summerspot
Thistle (Karl Blossfeldt emulation)
pro97: Karl Blossfeldt emulation assignment
WIT: I’ve gained a new appreciation for photography of plant material, and nature. Blossfeldt’s photographs are amazing. They reminded me that much of what we encounter in the art world has its roots in nature. Blossfeldt’s photos can be studied in terms of aesthetics (shapes and forms of plant material), artistic presentation (Blossfeldt’s photography), and botany. One could think he traveled to exotic places to gather these plants, but it appears most of them were from Germany and central Europe. He was definitely a one of a kind photographer, artist, and teacher.
Like Blossfeldt, I photographed several local specimens, nothing store-bought. The variety and quality weren’t too great this time of year. Still, most plant samples made for interesting subjects. In the end I decided to go with a noxious weed, the much-hated thistle. I put the stem in play-dough (sort of like Blossfeldt did here) and photographed the dried-out plant next to the window, using a white sheet for the background.
Among my favorite KB photos are this and this, and this one because it looks so human. But it’s hard to pick favorites. Each photograph contributes.
100mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO-1600, uncropped
Thistle (Karl Blossfeldt emulation)
pro97: Karl Blossfeldt emulation assignment
WIT: I’ve gained a new appreciation for photography of plant material, and nature. Blossfeldt’s photographs are amazing. They reminded me that much of what we encounter in the art world has its roots in nature. Blossfeldt’s photos can be studied in terms of aesthetics (shapes and forms of plant material), artistic presentation (Blossfeldt’s photography), and botany. One could think he traveled to exotic places to gather these plants, but it appears most of them were from Germany and central Europe. He was definitely a one of a kind photographer, artist, and teacher.
Like Blossfeldt, I photographed several local specimens, nothing store-bought. The variety and quality weren’t too great this time of year. Still, most plant samples made for interesting subjects. In the end I decided to go with a noxious weed, the much-hated thistle. I put the stem in play-dough (sort of like Blossfeldt did here) and photographed the dried-out plant next to the window, using a white sheet for the background.
Among my favorite KB photos are this and this, and this one because it looks so human. But it’s hard to pick favorites. Each photograph contributes.
100mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO-1600, uncropped