Flower Portraits III
A series of studio photographs of flowers highlighting the beauty and intricate details of the flowers.
A series of studio photographs of flowers highlighting the beauty and intricate details of the flowers.
Throughout history, people have sent messages with flowers. The Victorians raised it to an art form, where entire conversations and courtships could take place just with flowers. This series of still life photographs is inspired by the messages sent by certain flowers.
In the language of flowers, siberian irises can represent inspiration and creativity. As I created this photograph, I imagined an aspiring novelist reading some of her favorite books of poetry before sitting down to write her own novel.
In the language of flowers, nigella (also known as Love-In-The-Mist) represents open to love. As I created this still life, I imagined a young women considering a marriage proposal from a young man she has been seeing. She looks back over the cards, notes, and other things associated with their courtship, trying to decide, is he the one she wants so spend her future with.
In the language of flowers, bronze chrysanthemums symbolize friendship. As I created this still life, I imagined a woman about to jot a quick note on a postcard to her best friend. They have been friends since childhood, maintaining their friendship across the miles and through the years by regularly sending notes, letters, cards and photographs.
In the language of flowers, bleeding hearts can symbolize I want to tell you how I feel. As I created this still life, I imaged a young woman home from a formal dance with her current beau. As she puts down her fan and takes off her jewelry, she is already wondering what she will see him again so she can tell him how much she loves him.
In the language of flowers, zinnias symbolized missing you, and statice symbolized I miss you. Inspired by that, I imagined a woman looking back over cards, photos, postcards, and her autograph book thinking of friends she hasn’t seen in a while. Perhaps she’ll decide to write one of them a letter after reliving some wonderful memories.
In the language of flowers, snapdragons symbolized grace and elegance. Inspired by that, I imagined an elegantly dressed woman home from an exquisite evening out. She has returned home and has laid her fan and jewelry out on her dressing table as she remembers all the wonderful moments of an enchanted evening with the man she loves.
Like many other people, I discovered a new room in my house during COVID – the kitchen! Not only did I start baking (and occasionally cooking), I created still life photographs from what I cooked!
One of my favorite advertising campaigns is the Kodak Girl campaigns of the early 1900s. Kodak wanted to get women involved with photography figuring that if women had cameras and took photographs than they would sell more film and cameras. So they created the Kodak Girl who was portrayed in the ads as an active woman out with her camera. She traveled, she participated in sporting events, and she photographed her friends and family. What she didn’t do was be an object photographed by male photographers.
So this series of photos is inspired by the early Kodak Girl campaigns – portraying women across the years out photographing with their cameras.
Every model photographed in this series has been a joy to work with. The images are collaborations that I could not create with them. They all have contributed wonderful ideas, outfits, cameras and an amazing sense of fun to the project. Without their help, this project would still be an idea floating in my brain – they have brought the Kodak Girl to life.
A series of studio photographs of flowers highlighting the beauty and intricate details of the flowers.