A Summer Flower Arrangement

by Kelly

I hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers. ~Robert Brault

 I got a wild hair on Sunday.

Right now my backyard is a carnival of bright, bold, colorful flowers. It's one of my very favorite things about summer actually, and to celebrate, I decided to make a summer flower arrangement with some of the blooms.

Using the Floret Farm Cut Flower Garden as a jumping off point, I went about my yard in search of greenery and flowers to make an arrangement.  For greenery, I used a few stems of weigela, some fern fronds, and dusty miller. Then for the flowers I chose roses, hydrangeas, astilbe, veronica, zinnias, and calibrachoa (small petunia-like flowers from my back porch pots) - all in shades of pinks, corals, and yellows.

I started by filling up my container (an antique silver pitcher that belonged to my husband's grandparents) with water and wedging some pieces of floral foam inside.

Sidenote...start by doing the foam first then adding the water...just trust me on this one.

Next I placed three branches of weigela into the vase similarly to the example in the book.

Then I added in the fern fronds and placed my stem of rose clusters near the front so that they would be the focal point (more or less).

To complete the arrangement I simply added in the other flowers trying to vary the shapes and maintain some visual balance in the overall arrangement.

I am so happy with the way it turned out!

The great thing about an arrangement like this is that there is no real right or wrong way to do it.  And I just love the fun mix of shapes, colors, and textures.

They other great thing about making this arrangement (besides the fact that it didn't cost me a penny) was the sheer delight of playing with flowers that I grew in my very own garden.  Thirty minutes of fun, messy play...a brief escape from my pile of laundry and sink full of dishes. Plus, as an added bonus, I get to enjoy my lovely arrangement whenever I walk into the kitchen.

It truly is simplest things that make me happy. Thank you, as always, for letting me share them with you.

Until next time,

Kelly

Found Still Life

by Carol

To feel the grace of God in a painting of the dear, quiet commonness of a domestic interior, or in a landscape, seascape, cityscape, trains us to feel the grace of God in the thing itself in situ."
                                                                                    Susan Vreeland

I have just come across the term "found still life." I'm not sure if this term has been around for long, but its new to me, and it fits right in with my approach to photography. The definition of a still life is this: "a genre of photography used for the depiction of inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects. " It is basically the adoption or adaptation of artistic still life painting. Those paintings are all about design, with the artist arranging the elements into an interesting composition. Often the objects are symbolic. Always lighting is critical. In addition, shadow, value, color and shape are all incorporated. Do any of those terms bring photography to mind?

In a photographic still life, the same principals apply. The photographer sometimes works with the composition and the light for hours. Should I place 3 lemons in the bowl? One lemon out and two in? a sliced lemon next to the full bowl? Should I light the scene from above, below, right or left - backlighting perhaps? Should I shoot from above? from the side?  Which lens highlights the beauty? For me, although the results are much appreciated, the rigidity is too much.

Still life photography is a wonderful way to learn to work with form and light, but in practice, the controlled atmosphere fails to make my heart sing. For me the excitement comes from noticing the beauty arranged by a higher consciousness. How can I expect to match or surpass the grace of a dying rose caught in the golden hour, or the curve of an egret's neck as it bends into a stream for dinner? And then there is the water itself - in all its forms!

There can be beauty that's less obvious in a pile of leaves or twigs, or the way a shadow skims the water's edge, boulders scattered randomly near a river, a stand of birch trees. Even Man's sometimes heavy hand can create unexpected harmony in a pile of nails tossed aside, an old fence, a sunburst of rust. 

In photographing "found still life" the idea is that the objects are inanimate,  that nothing is moved into place by the photographer. There are no people in the shot. If the objects or their pattern tell a story, or symbolize something deeper in and of themselves, so much the better for creating as unique and meaningful image. Have you happened upon one of nature's still life compositions lately? Won't you share it in our gallery? And if you should choose to backlight it, it will even fit into our new monthly Focus On You theme. How ever you choose to shoot it, I'm guessing that your biggest reward will be from getting out into nature to look for it.  Happy wandering!

