What things make up your life?
Yesterday afternoon, I had enormous fun foraging for random objects from my real life (honestly, these were all collected from around my home, except the flowers which were brought along) to make a stunning 'flat-lay' style portrait for The Residents with the talented Yvette Edwards.
I am officially, for the record, a major fan of Yvette Edwards. Yvette Edwards is a UK florist, who has settled in New Zealand. She also has a blog she co-founded called 'Well Travelled Bride' (Yvette does lots of Weddings) and a bespoke florist and flower subscription business, on top of styling for businesses and events, like the exciting and lush cover of the 2016 Wellington on a Plate brochure. I'm telling you, she's ONE BUSY LADY.
Yvette kindly agreed to give me a hand to set up the above photo and I have to say, I'm thrilled by the results. All the objects are from my life and the background is my living room table (sorry to spoil the mystery folks).
Some key tips:
- Size matters, find a mix of small and large items.
- Don't pick too many things with reflective surfaces as they will show the camera back at you (there's a tiny portrait of me in there - can you see it?)
- Think about the frame size - for Facebook or Twitter headers, you will need to make your image long and narrow.
- Pick things you like!
The typewriter was a present from my parents when I was 17 (mainly for decorative purposes but it does work!); the point and shoot camera is one a friend lent me recently; the Unity Books card is from my wallet; the costume jewellery pearls are from my mum; the mini-gin is from my friend Chris Reid who makes Reid+Reid Gin (who ACTUALLY was also my 7th form ball date); the lipstick is Dior and from my handbag; the cup was from my kitchen; sequins were from a new top (spares in that little plastic bag that came with it); the paintbrush was my own and the pear was in my handbag (I ate it at the end). Oh and the mini gold lion is one that was hand painted from a $2 shop toy from when I once made terrariums with my friends on Valentines Day.
We took heaps of shots but this is what we came up with.
There you go! What do you think? What things would you chose to represent life for you?
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Surrealism at Te Papa is where it’s at this winter with these wonderful events…!