Monday, March 01, 2010

Time for Tea - Final Version

I think.

I am an amateur photographer.  I was reading a couple of books on lighting, and I had never done a still-life before.  I'd been kicking this idea around in my head for an inspiring "Tea Party" poster, and eventually came up with this one.  Bought an old silver tea pot at a flea market and the cup & saucer from Ebay.  Printed the custom tea bag label from the computer.  I'd already had the little Liberty Bell.   The candle holder came from my wife's collection.   The glasses are mine, and the book is not actually The Federalist Papers.  The modern copy I have just didn't fit the mood of the photo.  So I stenciled the title on the back of an old, worn, red novel I picked up at a flea market.  This photo is now blown up to a 20x16 and lives on our living room wall.

Got the candle light to reflect the title.  This way, I don't have to use the "blue" pen light and the cover retains its redness. I killed the "key" light altogether and lit it from behind a sheet behind me.

3 comments:

Mother Effingby said...

I'm just starting to get into photography, and this is just exquisite! The whole composition works beautifully, and really conveys the idea you were aiming for. Well done.

philmon said...

Thank you, Jewel! You're a sweetheart to notice!

Van Harvey said...

That is an excellent photo.
If you've got a larger version, I'd love to have it.