Wendy Blomseth: PhotoPoet

Saturday, April 7, 2018

#9 Tulip Series 2018

And in the end, the tulip stems lose their strength, the petals fall and the series ends.

Oh, black and white imagery, how I still do love thee.

I fell in love with black and white film photography back in 1976 when I discovered and fell madly in love with the work of Edward Weston (1886 - 1958). http://www.artnet.com/artists/edward-weston/

Even though I'm photographing 100% digital image capture and 95% color these days I'd like to think I will always see images as though I'm creating for black and white film developing.

#7 Tulips Series 2018

#7 Tulips Series 2018 for Scott W.

Thanks to the creative adjustments one can make with photo apps on our mobile devices a portrait that was perfect in its original form can be adjusted and customized to convey a different mood and message within a matter of minutes.

While continuing to enjoy the pleasure of my creative moment I read on social media that the father of a friend of mine (Scott) had passed away unexpectedly, less than a year after he had lost his mother and his precious dog Lucy.

I felt compelled to take this portrait and adjust it so it felt more translucent, less substantive, more mysterious and ghost-like. I added a few words and sent the message with sincere condolences to Scott and his family.

#6 Tulips Series 2018

Words cannot describe the magical discovery of new spring light coming in from a south window that has been dark for months. It is nothing less than magical.

A magnetic force pulled me toward the window to admire the light, feel the warmth of the sunlight and notice the shadows coming through the sheer curtains.

The light felt fresh and new while conversely, you could see that the tulips were starting to lower their stems, losing their strength and beginning to let go of a petal or two when they were moved, less than gently.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

#5 Tulips Series 2018

Before running off to work these tulips forced me to stop and admire the soft morning light and the sweet shades of gray embracing them, from curtains on the left and right and the shadow falling behind them on the wall.

Who could resist?

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

#4 Tulips Series 2018

I arrived home from work and saw that there was enough late afternoon light to create this still life before it was too late and the light would be gone.

Quickly pulled a pashima shawl off a chair and some poetry books off a nearby shelf and created this portrait.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

#3 Tulips Series 2018

Simple. Quiet. Elegance. Black. White. Gray. Light. Shadow. Texture.

All this spoke to me in a matter of seconds and prompted me to create this still life.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

#2 Tulips Series 2018

#1 of Tulips series

#1 of Tulips Series 2018

What does a good photographer (me) do when guests arrive with beautiful tulips wrapped in a ribbon?

She invites the friend's daughter, Audrey to help her pick out a pretty vase, arrange the flowers (quickly) and finally to create a still life portrait of the flowers together on the iphone.

And so began a week long connection with these beautiful tulips as the flowers changed, aged and eventually dropped their petals. Bittersweet friendship that ended too soon.

Gifted Tulips Inspired a Video and 7 Days of Images

On the eve of Easter 2018 dear friends of ours arrived with a sweet bouquet of tulips. Strangely, this year I had intentionally chosen not to buy tulips and simply bought a mixed assortment of flowers with gerber daisies and more.

Little did I know that those tulips and I were going to have a deep connection over the next seven days that resulted in some of my best images thus far in 2018 and creation of a short video:

"One Subject
Photographed Over Seven Days"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNQBWOBUg8Y

Photos to follow in chronological order.