"No better way is there to learn to love nature than to understand art. It dignifies every flower of the field. And the boy who sees the thing of beauty which a bird on the wing becomes when transferred to wood or canvas will probably not throw the customary stone."

                                                                                                     Oscar Wilde

                                                                

A Scent for the Soul

by Kelly

As Rosemary is to the Spirit, so Lavender is to the Soul. ~Anonymous

A few years ago, I put two small lavender plants in a raised bed in my backyard.  It's one of the sunniest areas in my whole yard and also has very good drainage - two main requirements for growing lavender.  The first year, my lavender didn't do too much..a few little flowing stalks here and there.  But the past two years it has grown considerably, to the point that I am able to harvest large bunches of these heavenly scented purple spires.

After just a few minutes of trimming the stalks, my entire office was filled with the soft, powdery freshness from this bundle of lavender.  And my hands....the natural oils of lavender had provided me with the most delicate of perfumes.  It was so lovely.

Lavender (and lavender oil) has been used for centuries in a variety of uses.  Ancient civilizations added the flowers to their bathwater to help wash and purify their skin - they word 'lavender' comes from the Latin root 'lavare' which means 'to wash'.  Lavender has also been used for medicinal purposes due to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition to its medicinal purposes, lavender oil is touted to relieve a variety of neurological issues including insomnia and anxiety.  The theory is that the soothing and relaxing scent is said to promote a feeling of calmness while the volatile components in the oil have a physiological effect on the limbic system.

I don't really care how or why it works...I can only attest to the beauty and calmness that lavender brings into my life.  I use lavender oil in an atomizer beside my bed and I have placed little bunches around the house where I can enjoy their delightful color and scent wherever I go.

I truly believe that lavender is a scent for the soul.

Until next time,

Kelly

Be Still

by leigh

Be still…two seemingly simple words.  They can be easy to understand, but difficult to actually put into practice.  I hardly ever shoot still lifes.  I see Kelly's beautifully composed ones and wonder how does she do that!  I can see the thought and careful consideration she puts into the still life before she even picks up her camera.  I can see that not only does she shoot still lifes, but she understands what it means to be still.  In times of stillness comes inspiration.  I tend to think as I shoot.  It becomes a very organic process for me as I feel myself guided as I am out with my camera.  Guided by who? what?  my thoughts maybe…perhaps led by god…my inner soul?  Whatever it may be it's a form of meditation for me.

I may not be a seasoned still life photographer, but I do practice being still in my daily life.  Through meditation I am able to be fully present and quiet my mind.  Some days I meditate early in the morning after exercising and before the rest of the house wakes up. Other days I listen to a guided meditation before bed, but lately I've been using my 15-20 minutes in carpool line for my stillness time.  I'm currently doing Oprah and Deepak Chopra's 21 Day Meditation Experience.   Everyday I receive an email that talks about the focus for the days meditation.  Today was Making Lightness the New You.  I'm given a centering thought and then I listen as Oprah gives her thoughts on the day's focus and then Deepak leads the meditation.  He gives a sanskirt mantra to use during meditation. The wonderful thing about mantras is that you say them silently over and over to yourself during the meditation which helps to stop your mind from wandering which is usually the most difficult part of meditation.  The best advice I was ever given was not to turn off my thoughts, but to turn down the volume.  If  a thought keeps popping up just acknowledge it and then focus back on my breath or mantra.

There are many different ways to meditate.  Some people insist on sitting cross legged on the floor while chanting.  That just doesn't do it for me.  Sometimes I meditate sitting down and other times I'm in bed right before I go to sleep.  And sometimes my meditation is a walk outside and other times a walk with my camera in hand. You find what's comfortable for you.  If you would like to learn more about meditation, this is a great website  We live in a world where it is difficult to be still.  We worry about wasting time and if we can't get our to do list checked off then we certainly don't have time to sit around and chant.  One of my favorite quotes about meditation is this…  I hope it inspires you to find some moments of stillness in your life.

“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day — unless you’re too busy.  Then you should sit for an hour.” -Zen proverb

Bringing the Outside In

by Kelly

A couple of weekends ago I went to visit a friend in California and on Saturday morning we went to the Calabasas farmers market.  It was a sight to behold...truly a feast for all of the senses!

