Broccoli Bonzai Ikebana

Gallery: FloraPosted December 31, 2012129 views14 comments

Today I see folks are reaching back to post personal favorites before the end of 2012, here's one I took two years ago right after a course in portrait photography at a local community college.

I was into studio lighting at the time and used a main light and "hairlight" on this set up in my little studio. Pentax K100D Super (6MP) at 200 ISO (lowest) and f/14, using a Pentax f/1.4 lens.

The bowl was made by my wife, Carol Green, who has been doing ceramics and metals for many years but had just recently gotten into slumped glass.

Happy New Year to everyone who participates on this wonderful forum, unique among photo forums, in my experience. I'm fortunate to have found you all. Looking foward to a great 2013 for us all.

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by Eirini Pajak on December 31, 2012 at 1:19 PM

John, I hope you don't mind, but I can't help finding this humorous :) It makes me feel a little hungry!

Registered on December 13, 2011, 216 Posts, 1671 Comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on December 31, 2012 at 1:24 PM

John, I hope you don't mind, but I can't help finding this humorous :) It makes me feel a little hungry!

I don't mind at all, Eirini. It is good to know that you like broccoli -- it is probably one of the most nutritious foods; a member of the cabbage family, I think, but with much more nutritional value.

The other thing I would say is that from my perspective today, and even back then, I could see a number of inadequacies in the final result. But the great thing about photographing food, I think, is that we can eat our mistakes.

And that is exactly what we did just after taking this image.

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 31, 2012 at 1:36 PM

John: As the all time leading commenter on NPN I must tell you that this is the first time I have commented on broccoli! And it looks pretty darn good to me. Of course I like broccoli so I'm afraid I would tend to eat the subject instead of photograph it but I commend your restraint and effort. Happy New Year to you; you've been a very nice addition to the gallery and I look forward to your work in 2013. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Cothran on December 31, 2012 at 2:04 PM

Nice lighting and set up. Where's the Keebler's elves?

Registered on December 5, 2012, 31 Posts, 730 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on December 31, 2012 at 3:00 PM

"But the great thing about photographing food, I think, is that we can eat our mistakes."

This is pretty cool, John. Nicely arranged. The stalks look like miniature trees.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on December 31, 2012 at 3:19 PM

I like this John. Good lighting to bring out the textures but avoid harsh shadows. But in all honesty it's the opalescence in the bowl that I find most interesting and I think your lighting supports that.

Happy New Year to you too. I'm looking forward to your images and thoughtful comments in the coming year.

pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on December 31, 2012 at 4:15 PM

Thanks for the comments, everyone. As for the Keebler Elves, if you look closely at the larger view, you will see one peeking out from between the stalks (assuming, of course, you have sufficient imagination); And as for the opalescence, I'll definitely tell Carol that was duly noted and appreciated, relative to the broccoli.

May 2013 be our lucky year

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on December 31, 2012 at 8:36 PM

Questions: If this is an ikebana, will you hang the image in your tokonoma? Would you then call the hanging a broccenomo ? Are those green things jelly beans?

For those unfamiliar with Japanese flower arrangement, this is correctly called an ikebana, being a triangle delineated by three main points.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Holly Morris on December 31, 2012 at 10:53 PM

Very interesting...looks as if it's floating. I'm not so fond of broccoli, but just about any food photographer would like it! Did you know that in most food commercials, advertisements, "real" food is not used?
HollyMorris

Registered on October 9, 2012, 66 Posts, 112 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on January 1, 2013 at 2:54 AM

Love this unique image...very creative on both your parts. Happy new year to you, too.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on January 1, 2013 at 2:55 PM

Ha, ha, excellent.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on January 1, 2013 at 10:34 PM

Hi John:
This has all the elements of an Ikebana arrangement: unusual material, asymmetry, complementary container

Good lighting especially for the hairlight.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 6, 2013 at 6:04 PM

I find your notes informative & interesting, well presented John.
I especially like the lights look with its added 3D effect.. I can see why someone said it made them hungry.
This looks like you could reach out a grab a bite

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by John Clulow on January 6, 2013 at 6:17 PM

Welll, thank you all so much for commenting on this trivial and capricious image from a few years ago that arose out of boredom.

I think my take-away will be the following quote from a very smart man who used it as his signature...
.
"Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" ~ Albert Einstein

and if I could add to that: I think phogograpy is a good start folks. It's a way into how to start looking. Every journey begins wint a first step. Photography can be that first step.

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments