Black and White Fine Art Photography

Anyone who knows my work knows that I totally embrace colour - I would even go so far as to say I can’t live without it! But occasionally there are images which almost plead with me to be shown in black and white, particularly when the subject has textural detail. If you’re not sure which way to go with your own images, play with the options in your chosen software editing programme, to help you to consider what feels good to you. And remember, even in black and white, you still have creative options. 

I have seen some extraordinary Macro Art in black and white and one such example was the work of David Robinson shown in the International Garden Photographer of The Year book 12. He offered six monochrome images which he digitally manipulated to enhance their beauty in a very unique way. The result is a stunning series of contemporary fine art - very powerful as a whole, but equally captivating individually. Also, on Instagram, @briangrandfield successfully shows many black and white floral shots. It’s worth taking a look to see how effective they are and to see how Brian uses the monochrome effect to accentuate the lines and texture of his subjects. Visit his website www.briangrandfield.com to see many stunning examples of his work.

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section and I will add you to my circulation list. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.    

It's what's known as 'Dahlia Hour'!

I have been waiting for Dahlia season to arrive for months! Whilst Dahlias are considered a traditional English garden flower they are also perfect, due to their striking lines, for creating contemporary floral art. I have lost many an hour deciding which angle is the most appealing! In truth I decide that all angles are worth exploring and boom - I’ve lost another hour!!

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section and I will add you to my circulation list. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.    

Mum to the rescue

Life seems to have been turned upside down this year and I fail to know where the solutions lie. The only thing I know how to do is to bring sunshine into your day. And that’s what I hope to do with this tulip.

Many many years ago I was to be dressed as a little Dutch girl in an amateur stage show. However, I forgot to tell my Mother that I needed her to make my costume until the night before our first performance! Fortunately for me, my Mother was highly creative and after she had berated me for telling her last minute, she made me the most amazing costume complete with a lace trimmed apron, a Dutch cap, curled up at the sides by using floristry wire and she even pulled a pair of wooden clogs out of the wardrobe. Looking back I find it quite bizarre she had the clogs but hey, they were exactly what we needed at the time!

This gorgeous tulip reminds me of the Dutch cap she made. Thanks Mum!

Don’t forget that if you want to be notified of new blog posts, all you need to do is go to my contact page and write BLOG in the message section and I’ll add you to my circulation list. Thank you for your interest and let’s see what we can learn together.

Should we use a tripod for macro photography or go hand held?

For me, concentrating on flowers for my macro work, the answer is: either! It’s an art and as such should come from the heart. There are days when I actively want to create very precise, sharp images. Often this is dictated by the subject matter. On the other hand, some subjects very much suit a dewy, soft effect and in such circumstances I would definitely opt to go hand held, often with a large aperture. The majority of my limited edition images have been created using a tripod but yesterday I decided to abandon my tripod and, on this occasion, the choice was led by my mood! And it was indeed wonderfully liberating to approach my bunch of multi-coloured tulips from every possible angle with my camera! It was a really uplifting half hour or so - in fact it was so uplifting it may well have been almost 90 minutes! I placed the vase of tulips on the rug, in front of my favourite pink velvet armchair, and here is one of the resulting images.

So the message here is to follow your heart, and your soul will shine through in your work. Above all, have fun!

Lockdown is the perfect time to print your photos!

Saal Digital contacted me offering a voucher to cover the cost of having a book of my photos printed. The only condition of this offer was that I would give an honest review  - with no influence on the part of Saal as to what I would say.  I would never endorse a product without being sure of its quality but as the review was to be totally frank I felt it a worthwhile exercise. The timing was great too - being in lockdown I was able to find the time to invest in the book’s layout.

Before deciding whether or not to take up Saal Digital’s offer I looked at reviews on their site and noted that several customers mentioned how the books open beautifully flat. I thought nothing of this until I held my own book - yes, opening truly flat is a big plus. There’s no need to keep taming the pages which stay fully open to allow the leisurely enjoyment of the photos.

In preparing the book, I chose the 30 x 30 cm Pro. It has a sturdy acrylic front cover and is bound in black leatherette - overall giving it a rather classy and contemporary look  that I would be proud to see on any coffee table. 

I chose a quality matt paper which was in fact cheaper than the gloss. It’s great, is less of a fingerprint magnet than gloss and would definitely be my choice every time. The colour printing is accurate which, with my passion for colour as a macro fine art photographer, is very important to me.