Anyway, while my friends and I walked the stalls, tasting all the citrus fruits and smelling all the tulips, I also noticed that many of the shoppers were carrying bundles of flowering tree branches around.  A little later, I walked by the booth that was selling them...there they were - giant plastic tubs of bundled apple and peach (I am assuming) tree trimmings for $20.  And I laughed to myself a little....'only in California' was all I could think.

Well so fast forward to this past weekend and my peach tree is starting to bloom!  Something I look forward to every year!  It is always a such a delight to see the pale pink petals and witness it quite literally abuzz with honey bees.

And then I had a brilliant idea.

I figured hey...if it's good enough for the fine folks of California, it's good enough for me!  So I went outside and cut several branches off of my peach tree to bring inside.

The nice thing about using tree branches like this is that you don't have to 'arrange' anything.  For the larger branches, I rummaged in my cupboard and found an old, glass flower vase but any type of tall, slender container would work - mason jar, tall water glass.  And then the smaller twigs I put into a couple of vintage bottles.

One thing to keep in mind, by cutting stems from a flowering fruit tree you are essentially pruning away any potential fruit that it might produce.  Which contrary to what the critters in my neighborhood believe, I am growing this tree for the actual peaches....peaches for my family to eat.  (This topic is probably another blog post for another day however).

At any rate, I love having these these peach branches on my kitchen table.  They have such an earthy, organic vibe...a completely different feel than a vase of tulips or daisies.  Plus, it's a nice way to enjoy the sweet blossoms up close rather than viewing my tree from inside.  And especially this week when the forecast is for wind and storms all week.

As we move into spring, I would highly encourage you to find some flowering tree or shrub branches and bring them inside - forsythia, quince, bradford pear, saucer magnolia...any of these would be perfect for adding some beauty and interest into your indoor spaces.  And if you do, be sure to capture it and share it with us either in our Flickr pool or on instagram with #focusingonlife.

Until next time,

Kelly

Exercising my Creative Muscles

by Kelly

It's a slippery slope my friends.

I never intended to get sucked into Instagram stilllife hashtags.

At first I was just playing along with Kim Klassen and her #mystillsundaycompetition.  But then I started following other creative IG'ers.  And then I started checking out all the hashtags that they played along with.  And pretty soon....yep...you guessed it.  I fell down the rabbit hole.

For me it has nothing to do with keeping up with my IG friends or having my images picked out of the pool to be featured.  No, what I have come to love is the act of starting my day with something fun and creative.

The other thing that I enjoy is the tactile aspect to these kinds of still life shots.  I spend a lot of time behind a screen at work (and to some degree with my blogging/photography), so I particularly enjoy getting to inject a bit of craftiness into my days.

Even though I don't really consider myself to be a 'still life' photographer, playing along with these kinds of tags feels a bit like I'm exercising my creative muscles.  But in a fun way!  And numerous studies show that exercising creativity in one aspect can permeate into many other areas of your life. Plus, making time for play and fun has been shown to increase productivity and innovation.  It decreases stress and anxiety.  And it can even boost your mood and energy.

It's like Crossfit for Creativity!

Delaney Gates, a talented IG photographer whose creative work I just love, recently compiled a fairly comprehensive list of IG still life focused hashtags.  You can find that here.  A few of my favorites are:

• #mystillsundaycompetition by @kimklassen
• #gatheredstyle by @aquietstyle
• #nodtonotions by @delaneygates
• #itsamoodywednesday by @gudyherder
• #byarrangement by @sarahnotes
• #fridayfaffingcompetition by @am_i_dreaming_now, @katherinedorrington, and @juliabesidethesea

Besides exercising my creative muscles, starting my day with these lovely little things just makes me so happy.  And more importantly, it reinforces my beliefs that there is always something to be grateful for and that there is beauty and joy to be found in our ordinary lives.

Thank you for letting me share it with you.

Love, Kelly

P.S. Don't forget that you can always play along with our own IG #focusingonlife tag!

