Tips for Momtographers - What if?

Yesterday, I had to make my usual errand runs which of course, always includes a trip to the Walls-mart. Right inside the front door, there's a bin where they keep the discounted flowers, and as I walked in the door, I saw an older lady carrying a bouquet of tulips.

Stellar idea!

So, I bought myself a bouquet of tulips too. It was easy since they were pink and all, and the fact that I've been a little obsessed with spring lately. I can't help it. I'm itching for warmer weather.

So I bring it home, and decide that I should take a photo, the pink is so pretty. Here's a normal photo that I would have taken:

Please note the dish strainer in the background.
Thank you.


Then I picked up the vase, set it on the counter in that 5 p.m. light that burns my left cornea during late Jan, early Feb each year. This is because it streams perfectly through my dining room window into my EYE.

I'm surprised I don't have a walking cane and dark glasses...

or curtains.


ANYWAY...
The light hit the flowers and I said "what if?"

What if I shot up, into the light, letting the light flare across the lens.

What if I took a photo of just one tulip, hanging down into the light? Expose the background, so the tulip is just a silhouette.

What if I took a photo of the tulip from a different angle? This being the bottom of the tulip base, and the petals cast an unusual shadow across the inside of the tulip.

{Note: I just found out yesterday that some photographers use this method to create shadows on 3rd party objects... referred to as a cookie. Not like the one you eat, or the one that tracks every move you make on the internet.}

What if I let the petals play second fiddle to a leaf? This pretty little leave had the cutest little curl. Forget the petal, that gets all the glory. But you still know what you're looking at, even tho the leaf is taking center stage.

And what if you just get a little weird, and layer some texture on top? Fade the photo 15% to make it look more vintage. Hate it? No worries, there's no wrong if you're just playing and saying "what if".

My point?
Well, look at your subject (be it a flower, a toddler or your cat, whatever) and think "what would happen if I would do this completely different?" What's the worst that could happen? You delete some duds?


** As an aside, I'd like to note that all that flare is real. I know, I have no right cornea now either as proof. Not that I would ever *fake* flare. Not me.
I never do stuff like that.

You know.

Just sayin.