THE BEHIND THE SCENES SCOOP

I don't know how much social media you visit, but I do love Instagram. On IG I can choose what I  enjoy seeing, being inspired by and interacting with. I limit my choices: A few family and friends; photographers..specifically still life, food and travel; and art related, like painting and sketching.  I have found some pretty awesome folk out there who make me want to try new things.

SO WHAT IS THE SCOOP? If you have followed me for awhile you know I am quite smitten with photography.  Many photographers inspire me to try my hand at that which appeals to me.  Combine IG inspiration and online photography classes and I am ready to GO GO GO!  KIM KLASSEN is my  online mentor, if you will.  Her passing of technical knowledge nudges me in a direction I want to aspire to, Story-line Photography.

OKAY THE SCOOP: Since it is approaching autumn one of my favorite still life "styles" are the darker, moodier, more mellow, slightly secretive images...think: walking into your dark kitchen in the middle of the night, but the moon is radiantly-shining through a window onto your vase of fresh flowers...AWE !  Last week I was determined to create my own version.

 Photographers know that the behind the scenes work and experimenting is to be kept just that "behind the scenes."  Just present the final gorgeous, inspiring image.  Then accept with graciousness the applause.  (sorry overly dramatic)

INSTAGRAM PROJECT: mellow, darkish, moody evening-tide  serving of my favorite Chai tea made with full bodied spices, milk and sugar. Definitely deep, rich and darkish like moonlight over a lake.

Well my friends, it "tain't" always what it appears to be on IG, magazines, periodicals, ads, etc.

First decision, PROPS, we all know props are V.V.Very. important, they move the story along.

Kitchen counter, lots of interesting wood textures, shiny but spotty copper tea pot, celadon green tea cup from Hong Kong 

Move them around..play..set the scene..balance..line..composition

That is the easy part, the fun, creative part. But what about that dullish gray background with crazy metal heart? Or the sterile edge of the stove peeking into our little scenario?

Here in lies the SECRET. Lighting.  

Which means (if you don't have a studio) making do with whatever one can find to manipulate the light source. 

Look closely and you will see the light is everywhere, so how to STOP and SHINE light. 

More props. Black plastic (clean) shutter to block the wall and stove.  Wedged-in white foam-core board to bounce light on to the scene.

Now that was a challenge. 

Next making the Chai Tea...if I had only done it first...

First good shot, pouring the thick tea laden with spices into cup. Hand shot, cool.  So far so good.

(more behind-the scenes)

I didn't have enough tea (due to sampling) so decided to make more to fill the cup up.

But I was distracted on the right side of the board fiddling around.

Out of no where, the acrid smell and singe-ing sound of milk caught my attention.

The pan of beautiful dancing spice, milk and sugar double-bubbled, EVERYWHERE. The white foam-core board slipped next to the hot burner, with no hot pad in sight.

Yes a mess was born from the "behind the scenes" chaos!!!!!

It didn't take much for me to be no longer interested in sipping tea. 

Moving away from the behind the scenes disaster. 

TA-DA

Persistance and NO FIRE won out. 

Love the last line on the script...All is well.

Obviously I did a bit of post photo processing after the work of cleaning up scorched sugar, milk and spices.

And now it is one week later and I am still cleaning the stove. Still taking pictures. 

Another IG posting, letting the light peek in through fern.   NO carrots cooking on the stove.

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Perhaps you noticed that some of the above photos have a different look, coloring, lighting to them. That was done in post-editing in Lightroom using Kim Klassen's amazing Presets. 

Kim has a beautiful website, many on-line classes that are beautifully instructed and inspiring.

If you are into photography you might like to checkout this amazing resource.

I used the following KK presets:  Caramel and Mood Swing.

October is chasing us...may your part of the hemispheres be filled with glorious slanting light, deep shadows and the brisk air that awaits us in Autumn. 

Thanks for following along with me.

Smiles: Sharon 

The Storm of the Year?

My previous post we were excitedly preparing for the snow storm of the "year," well, season.  Indeed there was a storm.

Through the night the rain pelted the windows with darts of cracking sharpness. The temperatures plummeted down with accelerating speed.

I awoke at 2:30, scurried to the front room window, hoping to see falling SNOW through the crack in the blind. 

BLACKNESS. 

6:30 AM, there would be snow, the weatherman had promised.

