real-life still life: a quiet corner

I guess I'm just
looking for
a little
peace and calm.

Who'd a thought

I'd find it

in

my kitchen cupboard?

***

After several attempts

at capturing

a still life photograph

amongst my everyday

surroundings...

I
'discovered'
this scene.

Kinda feels
a bit
Vermeer-esque,
with its
interior shadowy
moody
everyday
unstaged
wabi-sabi
feel.

BTW
as much time as we spent
in art school
studying
the paintings
of
Johannes Vermeer
...
it was never enough
for me.

I hadn't really
thought of
Vermeer
in years
...
until I
captured
these bowls
in my
cupboard.

original photo SOOC
With a little bit of work
- or should I say
'play' -
I watched
something
almost magical
emerge
from humble
beginnings.

With
eye and heart,
camera and computer
...

I saw something.

***

Notes:
CAMERA

My camera
has an ISO capability of
up to
25,600,
but I still
crouch safely
near the bottom
of the scale,
ever cautious of
film grain.
ISO 3200 
is perilously high for me.

LIGHTROOM
I played in the Develop module
before trying out
several presets.
I finally settled on
Kim's
kk_darkday preset,
wanting to draw attention
to the amazing 
shadowplay.

I'm also following along in Kim's
31 Days of Lightroom class,
applying her lessons
to my workflow
process.

PHOTOSHOP
There was enough
dark to make one of
Kim's 'magic' textures work;
and a soft light touch
of texture gave it
a 'painterly' feel.

***

I promised Lillian I would

post these

'unposed' still life shots of her

with her new favorite pillow...

...my camera bag.

***

Linking up with

Be Still 52 (Weeks 14 & 15)

Texture Tuesday

unstaged

An 'unstaged' still life

for

Be Still 52

Week 12

 Not what I had

originally planned,

but

more in keeping

with the theme

I think.

So...

I came home Sunday

after an enjoyable photoshoot

at the antique mall,

where I figured

I'd find plenty of

subject matter

suitable for an

'unstaged' still life

(a term

which I thought to be

delightfully

contradictory!)

I did manage to

gather several

possibilities.

Then,

as I sat at the kitchen table

and chatted

with my daughter Erin

about this and that,

Lillian stepped in

and

changed my plans

altogether.

She patiently

obliged

as we

gleefully snapped

one photo after another

with our cellphone cameras. 

So much for my plans

to upload, choose

and edit

the antique mall shots.

***

Monday morning

I woke up

with a new

idea

and

a simple plan.

original photo SOOC

Notes:

CAMERA

A chance to play with

my new lens

and

flash,

striving for

optimum light,

fast shutter speed,

lower ISO,

without a tripod.

And 'tack sharp' detail

of course.

LIGHTROOM

lens correction

straighten and crop

basic edits:

Then I auditioned several of Kim's presets

before settling on

kk_walnut preset

+

my own split tone adjustment

PHOTOSHOP

I auditioned a few different textures

and several blend modes

before deciding on

Kim's new

kk_quiet

 ***

Linking up with

Be Still 52

Texture Tuesday

zen seeing part 2

I so enjoyed the
seeing/drawing/photographing process

a couple weeks ago,

I thought I'd

revisit it.

It was pure delight

creating these images

...

from conception

(seeing these amazing dandelions

at the side of the road)

thru composing,

studying,

drawing,

photographing,

to post-processing.

Photography, like drawing, can be a

Right Brain activity;

but it starts with
seeing
- really seeing -  

Check out Kim Manley Ort's post on
photography, drawing, and seeing.
Thank you Kim for
your amazing
blog!

"drawing...the intensifier of firsthand seeing,

as a catalyst of awareness

that makes us independent of our serfdom

to technology."

Frederick Frank

Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing

These few
still quiet hours
with my camera
my pencil and paper
and my computer
- or paintbrush or pliers or needle & thread -
...

this is my idea of

a perfect
Be Still Day
(even if it is only a few hours).

Lillian seems to enjoy it too.

She reminds me to be curious...

...and try new things.

Notes:

LIGHTROOM

Recipe:

Scott Kelby's

B&W conversion

from his Lightroom 4 book

then

boost Clarity and Vibrance

plus my own

Subtle Sepia Split Tone

PHOTOSHOP

textured with two layers of

kk_pinitonly4

Soft Light 28%

Vivid Light 15%

***

"I created beauty to declare the existence of My holy Being....to proclaim My Presence in the world. Most people rush past these proclamations without giving them a second thought...Even before you knew Me personally, you responded to My creation with wonder. This is a gift, and it carries responsibility with it. Declare My glorious Being to the world."

excerpt from
July 30 reading

from

Jesus Calling

by

Sarah Young

***

Linking up with

Friday Finds

Be Still 52

(Week 11)

Texture Tuesday

Adventures in Seeing

baby spoon

a simple little still life

for our

Be Still 52

assignment

for Week 10:

playing with

lighting direction...

and spoons.

***

Notes:

Quickly assembled

Friday morning

before work:

The silver spoon and dish

were my mother's

as a baby.

(I know I should get out the silver polish

but the tarnished patina is so lovely!)

+

a wonderfully old, humble washcloth

from I don't know where

+

daisies from our garden

+

a very old children's book.

