these came from a local florist - I had a brilliant idea that they could have more variety, color and perhaps something 'different'. uh...no, they do not. of course this is a florist that has been in the same location with the same staff since I was a junior buying a boutinnere for the prom. possibly the same carnations were in the cooler - you know those things never die.
so...pink or white. maybe they had a baby shower coming up. when I asked about peonies or something other than these the lady with the raspy cigarette voice just shook her head. then, she wanted to "arrange them" - I just wanted them loose. then she wanted to "wrap them"...and I let her. the bundle was sweetly tied up in sparkly pink cellophane and a chiffon pink ribbon and presented to me with the charm of my 87 year old grandmother flicking an inch long ash off her cigarette.
as I left the store, carefully stepping around Queen Victoria's armchair and readjusting the doily as I passed, the wind ruffled the petals of the gerber and a bit of errant sunshine sparkled on the crinkly paper. I took my treasures to my treehouse retreat.
So pretty, I like the single flowers in the vases like that. Sounds like a lovely bouquet, wrapped by a woman with much personality!
ReplyDeleteWHOA....WAIT....you have a treehouse ???
ReplyDeleteit's what I call my studio/den - the treehouse since I look out over the back ravine - it's like I'm sitting in the trees.
ReplyDeletegorgeous photo.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not you had much of a selection you certainly have some beautiful flowers there and a beautiful arrangement...love the snapdragons:)
ReplyDeletevery pretty. i keep meaning to ask you. do you use Photoshop filters to get those neat effects on your photos that you make look aged or vintage?
ReplyDeletei've been trying to find some ways to do different things with my pics. i tried to download a free filter/texture, but it would not work.
what do you do? do you have some tips for me?
I use Lightroom and Photoshop to edit. On this shot though I used photoshop to edit. It was shot with a 50 mm lens at f/1.8 to get that blurry depth of field. I bumped up the exposure a bit (+1/3) to get some glowy light. Then in PS I used curves a bit more on the centers of the flowers and color balance to put more cyan and yellow into the shot for the retro vibe. The the texture are two separate textured layers I purchased from Nichole Van. I think I did the soft light blending for both at 70% opacity. I think that's all I did.
ReplyDeletegerbers are the best to play with...i'll bet that woman's name was gladys or berniece. :-)
ReplyDeletegoodness, those lovely bottles again (plus flowers this time). Oh, how do I wished I have one of those....
ReplyDeletephotography isn't just about clicking the shutters...that I know so well..from experience and a whole bunch of failures..
ReplyDeleteand reading your comment above made me realize how little I know about it. oh well,i wish i know more than just taking a candid shot..
Gerbera daisies and snapdragons are two of my favorite flowers and those are beautiful examples. Very nice photo. It made me smile. :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful picture! Love the processing and textures!
ReplyDeleteI saw this pic on your Flickr photostream this morning. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing at the local florist. I tell them that I'm just looking to photograph some flowers, that's the only reason I'm buying them. So they take me into the big refrigerator and I pick out a few.
I think your grandmother with the cigarette adds so much more color to the experience, however!
love this image and the way you processed it but I always love your images. today i especially like the way this post is written - you took me there to the local florist shop.
ReplyDeleteVisual delight...love the process that was done... ahhh flowers in/out doors are just the loveliest!
ReplyDeleteOH MY... that photo is another great one... you torture me with your photography... I would love to sit here painting from your blog on sooooooo MANY ocassions!
ReplyDeleteBTW... Miss Photography girl... I cannot believe that YOU have not seen Amelie... the photo angles will blow your mind! It is a MUST see... what are you waiting for RENT it SOON! I look forward to your views on Amelie!
ENJOY your day!
Fifi
um, i am just picturing the woman who helped you. ha hahaha. well, at least you went away with a pretty prize.
ReplyDeleteand every time i see peonies (or even read the word PEONY) i GASP! they are incredible!
p.s. off topic, but botox mortifies me. shudder. i am thinking you feel the same.
"presented to me with the charm of my 87 year old grandmother flicking an inch long ash off her cigarette. " LOL
ReplyDeleteThey may not be unusual or different, but your photo has definitely made them very special!