Sunday I went to the Kingsfield neighborhood farmer’s market (in Minneapolis) with my daughter. I was looking for material for photo play. Because the temperatures have dipped below freezing in the past week, I found no fresh flowers. But there were some amazing “Kale flowers.” They look a little other-worldly to me but I decided to pick up a few.
Playing Around Photographically
Because the weather outside was so chilly today (the pond behind our house had ice over the entire surface this morning) I decided to spend time indoors playing around with the “Kale flowers” (I’m pretty sure that is not what they are called).
I played with a photography technique called focus stacking. In this technique you make multiple exposures of the same scene with different parts of the photograph in focus. Then, using Adobe Photoshop you combine the photos showing the part of each that is in focus and covering the other parts. The photo above was made from 3 separate photos, one with the bottom of the image in focus, one with the middle in focus and one with the top in focus.
It’s a nifty technique to use when the object you are photographing is still and you can use a tripod to make sure your camera does not move for the different images you shoot.
Color or Black and White
I also played around with what the images look like in black and white versus color. It’s always an interesting exercise and I am often surprised by which images simply don’t work in black and white and which ones are even more stunning in black and white.
Yesterday as I left the Food Coop after doing my weekly grocery shopping there, I found a large perfect golden maple leaf sitting beside my car. It surprised me because I was far from any maple trees. I picked it up and brought it home but didn’t have time to use it in any photographs before the day ended. Today the leaf was much dryer than it was when I picked it up and no longer flat. At first I wasn’t sure if I could use it but I decided to put a tiny Buddha statue in the center of it and photograph it. Then I added a feather (something I’ve done before with this little Buddha figure).
Unexpected reminder
When I finished editing the image I felt like it was a reminder to bless the season and the day no matter what it brings. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the maple leaf better in it’s current form than when it was fresh, supple, and flat. The way the leaf cradled the statue added interest to the image.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
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One thing I did today with my “flowers” that I don’t usually do, was to tear them apart. I’ve often seen beautiful images made from arranging individual flower petals. Because I love flowers so much I’m usually reluctant to take them apart. Their lives are short enough as it is. But taking apart the “kale flowers” didn’t bother me so much. I can’t say that I have a knack for this type of creation, but it was fun to play with.
How often do you play around creatively with no particular purpose in mind? Maybe it’s time to make a play date with yourself and your creativity.
May you walk in beauty.
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