by winter petals revisited
I enjoyed some further play with the faded and dry hydrangea flower head which I had photographed and posted previously. This time I used the scanner and dealt with two challenges: the shallow depth of field for a very three-dimensional object and the lack of lighting behind it, that is ‘above’ the flower head sitting on the scanner bed. Thus parts of the images are out of focus as well as missing those sharply delineated tracings in the petals that you saw in the previous photographs.
It was like working with different beasts of another dimension. Also for the third image, I shone a desk lamp down very close in the hopes of some backlighting but instead captured a bit of the movement of the scanner bar (or whatever it’s called) moving across, resulting in some interesting distortions in the background. In the end, I grew to like these a lot and now wonder how they would print, for they are a much higher resolution than the digicamera photographs.
January 25, 2014 in Being an Artist, Nature, Photoworks, Textures by Marja-Leena
All these hydrangea pictures, both camera and scanner, are just stunning. and thanks for reminding me about Eyes as Big as Plates too!
Lucy, I’m so pleased you like these, thank you!
These are interesting – and if mine would make me want to get cropping, because I find elements of each image really enticing. Good luck with printing with them.
Olga, I agree that certain elements can be useful as I can keep on playing with these. For the moment, these are in a folder of ‘possible prints’ 🙂
Scale must come into some consideration here. As there is nothing to indicate scale in your photographs, one can imagine them being big, very big, outer spatial. I recall a Star Trek TNG episode that involved two jellyfish-like creatures, the size of space ships. That was one of the most moving episodes I saw; these hydrangea heads, suitably increased in scale, could just have the same effect.
Tom, that image from Star Trek image sounds cool. Scale is always important and that often makes viewing images on the computer screen and on blogs so limiting. There’s one reason I don’t care for the small devices that are so popular. Scanning, as opposed to photos with my digital camera, allow me to have larger images should I wish to print them. There are some powerful digital cameras now with higher resolutions that are rather tempting but for their cost.
oh these are just yummy sigh
Elisa, thank you and welcome! I’m delighted to have you visit and in return to become acquainted with your gorgeous photography. BTW, one of my daughters is named Elisa too!
Marja-Leena,
I was waiting to see what would be difference with scanner compared to the back lighted petals.
I think the Star Trecky pic’s are the first ones, truly unearthly. But scanner pics are more like official portraits of this flower, that I don’t ever remembered having seen, although my husband’s grandmother did have a garden on her house. Mostly she concentrated on strawberries and other edible things though. But I do remember seen roses.
Of course, Portland and roses. Rose Festival!
You seem to have a very good green thumb! I’m forever envious for you West Coast people: everything grows! Especially moss. Green lawn and trees with moss hanging down on them, like some kind of troll forests. So I am never really surprised to see all of those things what you bring us.
You just start being a master for your photo’s!
Ripsa, this is one of the lacecap hydrangeas which forms the unusual seed-like bunch in winter. Yes, the West Coast is marvellous for gardening. I had a lot to learn when we first moved here.
Thanks for your kind words.
I see little beasts with open mouths in the first and third images. Perhaps they’re eager for their space alien parents to come and shake more stardust from their ethereal wings.
Susan, I can see how you might make this into a delightful illustration with your superb drawing and watercolours!
This reminds me of some texturing a potter in my class is doing.
Oh, I can imagine these as textures in clay! Thanks, Hattie.
I like these, though I wish the “hidden flower” shapes that show up when lit behind were clear… The colors are different, very delicate and appealing.
Marly, I too had wished that the hidden flower shapes would have shown up. At leat they did in the photographs when held up to the sunlight. It has been an interesting exercise for me.