Decisions

When I saw this inexpensive framed art in the thrift shop, I was pretty sure it would work as a background for photographs.

For $3.99, I figured I’d give it a try. I had to pry the float frame (which was cheaply made) off with a screw driver. Then I used a box cutter to slice the canvas away from the inner frame.

Next step, fix the background to the wall with pushpins, making sure the print was level.

This is all a lot of work and most of it is just plain old fun. I pull out the various tools I need, drape old IKEA curtains over tables, try out different vases and flower combinations. I usually take these still life photos with my 35mm lens and the 85mm lens to see which works best. I open and close the garage door to see if the photo looks better with flatter, even light or with more contrast.

And if I am feeling especially energetic, I get out the tripod (why is it so darn hard for me to line-up a tripod properly?).

I realize that professionals often shoot tethered to a laptop so they can see their results in real time. I do not have this luxury. I do the best I can, often using the Live View mode on my camera.

But basically, the result is always a surprise.

This one?

Or this one?

Or maybe this one?

Color Yourself Happy

The days hum along. Ordinary. The vases of flowers await. There is good and satisfying work to be done. Not the kind of work that is actually avoidance. Nor the kind of work that pushes and pursues. This is the kind of work that creates a buffer of joy against all of the struggles of a real life. I am protected by this practice, and this does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Most Days

Most days begin with caring for the flowers. Snip the stem ends. Pull off leaves beginning to decay. Put fresh water in the vase. Cull out flowers that are dying and rearrange those that remain.

This simple practice is highly meditative. The flowers add joy to the day; they are the substrate of my work these days. No grocery store bouquets. These flowers all come from local flower farms that use sustainable practices. They are not meant to last long. I have, at best, a week to breathe them in. A week to soak in their color and let my fingers run along their petals. To take their picture in as many ways as possible.