Within a few hours, our world transformed, encapsulated with thick, clear, wavy ICE! 

Seeing the cup half full, I reasoned that ice in and of itself is beautiful. 

I hadn't charged my camera batteries for nothing. I headed outside, staying safely on the porch.

Our little world was beautiful in unexpected ways... 

 tiny miracles of life encapsulated in coffins of clarity .

 long lengths of rough branches, magnified.

 black streets, silvery white.

Later this morning as I sit at the computer, shafts of sun pierce through the barren branches, angling onto my desk. All is well. A few photos, a bit of editing, and acknowledgement for expectations.

Sounds of neighbor boys outside on their snow pans, racing down the center of the icy street. Oblivious to everything but fun.

Pups hopping on padded paws, licking up the icy goodness.

Red Robins splashed against deep evergreens tipped in ice.

The fleeting pleasure of something different is just as lovely.

What I saw this morning.

Life under the weight of nature.
KK Flourish

Predawn, weighed down branches, nothing stirs.
KK  1 AM 

 Sun Flare breaks through, shedding warmth.

Robin Egg Blue, the first sky color to greet me.

Sun rises, droplets fall, cycle in completion.

We ate the winter soup a few days ago. But today we feast upon the visual bounties of Nature's Fickleness.

A large prayer sent the way to those who have more than their share of harsh weather. May you be warm and safe. Your blue skies are coming.

Don't Be Afraid to Go Out on a Limb

 ...it's where all the fruit is.  Shirley MacLaine
It could be suggested that I went "out on a limb" when I       enrolled in another on-line class.  

"I shouldn't, restrain yourself, put on the brakes." I murmured, reproachably.

"But it is so fun to learn new things and meet new people!" my less pragmatic side countered.

I always lose the pragmatic arguments.  And thus happily

enrolled in one more of Kim Klassen's fantastic photography classes.

Kim suggested we photograph fruit, more specifically, 

CITRUS FRUIT .

  "Hmm healthy to snack on after photographing," last word goes to Justification. 

Indian statues. Once sold in Indian markets, like American 20's-30's green depression glass.  Wasp nest, minus the wasps, found in the folds of our table umbrella. Black and White bowls from neighborhood Asian market. 

Fun tea service found in an Elevator Shop in Hong Kong. Don't forget Chinese New Year is coming up.
The Year of the Goat.

Provence, France where printed fabrics and pretty dishes are hard to resist. Citrus fruit: Harris Teeter's.

Looking forward to sharing with you more photos as I move through the various lessons.
I did have a pragmatic "light bulb" moment while fussing with still life setups and photographing.
A few of these vignettes will be perfect to paint on canvas.
But don't hold your breath.  



All work on S. Furner Fine Art is copyrighted. 

The Slowing of Summer

               (sold)

The summer Fruit and Vegetable Stands have been without equal.  We have several right by our home, each a bit different.

We have never indulged in so many watermelons as we have this past summer.  On Sunday we ate, perhaps our last for the season, a sweet sun-ripened miniature watermelon.

Cantaloupes weren't as plentiful, but what we had were yummy.  
A nice change from the watermelon we consumed...and easier to cut!

Of course, mounds of strawberries, red grapes and raspberries are always tempting us.

                                                    Pink Pear  30x30  Available

This week the air feels different. Last night we had a storm of all storms...zinging lightening that never stopped, thunder that shook up the pups and adults, pelting rain that I thought would come straight THROUGH the roof. 

We stood under the shelter of the porch and marveled at the display of nature's wrath: after we turned off all electronics and lit candles!!! 

Stealthily sneaking in are the autumn colors edging their way into the thickly leafed branches, an abundance of peaches and ripe tomatoes are sitting center-stage.

Next will come the hearty squash, pumpkins, beets and carrots. 

Down the road from our home...love the women who work here..they place everything with an artistic eye.

Fruit and Vegetable Stands are 
EYE CANDY
for the Soul
Bon Appétit

Sugar Roses

It had rained, rained, rained
then turned 
cold, cold, cold. 

When the sun broke through

our garden was filled
with Sugar Roses.

How Perfectly    

 by favorite poet, Mary Oliver

How perfectly

and neatly

opens the pink rose

this bright morning,

the sun warm

on my shoulders,

 its heat

on the opening petals

Possibly

it is the smallest,

the least important event

at this moment