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Music and Sound
The August assignment in my still-life photo project for this year was “Music and Sound”, which made me think of two instruments: a piano and flute. I wanted to play piano when I was a little girl, but when I applied for lessons at a music school, I was told my fingers were too short to make the effort worthwhile. That might have been true, but I was bitterly disappointed. Perhaps they had too many children asking for piano lessons so they tried to steer us towards less popular instruments instead. Years later, I bought a flute and some self-instruction books. I practiced diligently, though I never became a master.…
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Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments
The July assignment in my still-life photo project for this year requested “Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments” and I knew exactly where to look for it – in our own garden. For gardening, this year was quite generous in terms of weather. The spring late frosts did not cause much damage and the early summer brought just enough rain. And there’s definitely something deeply satisfying about photographing fruit you’ve watched growing on your own trees and bushes – it transforms a creative assignment into something much more personal. The blueberries have become my favorite breakfast addition, brightening my morning oat flakes and yoghurt with their pleasing tartness. They’re not only beautiful,…
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Everyday Geometry
The June assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Everyday Geometry”. Geometry is all around us in everyday objects and sometimes it creates eye-catching patterns and shapes. The truth is that we usually walk past such mathematical elegance without thinking about it or even without realising it is there. I would even say that geometric shapes and patterns have a meditative quality. They welcome simplicity and create visual harmony that brings peace to our overloaded brains. There is something calming about clean lines and balanced proportions. They don’t demand attention in a loud way… I found out that black and white benefits the theme greatly in a…
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Windows and Reflections
The May assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Windows and Reflections”. Quite self-explanatory, isn’t it? So I gave it a try, and surprisingly, I found myself drawn to B&W images as the final result. They may feel melancholic without those bright colours but the lack of vividness offered space for one’s own imagination and reflection. We live in a world full of colours and even though that is undeniably wonderful, the colours can be distracting and even overwhelming. I must confess it is sometimes a relief to strip off the unnecessary baggage and get to the core. The assignment for June featured “Everyday Geometry,” which I’ll…
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Tools of the Trade
The April assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Tools of the Trade”. The idea was to use tools related to a hobby or craft and portray them in a still life arrangement. My immediate inspiration became my bullet journalling supplies – those colourful washi tapes, decorative pictures and vibrant brushes that make planning feel like an art form. But as I was looking at them arranged on my desk, they didn’t feel quite as impressive and story-telling as I expected – they didn’t capture the essence of what “tools of the trade” meant to me. So I decided to switch gears and asked my husband where he keeps…
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Kitchen stories
The March assignment in my still-life photo project for this year featured “Kitchen stories”. As each kitchen hides and reveals countless objects and activities, I initially thought it would be an easy theme. But as I discovered, when you dig into the details, this is too worn, that is too reflective, this does not look as interesting as expected and those elements simply don’t complement each other… Among my ideas was a composition with frozen strawberries placed in an old metal bowl alongside frozen blueberries and a beautiful dish towel. I loved the result – until I noticed the blueberries had smudged the plate they were sitting on, the strawberries had unsightly…
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Shapes and shadows
The February assignment in my still-life photo project for this year focused on capturing “Shapes and Shadows”. When the sun shines, you can find countless interesting shadows outside. I was fortunate to discover one on our terrace, just in front of the doors. We have several pots decorating the terrace in winter, and in some of them stand rusty metal plates depicting trees, a mushroom and a hedgehog. I love watching the shadows they cast. While incorporating shadows into still life photography may sound simple, the opposite is true. You can take a photo with a shadow in it and it can be both nice and interesting but creating one that…
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Winter warmth
When planning my still-life photo project for this year, I chose “Winter warmth” as January theme. My goal was to capture the feeling of being warm and comfortable despite winter chill. I even unwrapped the light chain I bought several years ago to use it one day in my photographs! As I imagined warmth, my mind filled with a cup of good tea to enjoy, an absorbing book to read, soft glow of candle light to admire, and comfortable layers of warm clothing to wear, such as sweaters, scarves, hats, and gloves. A bunch of Muscari flowers helped to add a pleasant touch of winter’s quiet beauty to my composition.…
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My photo project for 2025
For 2024 I decided to get back to still life photography and now at the end of the year I am quite disappointed by what effort I made or rather didn’t make. Just a few posts with just a few shooting sessions, not much time and effort devoted. When starting that project, I decided not to limit myself by planning any topics or assignments. I thought it would be easier then, but I am afraid the contrary was true. The free arrangement did not motivate me enough. I always struggle to come up with interesting ideas for photos, I find it difficult to start, and it supported postponing and avoiding…
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Flower, ribbon and crate
Getting back to playing with simple still life compositions… their light and shadows… shapes and colours… Sometimes a small difference makes a huge impact.
