leaf and one that is on its way to disintegrating into nothingness. Funny how death can be both beautiful and frightening in the same world, and through the same eyes.
Can you think of any beautiful decay you’ve seen in your life lately? Tell us all about it in the comments below.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Jul 25, 2014
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I was strolling around the lake with Nick when I caught a glimpse of this deadly nightshade, aka climbing nightshade, flower.
I wondered how many times I had marched right by this beautiful flower. I’ve passed this very spot hundreds of times in the past 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like it before. Naturally, I plucked it, and photo possibilities danced through my head the whole walk home. As I’m sure you figured out, this is the result.
It amazes me how many things go unnoticed in our worlds. Beauty is often close enough to kiss you; you just need to stop and take a look around every once in awhile. Click to tweet this!
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Jul 11, 2014
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I could hear the blood rushing through my ears with every thud of my heart. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel. It was partially an angry impulse and partially an attempt to stop my arms from shaking.
What set off this temper tantrum? It really is the most idiotic thing… someone cut me off in rush hour traffic.
Am I absolutely insane? Yes. It’s a human condition; I’m sure of it. We cling to all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.
“Let it go,” has become a mantra in my life lately. So much that I’m daydreaming of a new tattoo.
Things to let go of:
– anger and resentment
– unconstructive criticism
– people who spread negativity
– the desire to be “right”
– fear of what others think of you
– fear of making mistakes
– fear of things different than what you’re accustomed too
– grudges old and new
– guilt for doing what makes you happy
– sentiment surrounding possessions
– the desire to win & the fear of losing
What do you wish you could let go of? Tell me below!
P.S. This post started out as a very long and detailed description of what happened to cause that road rage and the horrible thoughts that went through my head… obviously I hadn’t let it go yet. In retrospect I always realize the things I get angry about are just not worth the energy I put into them, so this post is my attempt to put my resentment to rest and avoid future ‘episodes.’ Thanks for reading =)
Jun 13, 2014
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Creeping up behind my neighbor’s Fiat, I was balancing between stalker and antisocial weirdo. The car wasn’t there at 6:00 am, when I was examining the bushes for close up photo ops as Gracie sniffed out the perfect poop spot.
When I returned it was noon and, on the other side of the car, my neighbors were having a tag sale – which explained (without alleviating my frustration) why the damn thing was parked right in front of the pretty flowers.
Weekend traffic and the tag sale led to a high frequency of slow, gawking drivers. One guy stopped next to me and called out the window, “Why are you crying?” I think he was a little embarrassed when I turned around with a big, fake smile and a camera in my hand.
I wonder how many other passers-by assumed I was a weirdo crying in the bushes.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Jun 6, 2014
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This is the last photo I’m going to share from my 6-week trip to Guatemala. It’s sad – like I’m leaving all over again.
A flower bud bursting into life in a sea of rotting petals. That’s what this trip was to me, a breath of fresh air (if you don’t count the chicken bus exhaust I probably inhaled haha) in a life of boring monotony.
Coming home to obligations after having so much freedom was painful the way I hear withdrawal is. No more waking up to infinite possibilities. Back to spending the best hours of the day running out all of my energy until I’m a sleepy pile of mush.
Sorry to get all dark and dreary on you, but it’s how I felt. I’m ok now, but I’m still not accepting my life for what it is. Now I’m working even harder to get back to that place… permanently. I crave freedom and there’s no 12-steppin’ program that’ll get rid of my addiction.
P.S. You may think I’m being over dramatic… but I call that having passion. What are you passionate about? Leave a comment and let me know below.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
May 30, 2014
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Enveloped in a sleeping bag I could easily imagine I was floating on a cloud. Then I would move, or breathe, or sigh, and the springs would shriek in my ear – dragging me back to reality. I was just in the backyard, on the trampoline, contemplating the unknown in the dark, inky sky.
Stars have always intrigued me, since the first wishes the nursery rhymes coaxed out of me, through the nights of UFO seeking, to the day I discovered that the light from most stars has traveled billions of years to reach our eyes. The night sky is, in fact, a window to billions of years in the past and that realization still amazes me.
So, naturally, when I find a star in a flower just opening up to the world it’s something I just have to grab and keep forever.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
May 16, 2014
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Shallow is
a smile at a stranger.
Shallow is
my “good, fine, and you?”
Shallow is
just inches of water – you can see right through.
The less I say, the more it’ll mean.
The more you see, the less you’ll dream.
No darting eyes allowed in this scene.
Shallow is
a face painted flawless.
Shallow is
a high-heeled shoe.
Shallow is
this photograph – you’ll see what I want you to.
P.S. What does this have to do with my photo? I have many photos of this particular bud, but this is the only one with such shallow depth of field (how much of the photo is in focus). Having too much depth of field can make a photo busy and take away from the subject. Of course, it’s all subjective – but I find myself shooting shallow most days.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
May 2, 2014
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Two weeks ago I showed you a before and after of my calla lily photo. Today I want to show you the simple lighting change I made that took my photo from blah to wow.
First, though, I want to let you in on a little secret: Contrary to what my website might lead you to believe, most of my photography hours are not spent on pets or flowers or abstract art. Most weekdays I’m holed up in a dark room taking pictures of boring things you use everyday like cell phones, and tablets, and coffee makers.
Why have I never told you this? Well the shortest answer is because it’s boooorrrrrriiiing. I spend all day making sure that everyday products look like everyday products.
Don’t get me wrong, I owe so much of my knowledge to my boring job, but even the freshest piece of bread eventually goes stale…
It’s so hard to stray from my methodic approach to showing things the way they are supposed to be shown (clean, neat, and on white). This is most likely the reason that everything I light starts off the same… one light on the left and another on the right.
Then, it’s time to play! Who wants to see what everyone else sees anyway?
I popped a light right into the back of the leaf and the crazy glow tickled my retinas. This is my setup below and a glimpse of my modest home away from home in Guatemala.