The software for creating the book was easy to use but there are videos online if you want a brief resumé of how to start. There may be other methods but I placed all the photos I wanted to include in a dedicated file on my hard drive and then imported them into the software programme. It worked seamlessly.

I was happy with the layout and my choices, I pressed the ‘send’ button and waited just a few days before DHL delivered my much awaited package! 

I am thrilled with the book. There is absolutely nothing which disappoints me. In the main, I chose to have one photo only per page. In my next book though, I would, on some pages, include two or three, maybe even 4 photos as I realise now that 30 x 30 could easily carry more. But that’s a personal preference.

The Saal Digital book is perfect for so many situations: a wedding album, baby photos, 18th birthday memory book, a special holiday. There is no limit to the options. It would also be perfect as a sample book for professional photographers such as myself, to show clients choosing prints of your work. It’s considerably easier and more social to have an image to touch and discuss together rather than selecting from a website.

The arrival of this book is very timely for me. In this digital age I had become increasingly conscious of how few of my photos I print for myself. I inserted text on one of the pages saying the book contains my heart and my soul. Now that I actually hold the book I know and feel that it does. It is wonderful to touch my photos, to have something physical which I can leave as a legacy. The problem is, that always always, my best photo is my next one - so I will need to make future volumes: using Saal Digital without a doubt. As you can tell: I was not disappointed!  

Incidentally, as I write, I believe there is a promotion on their books! This could be the perfect opportunity for you to make good use of your time in Lockdown!

#saaldigital

There's a surprise around every corner

Like so many, I have been self isolating in recent weeks and, just last week, I decided to go out for an evening walk. It was VE day and I wanted to see what celebrations there were, if any, on the streets. It was a pleasant warm evening and to my surprise many were celebrating outside their homes, albeit whilst maintaining the essential social distancing. There was abundant patriotic bunting flying on fences in the breeze, families were joyfully singing and dancing at safe distances - clearly excited to share time with those outside of their family unit and a delightful elderly gentleman, who was dressed to the nines, raised his margarita glass in a toast to me as he played music from the 1940s in his garden!

After the dearth of human contact it was wonderful to see people enjoying each other’s company - albeit with caution. The evening served to emphasise the psychological benefits of social interaction and offered hope for a resumption of normal life in the future.

And then came the icing on the cake: on the stroll home I noticed a cluster of wild poppies growing in the hedgerow. After an absence of subject matter for my photography due to isolating it was a joyful moment!! I don’t know what that says about me but I had such fun as the poppies posed in front of my camera! 

How to approach Fine Art Macro Photography

It occurred to me today that the approach to photographing  individual flowers, is very similar that of taking a portrait shot:  one needs to consider all angles and be hugely attentive to light and shadow. The photographer should try to capture the subject’s character and may well approach from a unique angle, all the while remaining sympathetic to the subject’s appearance.  And it is all of these challenges which lead me to love this form of photography as much as I do!

Stay Safe

Life is extraordinary presently, as we shelter from the invisible threat of the Corona virus. There are moments when it’s hard to believe that the situation is for real. I am sure our heroic health workers would be more than able to confirm that the virus’ impact is indeed a genuine and truly tragic reality. Conversely, in my moments of clarity, I am horrified by the mortality statistics and feel so terribly disconnected from those with whom I am close and from the world in general. Covid 19 is dominating the news, as one would expect, but I do wonder what else is happening out there that we aren’t aware of? What are the hidden struggles of people worldwide?

On a personal note, I long for the day when our 20 year old son can travel home to us. In the meantime I continue to be busy and productive and to satisfy my artistic cravings. I confess to searching in the hedgerows to find beautiful specimens of nature such as the dandelion below.

When people ask each other presently “how are you?” it is not merely a routine courtesy but, with our heightened awareness of our immortality, we are genuinely concerned for those around us. So when I say to you “take care” it is because I really and truly wish for you to stay safe.

A sextet in fine art form

These tulips exude joy in wondrous harmony with each other. Is it possible to sing in silence? If so - that’s exactly what they do!

Vitamin C

The most normal of things, an orange, has an extraordinary beauty when examined close up and becomes the perfect subject for contemporary fine art! In these troubling times turn to your vitamin C!

How will we ever thank the front line workers saving lives?

