I have the coolest friends. I don't mean to boast....That's a filthy lie, I am absolutely boastful about my close comrades. Anyone who spends time with me hears me chirp about the interesting things my friends are doing, making, organizing, singing, listening to, and playing with. I trot, wind, and bustle about social media scouting for the creative loin fruits of my tribe and community. Over the past 3 months I can look in my planner book and see I've spent an average of 6 hours a week in the direct company of friends ( either 1 or 2 at a time)...This doesn't include work, family, or romance. During this early stage of creative manifestation, which still feels awkward and gooey, I feel so fortunate to be experiencing a very selective, simultaneous allure with very specific artist friends.
Yesterday I spent a good portion of my day setting up still lifes with a close and long time friend who shares my fascination of spiders among many other interests. Zie contacted me in relation to my photography."How do you light/choose/edit subjects?" was the question. Naturally, I was delighted in every way and spared no time in setting a date to meet up and get out my toys which include, my T3i and macro lens, a table, light tent, tungsten lights, and collected dead bugs, as well as some new toys ( snake shed and honeycomb) another close friend gifted me.
We assembled and set up lights and a tripod stand and when the light felt right, the fun stuff came out. A dead bee, 2 spider exoskeletons, a cicada molt, and a smiling striped mystery bug hull. We went from auto focus to fully manual and moved lighting closer and farther away to watch the various results materialize through the lens. We made small adjustments to the still life, made of snake skin, a honeycomb, and varied bug bodies, throughout our mini respite to observe the varying relationship between objects and light.
Aside from entertainment value that playdates with a likeminded companion can impart, I observed my imagination turning over with ideas that combined my present interests with past recreations. I visualized post mortem invertebrate menageries voluptuously adorned with luscious tribal fabrics and thick, earthy metal bits. Some satisfying milieu of of drained dirty nostalgia and posthumous tangibles.
I am sharing a few edits ( very light editing..as in...white balanced and resized) my friend and I captured together yesterday. I also want to thank them for the ideas that occurred through that exercise. For the next few weeks I'll be exploring vintage textiles and things that critters left behind.