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Flower Pictures - A Mild Obsession #2 by Flower Man

So a gorgeous yellow daisy mesmerises me, swaying elegantly in the light afternoon breeze, bathed in the warm light. Mmmm...emotions gently bubble to the surface, excitement foremost, followed by the deep satisfaction that I've been able to make time to return to this spot to revisit my yellow daisy. I've already shot her once...but...now another chance to create another feel, another image worthy of my wall.

As before I dispense with my tripod. An odd decision? Perhaps... but here's my thinking on the subject. Firstly this is a decision which individual photographers need to make for themselves and secondly, and please understand this clearly, there are no rights or wrongs when the intent is artistic creation.

A tripod slows the process down (a good thing), it allows for greater reflection on composition and it creates the freedom necessary to style the shot without losing the angle of view one has chosen. It also has the added benefit of helping to steady the camera considerably so that camera shake is avoided. Actually in practise that bonus can rapidly become nullified - add a little spring zephyr to the mix and suddenly movement becomes an artistic must have, with or without the tripod!

Easing swiftly on to my preference...

Shooting fashion was my world for a number of years and even though I used a tripod a lot in the studio, more often than not on location I preferred to hand hold my monster of a medium format camera (GX680). Luckily it has an autowind so cranking to the next frame wasn't a bore, but the freedom to be able to approach all shots by circling the subject to see how the world looked from that perspective was hugely stimulating. Good stuff! And oddly now that I'm shooting my mostly inanimate gorgeous yellow daisy and the like, I feel incredibly fettered when using a tripod. Don't ever let anyone dictate that there is only one proper way (ironically almost always their way - strange...). Discipline is in your approach and consistency of approach rather than just the tools.

There is another factor in the mix - DIGITAL...A little rant last time, a repeat now...Freedom! To me digital spells freedom - access, creativity, lack of stress about mundane matters like money i.e. cost per frame 'wasted'. If you like to shoot a lot of each view as I do, this would get prohibitive real quick on film. I urge you as a budding or even a relatively experienced photographer to shoot lots - life is too short to stuff a mushroom (if you get that you get my point), and shoot at the highest res possible. I cringe at sad sack stories of the one that got away.

Be disciplined, shoot smart. Make yourself a checklist, mental or written, of things to check and use it every time you go out to shoot. It's the little things...you try explaining to a client that you forgot the charged batteries at the studio or even worse, a whispered aside to assistant 'Herm where's the film?' And then even worse the reply 'I thought you packed it....' Checklists rule okay!

So to the gorgeous yellow number...Another decision, another choice. Shoot the natural view or create an instant outdoor studio background with flags, fills and scrim. Me, I like the control of creating my own environment as far as possible. I like the deep orange fuzzy card in the background with my model languishing, exotically garbed in yellow organza, in the foreground. Daisy perfection!

Now for some forward planning...don't ever restrict your ability to shoot by not planning ahead. Take a few extras with you...

I grabbed a series of different colored cards before I left, A4 sheets as the work is close and my subjects mostly small, and I cut a slit down the vertical centre line to 1/3 into the page, then carved out a small round hole (a keyhole in effect),a perfect fit around the stem of most flowers, without doing any real damage. Don't worry about the slit, Photoshop will clean that up! For the purists out there sorry if that's cheating in your book, but hey if you've got it, use it, is my feeling.

I also stuck a bit of foil, white card and black card in for good measure. A tiny mobile studio - flag and fill! Do it properly if you're going to do it at all. The foil can be well used to create pattern or glitter on an otherwise dull surface, the white card to fill in the shadow areas and the black card to define edges on white/light subjects. On really bright, sunny days it's worth adding a sheet of scrim to the mix to soften the light over the subject. Diffuse light created by a cloudy day or by a decent piece of scrim is so much easier to work with - color saturation is deep and satisfying without huge loss in shadows or highlights. Be prepared!

BUT...

Do not rule out the harsh directness of full-on sun. It can be awesome to work in direct sun - huge drama, brilliant glitter. Give yourself a break - luxuriate in choice. Never loose site of the point...GET THE SHOT...the shot that's beautiful enough to grace the wall...any wall!

See the beauty!


Copyright 2005 Patrick Heathcock

Sometime commercial photographer London, fulltime flower art photographer and web designer living in the southern semisphere, soaking up the sun. Visit A Flower Gallery to view the yellow daisy and more!

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Buying Displayed Furniture by Bob Benson

Have you ever just had to have a certain piece of furniture right then ? you won?t leave the store without it? If you have ever had such an experience, you have probably been offered the displayed floor model. If you have not had a similar experience, be aware of these issues that might arise when buying a demo, displayed piece of furniture.
Most stores can order furniture for you unless the particular model you want is being discontinued. Or, unless you absolutely, positively plan to walk out of the store with the sofa, recliner, or other piece of furniture that very day.
If you find yourself in either of the above situations, you should be aware of the pros and cons of buying a demo or displayed piece of furniture.
The biggest pro, obviously, is being able to have the instant gratification of immediate ownership. If really, really want a piece of furniture that is on display, try to hold your enthusiasm for the piece until you can talk with the sales person. Ask if there is a discount for buying the floor model. That would be a second pro. If a commissioned sales person can see how desperate you are to own that piece of furniture, he or she might be more likely to hold you to the original price. The best way to proceed is to ask the sales person what kind of price he can give you for that piece. Then, ask what price he can give you on the floor model. With any luck, the prices will show a decrease each time you ask!
If there is no discount for buying the floor model, proceed with caution. Don?t let your urge for immediate ownership of the furniture to keep you from getting the best deal. Back away and think about it. Can you wait another two weeks for a brand new piece of furniture to be shipped to your house? If the answer is no, go back and look at the furniture. Prepare to give it a good inspection.
If it is a sofa or chair, chances are that many of people have tried it out by sitting in it. Look at the seat. Is it worn or showing any signs of wear? Check out the back. Sometimes the natural oils from hair or the back side of necks can rub off on furniture cushions. Look for oily spots on the cushions.
Take a look at the arms. Are they worn? Pay special attention to the cording on the arms and cushions. As people get up or lean back to get comfortable, the cording gets extra friction against it and shows signs of wearing sooner.
Next, check the seams. Are any of the seams pulling apart? This might happen if a number of people have tried out the furniture. As people sit on the cushions, the seams tend to pull. They generally go back in place when the person gets up, but continued use could cause seams to separate permanently.
If you spot any signs of wear, point them out to the sales person. If he still won?t come down off the price, walk on by. Place your order and wait for a perfect model to arrive just for you!

Bob Benson is the founder of Furniture online. You can check out our website at http://www.my-log-furniture.info

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