The Locket

The Locket ©2013 - I picked up the pitcher in this piece a couple of months ago at a local estate sale with the intent on using it in a possible still life.  I was attracted by the wonderful texture created by the tarnish and wearing away of the silver plate.  Looking around my house, the next addition was a vintage solid metal banjo ukelele produced by the "Dixie" company circa 1930's.  Having been born in Georgia, the "Dixie" name prompted memories of my sister, Amy who was still living there when she passed away from cancer in 2003.  I purchased the little box the pitcher is on during one of our last antique shopping trips together.  The locket was my last Christmas present to her and contains both our photos.  The beautiful crow I captured on a recent trip to Princeton, NJ and knowing how they love shiny objects, thought he would be perfect to hold the chain.  The background texture from my basement floor and the fruit for just a touch of warm color completed "The Locket".

Behind the Wall

I love the texture of peeling paint and crumbling concrete and this old building had an abundance of both. It's so sad and beautiful at the same time. The figure in the doorway is from a vintage photo I came across awhile ago but never found the right place to use him until now.

Hallowed Ground

"Hallowed Ground" is a montage created from a photo session I did recently with friend and model Mary Anne Christiano. My plan was to photograph her in a local cemetery to make use of the beautiful old trees and architecture of the mausoleums. Luckily, I took a variety of test shots prior to our session because we were rained out that day and had to do the whole shoot indoors. I had Mary Anne pose with some of the locations in mind and I was able to montage the two images to get the composition I wanted. Worked out okay after all!