Still Life In a Different Setting

by Deanna

Most of us at one time or another are absolutely just stuck on ideas or thoughts to post about.  Terri created quite a conversation about whether to use Instagram for just smart phone images or is it OK to use your big girl camera in her latest post.  And Dotti also generated quite the discussion on her last two posts about vision and still life photos.  I am one of the many that joined the Be Still 52 class, but failed right off the block.  Although I admire and sometimes swoon over the many beautiful "still-life" images that are posted on blogs and Instagram, I guess I am just too lazy and I don't have the space to set-up a nice well-lit studio.  If I do a "still-life" it is with minimal props such as this....

(prop - box purchased at Hobby Lobby)

I tend to lean towards nature, flowers, animals, birds etc and they become still-lifes only in a different setting.  No props other than the leaves on the flowers, a fence, a bird-bath, a bird-feeder, the natural surroundings.  I usually only have to step out my door to be inspired by the beauty of nature. And no lengthy set-up. 

Flowers are a weakness...

  

And ofcourse there are the berries....oh how I love those berries!

And then birds....

Bird House (prop?)

Robin bathing in a rose petaled bird birth...props added by the rose bushes above

Female and Male House Finches (bird-feeder prop)

If you are lucky to have these around you are blessed with not only their beauty but their melodious tweets. 

 Canada Geese Goslings (water prop)

And then an animal.  His mission was really trying to figure out a path to the bird feeder without success. 

(fence post prop)

Bottom line is this, draw your inspiration, your "style" from whatever makes your heart happy. I guess I am reiterating what Dotti has written, but I don't think we say it enough.  It's your style. Getting inspiration from others is great, we need that to challenge and inspire us however and whatever artfull way we shoot. Whether it be a beautifully styled image or an image that has it's own style, it's yours. Your style may change over the years, or even during a period in your life.  There may be a time when you are saddened by an event or perhaps in a state of joy. Both of these life periods can have a profound effect on your "eye".  There is no right or wrong,  We are always developing, always learning.  And PS I ordered the book Dotti recommended, The Visual Toolbox by David Duchemin.  Like I said, always learning. 

It's Yours. Own It.

by Dotti

Have you read the latest David DuChemin book, The Visual Toolbox? I highly recommend it. As usual, everything he says is right on the money. In this particular book, he lays out 60 exercises to help you take stronger photos. I’m really just working through it, lots more to cover but already he has me thinking. Here’s what he says that has been playing through my mind for days now:

What is important now is that you begin to recognize your vision, and own it as yours. You are obligated to no one but yourself to make the photographs you do, so make them your way.

Isn’t that great? Own it as ours, make our photos our way.

There were some excellent comments on my last post and in a couple of Facebook conversations on The Studio|Online page. All of these great comments not only resonated with me, they have been playing through my mind since that post, two weeks ago, telling me that I am not alone in my journey with still life photography (and indeed, photography in general}.

It seems there are others whose vision of still life photography leans more to the ‘simple’ rather than ‘styled’ approach. Many in the group were feeling as I did and just weren’t sure how or where they fit in. Once we realized there were others, we began to talk more freely among ourselves and that’s what motivated me to write today’s post. I think it’s the perfect follow up to my post two weeks ago.

Too often, we let ourselves be influenced by the beautiful work we see others do and too often either try to copy it or compare it to our own work, convinced we don’t measure up. You know what? Either approach is self-defeating and will cause our creative muscles to go limp before we can push the shutter buttons on our cameras.

Seeking inspiration in the work of other photographers is a good way to learn and to improve. But at the end of the day, we have to see and shoot what makes us happy.

Kim Klassen expressed it beautifully in her comment on my recent post:

I think it's so important that we follow our own heart ... do what we love ...
I would never want people to think there's only one way to shoot stills …

And this is true of all kinds of photography. There is no right or wrong. We have to shoot what makes our hearts sing, what brings smiles to our lips, what nourishes our souls.

It comes back to that age old lesson that we’ve all heard since we were children: be true to yourself. Well, the same is true of our art. Let’s start being true to our vision, putting our vision out there and let’s do it with love and joy and pride.

What about you? Have you recognized your vision yet or are you, like me, still looking?