Welcome to my new website and blog. My first blog ‘Mels Artistic Journey’ hosted by blogger was a good starting place. With a commitment to continually improve the artistic practice I find the need for a proper website with the option to add new content and an online shop; for daily snippets head over to my Instagram.
When rainy weekends keep you from field tripping to the Botanical Gardens you bring the flower inspiration home. One of our local coffee cafes’ ‘J. Ting’ sells flowers as well as handmade soaps and candles, and other beautiful handcrafted items. They also run workshops in candle making and soap making. Anyway I digress. My eye is always drawn to the flowers when we pass. Every now and then I treat myself to a bunch. On this occasion the yellow chrysanthemum caught my eye. As I held the flowers and approached the counter my mind was already getting distracted with ideas. Along with the Chrysanthemum’s, statice, baby’s breath or solidago and magnolia foliage formed the bunch. One bunch of flowers endless inspiration.
Initially I left the bunch in tack and took a several shots in the studio using the camera on tripod and the flowers arranged in my Foldia photo booth. For a short window of time the next morning was clear and sunny. And, the wet bark of our Mulberry Tree was catching the early morning light and providing an interesting backdrop for individual flowers. No fancy clamps, just balanced the flowers on the branches of the tree and moved around the tree taking shots from various angles with the camera mostly on tripod.
I totally enjoy my field trips and in fact most of my images are captured outside, having a bunch of flowers provides different opportunities, an opportunity to dive deeper and study the subject. Some things will work, many shots don’t but every image is an opportunity to learn and grow.
When exploring a subject deeper I observe and take phots from different angles, use different lens, attach the extension tubes or play with lighting, focal length and filters. Weather permitting I also take the subject outside and take more images at different times of the day.
There will be another post shortly featuring images of their decaying beauty.
– One bunch of flowers endless inspiration –
Nature is an endless supply of inspiration, every season brings another discovery and during spring it is the Jacaranda. The natural shape of a Jacaranda tree is that of an elegant umbrella. Purple blue flowers cover the Jacaranda tree filling our parks and streetscapes with eye catching colour.
As well as being stunning street trees, jacarandas look stunning on their own as a specimen tree in an open lawn, where their fallen flowers form a colourful carpet of distinctive purple blue.
Jacarandas love our tropical and warm climate with many people thinking they are native but in fact they originate from Brazil. Most of the jacarandas in Brisbane come from seeds from the first tree planted in the city Botanic Gardens in 1864. During the 60’s and 70’s our local city council planted many jacaranda trees to liven up our parks and streetscapes with some of the best places to enjoy the jacaranda stunning purple flower being, New Farm Park, The University of Queensland at At Lucia, Dockside Walk at Kangaroo Point and Jacaranda Park at Yeronga.
Many of us, myself included, have a story or a favourite spot we return to year after year to soak in jacaranda stunning purple flower. Every October and November I’m captivated with the jacarandas distinctive colour and love how a clear blue sky is the natural backdrop for the jacaranda flower. The light of early to mid morning is my preferred time of day to enjoy and capture these stunning trees.
It’s an annual event I’m yet to tire of. I draw on nature for inspiration for many of my works including “Flower carpet swirl” a fabric design inspired by the jacaranda stunning flower.
Legend says if the flower falls on your head, it means good fortune for you
Happiness is sitting under a jacaranda tree
There is a growing selection of photographic images available as prints
