Styling

I am still learning so many things. I spent part of the afternoon styling and photo- graphing flowers, to add to my photo library. I really need my own compositions, having decided I do not want to paint things that aren't my own compositions (a commission to paint a customer's photo or preferred image would be ok though, because that is theirs and I would not paint that again for anyone else). So I need to create my own, I can't buy photos that are someone else's vision, unless I was going to do some really creative work to add or integrate it into something else (e.g. make a new composition or image !).

I originally intended to go right out, get my flowers and a vase shaped like an urn like I wanted...and then to just make it all happen ! Well, first the flowers I wanted (peonies or David Austin roses) are not yet available. So, I would wait until late November and order flowers I want then (when expected to be in season here). I hadn't found the right vase or urn yet anyhow.

Then on other errands, a vase practically found me ! Yeay :) It even had a chicken wire topiary sort of topper that could be used with it (or not) and that I think I will use at the holiday for a dessert table centre piece, because it has a big tree-ish shape and I can put pretty decorations in the wire form. And where I got it, there is also a possible opportunity to exhibit and sell some paintings on consignment ! So very good-oh.

I brought the vase home and figured I would be doing floral arranging in it in several weeks time...then I was at a market and saw some flowers that inspired me to give a them a try. Ranunculus and Lisianthus. The lisianthus were blushing, with pale shell pink blushes on the petals (very nice) and a few were an ivory color. The ranunculus are coral, peachy and pale citrus colors. Very nice, looked really good together. I got a bit of a trailing flower I can't recall the name of, resembles slightly a lily of the valley, but sturdier. I bought a bottle of moscato wine too, a sparkling pale rose color refreshing dessert or aperitif wine, because it seemed to go with the flowers (you could call me an opportunist !)

The ranunculus were not open enough to photograph yesterday. They were better today and maybe I will have another go tomorrow too. Here are my initial photos, some have come out very well. I played around with different backdrops and props. But the best ones were just featuring these stunning flowers.

I still have heaps more to learn about: 1) styling flowers 2) photographing flowers 3) finding the right balance for a fantastic composition and 4) editing my photos. But each photo shoot I do, gets a bit better. The DSLR camera is so easy to use, I shoot several hundred shots and then have a critique and review. After a week I will have one more of those and pare down the photo shoot pics, discarding probably 80%... keeping a couple dozen really good shots. If there are more, I could keep more...but it is overwhelming to look at so many. I have to write down the keepers to find them (though sometimes it is pretty obvious). As an extra exercise, I ask myself why the keepers rated better than the rest. This is to make sure I LEARN how to do better photos and compositions next time !

Continuous improvement going on here. And I still have to paint some of these ! Stay tuned. I have a queue of things to work on, but some of these florals will come up for a paint before long.