Sabine Nehls, QPSA, EFIAP
December 2024 - Lantern Flower
About the Image(s)
I am currently taking part in an online course on painterly photography, i.e. painting with the camera. The camera is moved from top to bottom or sideways while taking the picture. The camera settings are important here:
The exposure time is between 1/5 and 1/8s (full frame camera), ISO must be 100 and, above all, the image stabilizer should be switched off. A gray filter is helpful to get a larger aperture.
Simply described, but it took me many attempts before I was satisfied. This is the result.
The vase with the lantern flowers stands on our photo table. The back wall is a light table that illuminated the setup from behind.
From the front, I spotlighted everything with a flashlight with blue light.
In the photo editing, I only increased the saturation of the red tones.
Canon EOS R7 Sigma 105mm Macro f16 / 1.3 sec. ISO 100 ND filter
11 comments posted
I love this!
Very cool concept. I love the look.
I am curious how you spotlighted with a flashlight while moving your camera. I am also curious, did you have red and yellow flowers, or is the color difference due to the blue light?
I need to try this. Posted: 12/08/2024 16:39:23
Very cool concept. I love the look.
I am curious how you spotlighted with a flashlight while moving your camera. I am also curious, did you have red and yellow flowers, or is the color difference due to the blue light?
I need to try this. Posted: 12/08/2024 16:39:23
Sylvia, I'm glad you like the image and that I was able to give you an idea for your next one. Good question, how could I hold the flashlight? I was able to solve the problem easily, I clamped the flashlight into a napkin holder and directed the beam of light onto the lantern flowers. The blue light creates the colors and the shadows. Posted: 12/09/2024 09:27:54
Sabine, I really like the soft soothing color tones that clearly define the flower blossoms, stems and vase. I like the separation created from the pink background and yellow at the bottom of your photo, creating more interest. This is a great impressionist image that would look great framed and hanging on your wall.
I am curious to know if you took this photo with one continuous movement with settings as you describe, or were multiple single photographs taken with the same settings and then combined into your final image. Very nice photo.
Posted: 12/09/2024 16:40:25
I am curious to know if you took this photo with one continuous movement with settings as you describe, or were multiple single photographs taken with the same settings and then combined into your final image. Very nice photo.
Posted: 12/09/2024 16:40:25
Jim, Thank you very much for your comments. I have also considered framing the image and hanging it on the wall.
The settings are the data from the camera, it's one movement and one image. As I wrote, it took a lot of attempts before I got the right movement at the right time with the right distance and filter. Then there was also a bit of luck involved. Posted: 12/09/2024 19:43:23
The settings are the data from the camera, it's one movement and one image. As I wrote, it took a lot of attempts before I got the right movement at the right time with the right distance and filter. Then there was also a bit of luck involved. Posted: 12/09/2024 19:43:23
Sabine, The softness of Lantern Flower is very soothing. The colors give it an airy feeling while the dark vase adds dimension. Thank you for detailing your painterly photography process. It's on my list to try along with your flashlight tricks. This is a great fine art piece. Posted: 12/13/2024 22:55:18
Yvonne, Thank you for your comments. Have fun lighting up with the flashlight. (Mine has the colors green, blue, red and white, by the way). Posted: 12/16/2024 20:06:01
This photo does, indeed, look like a painting. It's got that watercolor sort of vibe to it. The soft lighting and colors used work well together. I agree with others that this could be hung on a wall. Very nice. Posted: 12/15/2024 20:11:52
Randy, Many thanks for your comments. Posted: 12/16/2024 20:08:22
I am reminded of an art class I wherein we cut shapes from colored tissue paper and then glued them to a background with a diluted glue to give the piece a stained-glass look. The colors would blend/bleed a bit just like your photo. I'm especially intrigued by the vase which is blue, blue/green, purple -- all at once. Fascinating technique! Love all of the various shifts and changes digital provides! Posted: 12/16/2024 19:22:22
Thank you very much for your comments, Douglas. I know what you mean by the technique you describe. We worked with tracing paper.
By the way, I had only bought the vase the day before because I liked the turquoise. Posted: 12/16/2024 20:15:38
By the way, I had only bought the vase the day before because I liked the turquoise. Posted: 12/16/2024 20:15:38
Hi Sabine, This is such a lovely image! The soft pink background creates a beautiful contrast with the flowers, and the painterly effect adds a unique, artistic touch. I especially appreciate how the flowers seem to flow and blend together in a way that evokes a sense of movement, almost like an abstract impressionist painting. The technique you've used is really impressive, and the way the camera movement captures the essence of the flowers in such an expressive way is fantastic.
I also find the lighting choices to be quite effective. The combination of the backlighting from the light table and the blue spotlight creates an ethereal, almost dreamlike atmosphere that complements the painterly effect. The slight increase in red tones during editing adds warmth and richness, enhancing the overall mood.
The yellow tones in the image are especially striking. The faint yellow shadow of the flowers adds depth and dimension, and the yellow accents in other parts of the image contribute to a soft, warm glow that unifies the composition beautifully.
It's clear that you've put a lot of effort into perfecting this technique, and the results are stunning. I'd love to know where I can take this course, as I'm really intrigued by the concept of painterly photography. Great job, and I look forward to seeing more of your work!
Best,
Linda Posted: 12/19/2024 17:07:58
I also find the lighting choices to be quite effective. The combination of the backlighting from the light table and the blue spotlight creates an ethereal, almost dreamlike atmosphere that complements the painterly effect. The slight increase in red tones during editing adds warmth and richness, enhancing the overall mood.
The yellow tones in the image are especially striking. The faint yellow shadow of the flowers adds depth and dimension, and the yellow accents in other parts of the image contribute to a soft, warm glow that unifies the composition beautifully.
It's clear that you've put a lot of effort into perfecting this technique, and the results are stunning. I'd love to know where I can take this course, as I'm really intrigued by the concept of painterly photography. Great job, and I look forward to seeing more of your work!
Best,
Linda Posted: 12/19/2024 17:07:58