FLOWER WORKSHOP WEEKEND AT TYÖHUONE OVI 10

#FLORALARTNOW SATURDAY FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

© Photo by Pia-Mari Parkkinen Her beautiful flower arrangement #floralartnow

Last weekend we dived in the world of flowers. On Saturday we made a colorful flower arrangement and photographed it. On Sunday we went after beautiful flower photography. Beautiful flowers, moody and inspirational workspace and good food by talented and lovely cooking book author, cook, journalist Meri-Tuuli Väntsi. What else you need to have a perfect day? I will show you some pics from these two days. I was teaching the flowers and photography so did not use a lot of time to photographing but I was very surprised I found so many pics I can use in this post. 

Flower bar

The most important is ingredients. 

Help was truly needed and my lovely trainee Iisa was a great help.

There is a lot of work behind the flower workshops. Planning, informing, organizing, ordering the flowers and materials, prepping, cleaning, painting the backgrounds for photography, labeling, catering booking etc.

I love small surprises!

Few minutes before the workshop begins.

These ladies were totally focused on their flower arrangements.

There is perfection in imperfection.

Student's work. Flower arrangement by Anna.

I love to play with colors so I have plenty of colors that you can combine as you wish and want. I have chosen the flowers so that they go well together. You might not like all the colors, then you can leave them out and use the ones you really like.

Then you photograph the arrangement with your own camera or phone.

If you have used at least two hours to make the flower arrangement then you really should take a bit of time to photograph it too because when you take it with you it won't look exact the same when you arrive at your home. 

Flowers love dark and a bit chilly.

For me it's always been a kind of challenge to keep my cut flowers alive at home because we have a bit too warm. So what you can do to longer the life of cut flowers is you can put them to rest cooler place during the night and daytime never to direct sunlight if possible. 

We used a lot of tulips in my workshops and they were intentionally wide-open. I love how they show their inner beauty too. Of course they don't last so long anymore but when you make floral art you use flowers when they are the most beautiful and suitable for your art work. Then you also take a photo of it and you will always have your flower work with you.

#FLORALARTNOW SUNDAY FLOWER PHOTOGPAHY

We painted a background for our flower photo.

On Sunday we photographed flowers. We painted backgrounds for our photos by Annie Sloan chalk paints I got from Måla and More. Working with them was super easy and they dried quickly so we could use them during the same day.

Photographing demo

We went through very basics of photography. Aperature, shutter speed and iso numbers, these are the three things you have to learn that you can photograph in manual mode. You also have to photograph  in order to get better.

Such concentration

Two days went quickly and it was wonderful to meet all the lovely ladies during these 2 days. For me it's important that students takes something with them home and not only flowers but most importantly a bunch of good spirit and inspiration and day well spent.

Thank you!

When will be the next flower workshop? 

That is the question I have heard few times after these workshops. I work as a photographer and artist so these flower workshops are great combo with my daily work. But because I am co-working at the moment flower workshops with different companies I need to get more clear picture of the spring to schedule my own workshops. But I think if not before then in June. Send me an e-mail if you want to hear about these workshops by e-mail: kreetta.jarvenpaa@gmail.com or you can follow me in Instagram @kreettakreetta or Kreetta Järvenpää Photography FB page I will inform in these two what's happening in my flower world ;)

Have a sunny Sunday evening!

xoxo

Kreetta

KUKKA WORKSHOP

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT - CAN YOU USE IT WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS?

Familiar things. Comfort zone. For me going after artificial light with flowers was a big big question mark. For me flower photography has been all about natural light. But as I live in north - Finland - we really don't have much of the light during November, December or January either and I have to photograph then too. Yesterday we had the flower workshop at our workspace in the evening so I needed to try other options than natural light. I rented led light and here you can see the results.

Not bad. But not exactly the same at all. All these things are matter of the taste for sure. Many times there are not enough natural light or you really have to think where and when to photograph. With artificial light you are not depending at all from the giant big lamp above us. But still...

For us in kukka workshop it is important that people get a pic of their work before they leave the workshop. That is because of many reasons but the one is that the arrangement might not survive in it's beauty to student's home door.

It's also important to document the arrangement that you can get back to it and see how you develope your skills. By comparing pics of the flower arrangements together - it's easy to see. You don't need any high end camera. With this light you can shoot with smart phone too...ok, it's pro photography light and too expensive in home use and some troubles always with smart phones with right exposure but you can do it!

I just love to see student's work so it's very helpful to use certain hashtags and they are much easier to find like we use #kukkaworkshop

Beautiful textures, tones, lines, scents, colors, shapes, thickness, airiness, diagonals, contrasts and many more. When making a flower arrangement you are like an artist who just happen to paint with flowers. Sounds tempting? For me? Yeah!

Next flower workshops will be on 19-20th of November during the weekend and they are all about Christmas. We will be at Työhuone ovi 10 and we will use natural light as much it is possible.  So if you are planning to use camera take your tripod if you have one. I will make a biggest ever background for you with different shades of white. More information here in FB event.

Teachers: Florist Hanna Piippo @piippohanna Photographer and Artist Kreetta Järvenpää @kreettakreetta  Food: Health Coach Maia Söderlund @maiasgreenmedicine

Any questions?

See you there!

xoxo

Kreetta

KUKKA WORKSHOPS COMING UP IN OCTOBER

LEARNING NEW SKILLS

If ever - it's now.

After a very busy week I finally had a chance to play with these cuties. I bought them during this week and I was a bit of afraid they will be wilted before I have time to make something out of them.  I'm always a bit unsure when I begin with my flower arrangement. How about you?

But getting started makes my creative soul sing. It's flower therapy.

In love with details. Odd textures and forms. Colors and tones. Mixing them all together.

Just can't remember all the names of the flowers and plants. That is a bit annoying. Don't know if it's only my problem, haha.

Surely it takes sometime and I took pics while building the arrangement and went to computer few times to see if everything is just in the right place. Many times they weren't but now I think they are - surely could do better. I  was building the arrangement for the picture only so one side mattered.

I think the moment when you can say this arrangement is ready - no changes anymore - is the most hardest moment of all. I know I'm only on the way because it is still very hard to say: It's ready. But you know what they say 10 000 hours practise is needed to be a professional. Well, I hope it's less though...and do I have to be a pro? Anyway it is very very relaxing to work with flowers that is for sure and when you do it only for the camera you can break a lot of rules - that is so cool. Well, that is another story.

But if you like to learn how to make a luxurious,modern and relaxed flower arrangement, you should come to our Kukka workshop at työhuone ovi 10. I have invited talented florist Hanna Piippo to teach you the most beautiful flower arrangement on 13-14th of Oct and I will teach and help you with photographing the arrangement. Teaching is in Finnish. You can find more information about the workshop in Facebook event you can find here.

Come along!

Have a lovely Sunday! 

xoxo

Kreetta