Matchbook
After years of working with clients, I found myself rarely taking out my camera to shoot for myself and create art the way I did when I first fell in love with ...
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After years of working with clients, I found myself rarely taking out my camera to shoot for myself and create art the way I did when I first fell in love with photography. My brain has been scattered all over the place and I find my soul slipping away at times. I wanted to create an image to express how I was feeling. I wandered around outside with my camera in hand, trying to decipher what to capture. As I became frustrated I kicked a fluffy dandelion and watched all it's pieces break away from it's stem, then this thought came to me. I cut apart an old box that held shotgun shells and folded it to mimic a matchbook, then carefully picked a few unopened dandelions, and voila la! This photo speaks to me in many ways, and I keep a great big canvas of it up on my wall to remind myself to keep pushing for inspiration, even when I feel like giving up.
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Nov, 2015Views
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Awards
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Superb Composition
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the windowsill of my grandparents old farm house. I believe it was built sometime in the 1940's, so there's lots of "character" throughout.Time
This is by far one of my most favorite photos I've ever taken. I remember it was cloudy that evening, as those kinds of days often bring out my most stressful thoughts. At that time I felt extremely drained and uncreative with my work. It started outside, trying to find something to shoot that made me feel whole again. This photo was taken on May 29, 2014 at 5:00pm.Lighting
Since it was pretty gloomy that evening, I used the windowsill above the kitchen sink, as it was the brightest spot in the house. I also used a dining chair to stand on, so that I could capture just the right angle I had envisioned.Equipment
I used my Nikon D5000, with my 18-55mm lens with a shutter speed of 1/50 at f5.3 with ISO 1600.Inspiration
After years of working with clients, I found myself rarely taking out my camera to shoot for myself and create art the way I did when I first fell in love with photography. My brain had been scattered all over the place and I found my soul slipping away at times. I wanted to create an image to express how I was feeling. I wandered around outside with my camera in hand, trying to decipher what to capture. As I became frustrated I kicked a fluffy dandelion and watched all it's pieces break away from it's stem, then this thought came to me. I cut apart an old box that held shotgun shells and folded it to mimic a matchbook, then carefully picked a few unopened dandelions, and voila! This photo speaks to me in ways I can't even explain. I keep a great big canvas of it up on my wall to remind myself to keep pushing for inspiration, even when I feel like giving up. Life is like a book of matches, each match being carefully plucked away from time to time. Slowly burning to it's very last breath, then vanishes with an unforgettable scent. We as humans, or souls rather, go through a series of events throughout our lives. As one journey ends, another one begins, leaving nothing but an unforgettable memory that seems all to familiar, but so far away.Editing
I use Adobe Lightroom to edit all of my work. I bumped up the exposure since the clouds rained on my parade, increased the contrast a bit to give it a more edgier look and increased the saturation with a little split toning to give it a vintage feel. Then used the sharpening brush to make the seeds pop more.In my camera bag
Right now I have a Nikon D610 with which I purchased my 85mm f1.4, and let me tell you.. the difference in quality compared to my D5000 is unreal! I'm a bit old fashioned and think technology never changes that much, but boy was I wrong! I felt like a whole new artist after my first click of the shutter! Shortly after, I added my 24-120mm f1.4 to the family. My old lenses were no longer compatible and I had a few weddings to shoot over the spring. And with that, I can grab some serious angles! And of course, 3 extra charged batteries, a charger, who knows how many SD cards, a lens cleaning kit, a flashlight and a pocket knife. You never know what you might need a knife for in the wilderness, always be prepared!Feedback
Be creative and think outside of the box. Go for an adventure and keep your eyes open. Breath deep and relax. Nature has a funny way of washing all your stressful thoughts away, all you need is a few solid minutes!
