Tag: inspiration

expanding my photo ideas with new props

My housemate Susan sells clothing patterns online in her Ebay store… She is always on the hunt for more patterns to list, which usually results in shopping trips for me to expand my photo prop collections. Last week she found large collection of patterns for sale locally on Facebook Marketplace and we went to check the collection out. She bought all of the patterns and as we talked with the lady we found that we had a lot of things in common…. and that the she had several things that she was going to send on to the thrift stores would I be interested in them. The answer was “SURE I could do something with the stuff….” a couple of bags and a box later I had some interesting things that could show up in my photographs…. These tarnished silver plate creamers and sugar were part of the collection. I usually avoid things that are shiny and reflect … well…. Me photographing it. I loved the detail of the set and that afternoon I tried to photograph them with some flowers…. but it was hot in the studio the flowers wilted quickly as did I.

This is probably the best of that photo shoot and there I am reflecting in all three wearing a bright red shirt…. I didn’t like the tablecloth background there were too many flowers so you couldn’t see the creamers or the sugar bowl. I did decide to start over the next morning in the coolness of my studio.

Thinking about that quick shoot the day before I decided to change things up. Use one of the photo backgrounds I had picked up last year. Use the off-white fabric I had picked up at a garage sale a month ago. Grab some of the 2x4s and 2x6s that I had painted earlier this spring and use them under or on top of the fabric.
Grab a couple of my floral frogs. One home made from chicken wire and the other belonging to my mom. This was my basic starting point.

Before going out to my studio I had noticed these books that are some of my favorite reference books. I grabbed them put them in the basket with the camera equipment I wanted use. I love these books because they give me ideas on how to accomplish what I want with my own flowers, vases and other objects that could be used to make the photograph mine. I also love our local public Library where I can check out these books and read them, then decide to purchase them for my own collection. (There is another one on the way to me, that I ordered after finishing it and returning the original to the library).

With the inspiration of the books I cast about in my studio area for something that would go with the creamers and sugar bowl. I found this broken and chipped teacup and two of the swans in my small swan collection inspired by a couple of swans I had gotten from my grandmas and moms’ collection.

Now to arrange them.
And then to go collect new flowers from my own yard…

All of these books used fruits and vegetables in many of their arrangements. So the strawberries were a first collection… and I could eat them as I was working because I have more in the garden. Then came the long salvia stems and the thyme sprigs. The very hardy rose was next with its small open blooms that scattered on the table, and the violas were last.

I am much happier with these photos that I took the time and thought into arranging. I was hard stopping but well ….. The temp in the studio was heating up to the upper 80’s. We still have some more insulation to install and to get a ceiling put up. I would also like to make a better hanging frame to put the background on. Something that is easier to put the background on and stretch it out so that the fabric is not wavy. PVC frame should work. Lord knows one of these days I will climb on top of the table trying to make that background look just right and I will tumble off….
Could I do better? Yep. But that is for another shoot with different flowers…and props…

Inspiration from the thrift stores

I find my best photography props at the local thrift stores. I rarely buy new unless what I want cannot be found in the thrift stores. I am always open to a trip to the thrift store for whatever catches my eye. A couple weeks ago one of the pool pals said I want to go thrifting with you, I need some things for an art project I will be working on. So we set a date of Thursday, next week. My housemate Susan, Robin, and I descended onto the first of two shops. Each with a mission. My plan is to find things to photograph. Glass bottles always catch my eye, especially this shape. I am always looking for good vases with a strong shape and colors, that don’t compete with my flowers. I saw this brown and gold vase filled with Black Eyed Susan flowers, or Sunflowers, maybe some dahlias in orange colors. in my basket it went no hesitations. I tooled through another isle and found some photo gear. A couple lighting tripods, one with the umbrella and lighting assembly. both of those went into the basket, with some back and forth thought. The whole assembly was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but ultimately much cheaper than if I ordered it online. I only needed the umbrella to replace one I bent… but….. I always can use more lighting options.
Next I found this galvanized metal lantern. I visualized it with one of my cream colored pillar candles in it. Surrounded with flowers and maybe some greenery.

Into the basket it went. Time for checkout and time to go home. Only I missed my turnoff at the new interchange system and ended up going to Redmond. Susan and I checked a couple of thrift stores there, but there was nothing that caught my eye… sometimes it happens. by the time we got home the fog had rolled in and I was not inspired to go play with my new items.
The next day dawned chilly and foggy but I was inspired to go play with my new items. I grabbed up the battery powered pillar candles and some of my fake silk flowers and started. First challenge was that my candles did not fit inside the lantern. Well that is a bummer. Will probably need to go find some shorter ones. Later.

digging into the fake flower bins and checking out the cabinet with my vases and jars, gave me more options to play with. each click of the camera or movement of something sparked another idea and back into my stash of props. a couple trips into the house brought out more items

By the end of the day, I was happy with what I had , but?? I noticed a big open area on the right side of the shot and thought I needed to add something in that spot. So I went out and shot it again with some of my other vases. But still….. Not right. I pulled the original vase and started re arranging things…..

finally, I got the arrangement better. But??? What if ?

The next day I pulled the glass bottles and added the fairy lights I changed the angle of the studio lights and turned some off

Then I dug into my bin of silk flowers and pulled out some lilacs. Much better. Not perfect but…. Well maybe I go out and shoot it again tomorrow.