White Wheat And Roses

Thanks Sharon! :-)

Thank you Sandy! How lovely that you’ve been able to renovate an old house….it’s quite the project isn’t it? But so much fun….especially once the work is done! In older homes I’ve always felt as you’ve said here….’at home’....and there’s just something about a place that has a history that gives it something special.

The background is one I’ve added. I set up the softbox on the floor and opened up the sides….basically just leaning it against the wall so I’d have a neutral background to start with and then I went from there.

Thank you so much K! The lovely thing about natural light is the way it can ‘play’ over the subject. It was actually the light on the floor as I was about to go down the stairs that gave me the idea for setting this up where I did. You just never know where the good light will be next! LoL

:D Thank you so much Dave! The background took a while to work out….now I’m just waiting to see if Carolyn notices what I put there for her. :)

Thank you SO much Blamo! I really appreciate that. :-)

Thank you Rose!! :-)

Thank you so much Gilberte! I start with a neutral background….usually grey, black or white….and then I start playing around with texture layers. Most of my backgrounds have 5 or 6 layers…some less, some more….and all at various opacities until I get the look I want. Then I start playing with filters and at that point I usually have to add light to different areas. It’s pretty much trial and error and it usually takes quite a few hours to get a background together. A challenge….but certainly one I enjoy! :-)

Thank you SO much Pat!! I’m always so happy when you like one of my photos! :-)

Smiling here Janis…yes it was an unusual gift for a teenager and it was because I was antique mad at that point and they knew it. I was much happier reading 19th century novels or going to antique fairs than I was doing the ‘normal’ teen things….something of a square peg I think. :-D

I didn’t paint the background in the sense of using a traditional brush. It was done in PS with (counting on my fingers here) 5 texture layers…the last layer was the roses which I laid over the background but only kept hints of it.
Oh…..and thank you very much!! :-)

Thank you Heather! :-)

Grinning Kathryn! The rest of the story with the jug and basin is that my parents saw how utterly thrilled I was with it and then gave me an old washstand for my birthday. It needed to be refinished so I learned furniture refinishing when I was 14….I was the only girl in my class that knew a French Polish was something other than a manicure! LoL When my grandparents realized how excited I got about these things they took me to an antique fair and bought me the matching ‘potty’ for this set. I was at that emotional stage in life and was so excited I was practically crying….my grandfather couldn’t believe it and told people about that for years. He got a lot of mileage out of that commode….and he only paid $4 for it!! :-D :-D

Thank you so much for your comment! :-)

Thanks Sylvia! :-)

Thank you so much Pat… I _really- value your opinion you know! :-)

Thank you so much Margaret… I really appreciate that comment! :-)

I am SO glad you like this Des. I really wasn’t sure about even posting it….I worked on it for so long I couldn’t really ‘see’ it any more. Thanks so much! :-)

LoL Lois! I hope you enjoyed your hot water!! :-D Thank you so much for such an enthusiastic comment!!!! :-D

Thank you so much Rosalie… I’m so glad you think the colours work well together!! :-)

Thank you Neville!!! I appreciate that comment very much! :-)

Thank you very much, kind Lorilee!! :-)

Taschja, I thank you for that comment!! I’ve already entered Enduring Roses so maybe this one will fit in another challenge sometime. :-)

Thank you so much Antanas! :-)

Janis, I wouldn’t have a clue how to actually paint a background….so in a way we’re in the same boat….:-D

Isn’t it interesting about English Lit….it either ‘gets you’ or it doesn’t. It ‘got me’ when I was pretty young and it’s had quite an influence on my taste I think. Have you found the same thing?

Black backgrounds are lovely Gilberte…I quite like them. I also like adding light to the backgrounds too though….it brings a different ‘feel’ to an image that I enjoy.

The work on the backgrounds does take me a while…..I imagine there are others who are more proficient and can do it faster than I do…but most of these pictures I’ve been posting do take anywhere from 6-12 hours of processing work. I’m such a turtle!! :-D

Sorry for the hit and run question Janis…yesterday was a very loooong day!!

Oh, you’ve made me smile with this. I know what you mean about reading the older works and then recommending them to others who aren’t as inclined toward them. :-) When you say you started young it seems as if so many people who are book lovers do get their start almost as soon as they learn how to read. It was that way for me too.

I go through phases with authors….when I find one I like I then either buy or borrow everything and read through them. One that really got my attention not too long ago was Somerset Maugham….I hadn’t read Of Human Bondage since I was teenager but picked it up again and then had to read all his novels. I loved them. Lately the computer and photography have really eaten into my reading time though!!!

Nice to meet another bookworm!! :-D

LoL LoL Lois! It’s hard to be eavesdropping on such a public discussion! :-D I LOVE Jane Austen….I fell in love with Darcy when I was 13…..and yes, Emma, Elizabeth and all the other characters really ARE like old friends aren’t they.

Thank you so much Orla!! Finding and organizing a composition for still life is a really interesting process….and it’s amazing how many times re-shooting is required I find. Lots of work but lots of fun!!

Thank you so much Myhand! :-)

Thanks Kathy! It’s been interesting to me to watch as styles and tastes have changed during the last decade or two…..whether photography or interior design, it’s all very contemporary. Quite beautiful and I love it but there’s something about hearkening back to an earlier time that’s so full of charm that it will always be a favourite style for me. I wonder if the upheavals of the economy and political times we’re in will make a change in the types of styles we see in the future.

Thank you so much Megan!! I’m really glad you like this….the jug and basin are so special to me so I’ve wanted to do a picture with them for a while.

Thank you so much Helmutk….for the comment and the favouriting! :-)

Ohhh…..thank you Kate!! You’ve really made me smile. :-)

Grinning here Janis….I’ve own literally thousands too. I finally had to weed them out and make some room but even keeping only my favourites still uses up a LOT of space. Sheesh, I haven’t read the Forsyte Sage for years but I still have it. Hadn’t thought of it for a long time so maybe it’s time for a re-read!! :-)

LoL LoL I’ve never heard that expression before Sandra!!! :-D Thanks….and take care of that nut! :-D

LoL Joanne!! You hid in your closet too? Oh my gosh, that really brings back memories. I did that all the time….that, as well as the flashlight under the covers thing! :-D

Thank you for this lovely comment about my photographs. I know my photographs tend to be a bit old fashioned and it was bothering me a bit for a while given the current tastes for the contemporary but all I can do is be true to my own tastes. I really appreciate what you’ve written very much!! :-)

Oh I’m smiling today!! Thank you so much for the feature Sandra….I’m just thrilled and so grateful. Yipppee!! :-D

Muchas gracias Cieloverde! Eres muy amable! :-)

Thank you so much micklyn!! That’s such a lovely comment and I really appreciate it! :-)

Awwww…..thanks Triple P!! I’m really glad you like it! :-)

Hi Jan….I’m coming out of my flu daze and just saw this. Thanks so much for that comment….now hopefully I can de-slush my brain and come up with some new compositions! :-D

Linda, what a supportive and encouraging comment. Thank you SO much! :-)

I’m so glad you think so Myhand! Thank you very much for this comment! :-)

Big grin here Svetlana…..thank you for making my day! :-)

I’m smiling at this Carolyn…I’m so glad you finally saw it because the background was designed with you in mind. Thank you so much for such a wonderful comment! :-D

Thank you very much Jonicool! I really appreciate that comment!! :-)

Thank you Hans!!! I’m so glad you think so….and I really appreciate the comment! :-)

Thank you Mark!! :-)