Another Be Still assignment: Spoons.
Feeling uninspired. I seem to start off that way a lot, don’t I?
I don’t have a collection of unusual, old, or especially pretty spoons. Since my goal is to create my still lifes for the class without buying a lot of special props, I’ll just have to make do with my everyday ones. Actually, I love their simple design and that they can be put into the dishwasher without concern. They suit me to a — ahem, to a tea. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
Well, I like it, but it isn’t very exciting.
Just for fun, I processed the image with an app called Brushstroke.
Okay, that makes me happier. I’m still not fully satisfied, though.
A few days later, I thought I’d have another go, something completely different:
There are five generations of my family represented in this image. The little spoon is the one my babies learned to feed themselves with. (I still use it every day for sugar or jam.) The pink book is my own baby book, and the little china cup was my mom’s when she was a little girl. The Dresden Plate quilt was my grandma’s and was made by her mother, a great-grandmother I never knew. Grandma loved that quilt and used it on her bed til the end of her life. It’s been washed so many times that much of its pattern is in complete tatters.
I remembered too late that I was supposed to put something IN the spoons. Well . . . the first one holds a moment of stillness, time for a break in a busy day and a change of pace from the black and white world outside my windows. And the second? What this spoon is full of is memories . . . and love.
February 7, 2015 at 9:01 pm
Nice photos – stay warm, the tea will help.
February 7, 2015 at 9:06 pm
I love your spoons – and I love the everyday items we have, specially those with warm memories.
February 7, 2015 at 10:00 pm
Looks like you have some pretty special spoons after all! 🙂
February 8, 2015 at 2:42 am
So full of family history that to me is what photography should be all about…
February 8, 2015 at 7:10 am
I agree with Viv, I have a lot of stuff and I call it stuff around my house and I try very hard to not add more for this journey of still lifes. I really don’t need more clutter as I call it. I think you have a perfect setting here for the lesson and looks really inviting.
February 8, 2015 at 8:28 am
These photos and your words about special things is simply fantastic!! One of the best spoon posts I’ve read…each piece has a “heart”.
February 8, 2015 at 9:51 am
I love the depth of field in the second one, Leon. You bring my eye right to that pretty rose in the handle! I’m really enjoying your still-life explorations.
February 8, 2015 at 2:29 pm
Lee, these are just beautiful!
I especially love the last one.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, my friend. xo.
February 8, 2015 at 4:14 pm
Lee, I really like the first photo – it has exactly the right mood for me. Sitting at home, drinking tea, reading magazines and dreaming of spring. Lovely!
The last one – so sweet. Yes, that spoon holds a lot of love and memories – so beautiful!
February 8, 2015 at 6:35 pm
I like that – a spoonful of memories. I admire that you are working these assignments without buying any props – instead sharing the pieces of your existing life. Each one rings true.
February 8, 2015 at 8:30 pm
Wish I could have a cuppa with you!
February 8, 2015 at 11:29 pm
A spoonful of love! What could be better? I like both your images, but the second one has so much special meaning. I, too, am trying to just use stuff around the house for my still life series. It’s a bit more challenging sometimes, but that’s okay.
February 9, 2015 at 8:26 am
These are lovely and much more meaningful than if you’d gone out to buy the perfect prop! These are images you will keep as they are full of memories and your heart! We are alike in several ways. Every time I get the exercise I just draw a blank. Takes me several days for the idea to percolate. I’m also trying not to buy any more props. And, lastly, I almost used my children’s baby spoon, but couldn’t come up with anything to do with it! You, on the other hand, found the perfect composition!
February 9, 2015 at 2:25 pm
A spoon full of memories…that makes a nice photograph even more memorable!
February 10, 2015 at 4:22 pm
So many stories within that last story. Your kids’ spoon is just like our first silverware when we got married, except ours have a big “H” on them 🙂
February 12, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Beautiful! I love all these images, but that last one and your words just touched my heart.