My first photo exhibit in the library

I was laying on my back basking in sun, disappearing in breeze and drowning in the intoxicating aroma of flowers. 
I rolled over, pushing hands into the water and looked –
expecting to see the reflection of mine, 
the reflection of sky, striped in white and blue,
the reflection of quietly shushing trees high above, 
the reflection of tiny plane-bug buzzing in the air, maybe. 
But instead I saw reflection of nothing. Nothing, as whiteness?
Or nothing, as darkness?
Neither. Just nothing. White blackness. 

For the first exhibit I chose the theme “Reflections”, as this is one of my favourite consistent photography subjects. Be it mirror reflections, sunshine reflected on the water surface or musing looking at a photo – I love discovering those moments, saving them in time and so far collected quite a lot in my archives.

Sometimes, the distorted reflection reveals more about the subject than its own original state. Sometimes, there is no reflection, neither distorted nor straight mirroring – just emptiness and white blackness. Often, the reflection is only what we want to see.

These are the prints that I selected for the exhibit.

Red Beak

STARRY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

WATER LILIES

CHICAGO

KALEIDOSKOPIC FLOW

GOBLETS

CANAL

THE POND

MEMORIES

A TREE

RADIANT SNOW

BLAZING SUNSET

ICICLE

CRYSTAL WAVES

GOLDEN CANAL

REFLECTED IN NEW

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

White Spring

Without knock,

Without warrant,

White Spring threw doors wide open,

Bursting into sudden silver flames..

Cracking Food Code.

I finally got the courage to attempt the food photography – one of the most mysterious and challenging (after portraiture) for me. As I thought, watching those videos where the whole crew of photographers, stylists and painters run around the table with dozen of dishes and props.  Of course, there is still that persistent element of lighting  – and, since I was told dozen times one should avoid by all means flash when working with food — that was in particular tricky. But I’m mainly talking about arrangements. Basically, what stylists are paid to do – for the commercials and fancy tv shows. What I had to improvise on my own.

It is not just about arranging the composition. It is playing with colour and taking into account all the nuances — light, props, table cloth, wrinkles, shadows, color of bowls and color of cups, plates and many more. I do not think in any way I succeeded in cracking even few of those dozen of different layers, but I’m actually satisfied with the result that I got. I thought I would end up with much worse photos.

I’m excited to mention Sushi Couture, that trusted me to play with their food — which was, by the way, exceptional in the taste and presentation. Hopefully next time I’ll bring on something new and jump onto the next level of this mouthwatering photographic experience:)

It takes around 5 minutes to set up the composition: either chopsticks fall from the plate, meanwhile soup settles down and one has to stir it again, then the lighting changes its angle and… start all over again:)

Cheesecake — I felt it was asking for the plate with interesting color pattern, right? The simplicity is powerful itself, but with just a slight touch up/twist you can emphasize even more the beauty of that simplicity.

And finally, few moments to relax and sip a cup of strong coffee and have a bite of that very cheesecake!

Abstrakziya

I love spotting perfect geometrical shapes and forms in the environment — lines, symmetrical and asymmetrical natural designs.

Once, sipping a wine in a Niagara vineyard under harsh sunlight — one of those that make every photograph look so sharp and clean, almost unreal — beautiful ornaments came out of shadows and patio table..

Sometimes, even such ordinary environments like business centres, banks and government buildings offer interesting interior design concepts, which when recycled in photoshop can bring amazing abstracts.

And, finally, I cannot omit one of my favourite filter ‘toys’, whose prism creates new, texturing worlds of four moons and floating traffic lights … 🙂

Street Lights of Memory Path

There is something nostalgic about that captured moment of reflections’ maze– as if the street lights of memory start to turn on, one by one..

Dispersed Imagery

I wanted to write about the work that is swallowing me like a vacuum cleaner sucking down tiny item forgotten on the surface. I wanted to write about not having any time (or strength) to nurture my artistic freestyle side which was heavily pressed down by newly acquired career path. I even wanted to challenge myself and write something complete opposite to the state of my mind (about Ballet, surprise-surprise). Probably I much needed light, delicate, feather-like feeling this dance form offers. Well, next time the light will get through the tunnel of consciousness.

But instead I’m just dispersing in the air, and words fade away as soon as they touch a tongue. Thoughts are dissolving in the air, as if there was some chemical reaction between them and dusted reality.

So I’m just sharing my photographs, which, by the way, are expressing my Imagery Hiatus at their best this time.