Sunflower
Flowers are a constant source of inspiration for me. Whether in the wild or the studio there are numerous varieties, colours and shapes. Of course all have been photographed before and so the challenge I find is to try and take pictures that have something different about them. A new angle or way of seeing something.
Planning my show FLORA last year I wanted to include sunflowers because their vibrancy and colour. Their deep yellow stands out on any wall. But how to do this when so many other excellent pictures already exist?
Setting up a light in the studio and then placing thick perspex on top and over that a sheet of tissue paper meant that I reduced the glare. I had already raided the kitchen for some sunflower seeds. I carefully dissected the yellow petals from the centre of the flower and arranged them on the tissue paper, scattering the sunflower seeds on top. Switch on the light and shoot away.
The overlay of leaves produced deeper and lighter yellows. The seeds on top barred the light but they are clearly not the proper sunflower head. I allowed any natural flaw in the leaves to remain rather than edit them out as some might have done. I felt that it helped retain some of the truth of the original flower.
I did this several times over a couple of days and ended with well over two hundred shots of which I post produced about thirty, one of which is shown here.
At the time of writing FLORA is still in SALT Architects gallery in Beverley because of lockdown. Although the office is not open currently you are welcome to peer through the window and see it :-)
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