I played for over an hour

with various

ISOs, shutter speeds, apertures and angles.

I tried flash, but it diminished the shadows,

so I practiced holding the camera

v e r y steady.

I repeatedly repositioned the little table

with an eye for directional shadows.

Lillian helped with the setup...

...and then she just relaxed

and let the process

evolve on its own.

Feline 'insight' maybe?

CAMERA

Canon EOS 6D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens

Manual Mode

both photos:

ISO 1600

f/5.0

1/30 sec

LIGHTROOM

I 'painted' in some basic edits

to emphasize

dramatic light/shadow play;

applied two of Kim's presets:

sharpen still life

&

kk_summersun

then I kept playing around

in the Develop module:

I de-saturized the yellows and greens

and applied a faded split tone

(blue highlights + pink shadows)

to keep things cool.

Then I synced the edits

with the second photo

and fine-tuned things there too.

PHOTOSHOP

Just two layers of

kk_pinitonly4

Soft Light ~30%

Vivid Light 15%

masking off the spoon

***

Linking up with

Be Still 52

Friday Finds

Texture Tuesday

light of morn

daybreak

our back yard

Summer 2014

Prompted by a class assignment for

Adventures in Seeing

a scavenger hunt for subjects

that represent

openness.

This is how I feel

at the beginning of each day:

refreshed

renewed

inspired

energized

optimistic

open

I'm usually pulling

- and cursing -

these messy ivy tangles

that grow from the other side of the fence.

They are kinda interesting...

***

Notes:

My camera is a tool for

seeing

focusing

being attentive

...

simply

capturing and recording

what strikes me

at a given

time and place.

It's a different kind of photography

than still life;

a different creative process

altogether

(well...sort of)

I love to compose

still life scenes,

but I also love

to capture

the world as it is.

Once I noticed the sun rising

I positioned myself to take advantage of

the possibility of

back lighting and sun flare

 original photo SOOC

LIGHTROOM

Some creative play with the

Develop Module

to 'refine my vision.'

Then I tried out

several presets

before deciding on Kim's

kk_hazeydazy

and fine-tuned it even further.

PHOTOSHOP

I cloned out two little annoying bits

near the edges

which distracted me.

(seems I get a bit more control here than in LR)

One layer of kk_0405

(Overlay 24%)

***

Truly the light of morn is sweet

And sweet it is to see the sun...

excerpt from

a hymn by

Emily Taylor

Linking up with:

Be Still 52

Texture Tuesday

Friday Finds

friday finds: zen seeing

Not quite sure
just how
I got to this place
...
but here I am.

Somehow I wandered into
- or rather -
discovered
the art of
Contemplative Photography
which led me
back to my roots:


d  r  a  w  i  n  g

mouseover to see original


I was drawing
long before
I ever picked up
a paintbrush
or a needle & thread
or a camera.

I was never one to say
"I can't draw."
I can draw anything
as long as it
doesn't move.

So when Kim (Manley Ort, that is)
started talking about
photography versus drawing,
and Betty Edwards
(I still have my old 1979 edition)
and Frederick Franck
(got that one too)
I unearthed
my books
and my sketchbook
and
my favorite tool:
a
mechanical pencil.


I have often returned
to these roots
over the years.
Each time
more meaningfully
and fondly
than before.

And I ask:
why did I ever stop?

***

Notes:

I enjoyed playing around with this
humble, yet meaningful little still life.

Be Still 52 assignment: Week 7
Focus, Blur, & Creative Play
I love this process!

Lillian was there

to oversee every little thing

of course.

Canon EOS 6D

continuing to purposely over-expose

(it really does help in the editing process)

LIGHTROOM

using Snapshots my own way:

to remember

where and when

I got an idea

Kim's split tone really helped
get rid of the yellow undertone.
I had already tried
various ways to do this.


PHOTOSHOP

***

Linking up with

Friday Finds

Texture Tuesday

Be Still 52

birth...of a mother and father

My

favorite captures

from last week's

'newborn portrait shoot'

of our new grandson

Fen

 

1

A spontaneous gesture

(on Kelly's part)

+

being present and mindful

with camera in hand

(on my part)

2

Connection:

father and son

delight and devotion

(this is how Aaron is with Fen)

***

Notes:

CAMERA

Canon EOS 6D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

Continuous Shooting Mode (silent)

experimented with

DOF, indoor/outdoor lighting

LIGHTROOM

Lots of experimenting with

Develop Module and Presets

to 'refine my vision'

Presets:

1

PRESETS GALORE Rich Lavender

(I desaturated Kelly's bright blue top)

2

LR B&W Look 1

Color was distracting in this shot;

I never even noticed the bokeh

'til I made it B&W!

(I fine-tuned the Split Tones and Contrast)

PHOTOSHOP

Both photos:

one layer of

kk_dollard_softand gentle

(Soft Light ~40-45%)

desaturated to get the effect without the color

***

But my favorite photo of Fen

was captured by my friend

Lidia West

(a new mother herself)

who graciously offered to

help me with our photoshoot.

Fen

10 days old

I didn't do a thing to this photo!

Seriously.

***

Linking up with:

Texture Tuesday

Start to Finish

Photo-Heart Connection