HOW TO STYLE A PHOTOGRAPH?

TOP 5 IN FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC VOICE

This time I go with a very important matter in photography. Style. How can we create our own? How can we find our own voice?

I've been thinking this a lot after having a food photography workshop last weekend. It was a great fun but same time it was very obvious that we all see things very differently. Achieving the goal you need the creative process and that might not be easy to teach. Nowadays I think creative process is a very personal and you need to work it from your own perspective and experience. You also have to be ready to work - pure work - with the different kind of things like colors, textures, angles, techniques, compositions, shapes, materials, light - the list is quite long and for me it was quite hard because I did not like tabletop photographing at all. No, I did not.

I liked to photograph people. But years went by and I started this gretchen gretchen blog 2012. This was a free space to make whatever I wanted. I could build my pics of things I liked. My vintage treasures. I think that was the key holder for me. Freedom to work when I wanted and style with things I liked. I started to enjoy playing with things in photos. But I have worked a lot and I still need a constant work to develop my skills. 

When we are talking about style - we also talk about a matter of taste. How can you teach a good taste? What is the good taste? We also have to remember that our mind doesn't stop. Everything developes and by the time we recognize that something has happened we have taken many steps to different directions and finally we have chosen the one that really makes us happy and content. You could call that your style. 100% proud of your work even though it's not perfect. So I could say that you can't teach a style to anyone without help of the person's perspective and experience. You can teach how you do it but really finding a style and the voice of your own you need to process on your own - learning by doing, researching and finding your creativity and artistic voice.

Style and your voice is very fundamental but there are plenty more to learn same time like composition, lightning, colors, shapes...but don't worry, if you just start working - you will get closer everytime. And yes, you are creative. You just have to wake up the process.

Here are my Top 5 how to begin.

LOOK OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK

Pinterest, books, magazines etc. Look totally different kind of things. If you are interested about photographing food, please go and see fine art from beginning of 1800's or else. Everything is connected.

WORK 

There is not easy way. Trying, working, trying, working. Learning by doing. I know it sounds flat but can't help it.

CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT

Make your workspace very comfortable and bring there things you like and you get inspired by.

RELAX

Let things happen. Don't force it. You won't get great work done everytime. It doesn't matter. More important thing is that you work.

MUSIC

For me music is very important when I'm creating things. Make different kind of creative music lists. Let it flow. 

Most of all - have fun!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. If you want to see what we did last weekend in food photography workshop, you will find them in Instagram #10ruoka #työhuoneovi10

White and Blue - Danish influence - My new ceramics

It's the season of working with ceramics again. The course is on every Monday evening. After the summer vacation it was great to start with clay again. This autumn I want to try some new colors and because I'm a great fan of Danish style I chose white and blue.I will continue with my pastel circus too but it is always great to play with new things.

Many years ago I lived in Copenhagen for a few months. That time changed my style of decorating home. I was amazed of Danish people's homes. Families kept their curtains open even in the evenings. You could take a walk and pass by so many living rooms where people were eating, drinkin, smoking happily together. In Finland we tend to close curtains in the evenings to keep our privacy...well danes definitely didn't mind the audience. 

DIY - lighting with wood and diamond touch

Dear reader, 

We have a new light in our bedroom. We made this light together. I found wood balls from shop that has a lot of old treasures. From there we also bought an old potato masher that my husband transformed to be a cover of the lamp holder. I love the feeling of wood and simplicity with beautiful shape of light. We have there also a diamond - a halogen bulb made by Eric Themer. I bought the bulb last winter...but it always takes some time to make things ready - or what do you think?

wood balls had a little bit too small holes so we drilled them a little bit bigger

that we could use them on power cord

product box design is beautiful

Have a creative beginning of the week!

xo

Kreetta

Is It Vintage - Emilia

I'm telling you again about Raija Uosikkinen and Arabia. You know me. I love vintage and good design in old tableware. Design is Emilia. It is made in 1950's and it's decoration was inspired by Raija Uosikkinen's aunt's life in America. 

My cup is missing the plate and it's also a little bit broken. I got it with very cheap price at one flea market. I think this cup is sweet with delicate charm. 

Usually I like to photograph in daylight - aren't we all - but this time I decided to photograph late in the evening. Or actually it was almost twelve o'clock at night. I wanted to use light what we have here in Finland this time of the year. Amazing light.

I was making also ice cream but it's not in the cup, as you see...I ate it already. Have to do a new one and photograph it!

There's something magical in this light.

xo

Kreetta