There’s not much good news circulating right now. We watch from the isolation of our homes as the Corona virus spreads far and wide throughout the world. But, as Governor Cuomo said last week, we have to find our own silver lining in these difficult times. For me, that silver lining is having the time to slide my macro lens onto my camera and take close-up shots of the few potted plants I have to hand. I don’t have a great selection but it is amazing how, in different lights, and at different stages of the flowers’ development one can achieve very different looks. For me, creating artistic floral art, observing the beauty and detail of nature is hugely relaxing and therapeutic. I am so fortunate to be able to keep myself safe at home

Here, I placed an anemone on my lightbox to create a very striking shot. Its colour reminds me of the Remembrance Day poppy which in turn makes me think about the medical workers saving lives on the front line whilst having to be separated from their families and simultaneously jeopardising their own lives. How will we ever thank them? 

Let's get creative in our isolation!

In these uncertain times I feel somewhat impotent, especially when we see all that those on the ‘frontline’ are doing for our respective countries. For those of us not able to help we can do our bit by staying at home and keeping safe so that we don’t add to the numbers of people needing care. There is plenty to keep us busy at home. I am organising my Lightroom catalogue and once finished (yes, there’s a lot to tidy!) I shall be looking to make photo books. My son will soon celebrate his 20th birthday and is still waiting for a book featuring photos of his first 18 years! I might also create a book of my still life photos which could be great to flick through on a rainy day. 

This golden poppy will hopefully bring sunshine to your day as you ponder which projects you will tackle in your isolation. 

Burgundy Beryl! A glowing tribute to Ocado workers!

How do we get through these extraordinary times?

First of all we isolate! Then……we create projects: things we have wanted to do for some time, subjects we’ve yearned to study, creativity which has been aching to be afforded an outlet! In my case, it is business as usual and my camera is keeping me sane. My only issue is the shortage of subject matter but on the permissible daily walk I might come across a flower or two. Just a week ago (and it seems so, so much longer) I received this glorious tulip with my Ocado grocery delivery. Yes, there was a time when we could order our groceries online with ease! It was such a basic bunch of tulips if I’m honest, but this one flower almost sang to me. She was quite extraordinary and was clearly destined to be a star! So without hesitation I present my absolute favourite macro flower of the week - voila, here is Burgundy Beryl!

Poppies in Motion

Sometimes nature almost comes knocking on my door! Such was the case when, driving home from the train station, I caught sight of a group of orange poppies swaying from side to side in the breeze. Rather than being exhausted by the motion they seemed to revel in it and were virtually smiling! Nature is extraordinary and it is a treat to allocate time to take a closer look at its detail. I don’t think I will ever tire of looking at this joyous poppy.

Losing time to creating FINE ART is indeed fine - as long as one is having fun!

Here in Céret, year-round, we have a wonderful Saturday market. Not only is there a fine selection of goods for sale but Saturday morning at the market is quite a social event! So much so, that it is not unusual for locals to head straight to the café where they stay for a good hour or more whilst they leave it to others to frequent the market stalls!  As for me: I was on the lookout for anemones. I was desperately hoping that the florist stall would have a good selection and I wasn’t disappointed. Of course Saturday afternoon was lost in terms of any chores at home being achieved as once my tripod was set up, two hours just disappeared! Effectively, fine art is indeed totally fine as long as one is having fun!   

Let's make macro art!

For me, macro photography is not just about getting up close and marvelling at the incredible detail, but it’s also about adding one’s ‘twist’ and making art. That’s the challenge that drives me every day! In this shot I placed an Osteospermum bud, on my light-box, my sole focus - she smiled up at me and I clicked!!

What is Macro Art?

What is Macro Art? It is taking the beauty offered to us so abundantly by nature and putting our slant on it. It is looking to see the details we so often miss and embracing such delicacies to create art. This coquettish tulip was flirting with the lens, I literally peeled away her outer layer - and what beauty she revealed within.

How to create Macro Art Photos

I am often asked what equipment I use for my macro art photography - some assume that I must have used a good lens! Let me tell you - it is not all about the equipment! This photograph of a hellebore was taken hand-held with a 50mm lens to which I attached an inexpensive 10 x macro lens. More important to the success of the photo was the use of the sunlight coming through the window creating an ethereal effect, contrasting with the tack sharp focus of the stamens. The muted tones are something of a departure from my usual work but I never aim to be predictable!