Cookie sheets and other stuff....

I'm always searching around for new ideas to use in Photography. I found a Lego photographer on IG that used an old cookie sheet to 'make' a pond for his Legos to go swimming in. He set it in his wife's garden and shot some amazing photos that I swore were shot in a real pond.

My old sheets have been abused and marked up for years. I purchased new nice cookie sheets for the gal that loves to make hubby cookies on her Respite days.

I took the old ones and spray painted them black glossy. I would have preferred flat black, but I didn't have that.

I picked some Lily of the Valley flowers and Bleeding Hearts and stuck them in a tiny vase. I used one cookie sheet for the background. The second sheet was put flat underneath.

This is how the set up looked before I brought out the Lensbaby SOL 22 lens and shot the photo above. I actually was surprised at how much I liked the extra reflections brought about by the glossy paint.

The 3 days of cold rain, I was stuck inside which allowed me to do some indoor work. 

So. Hmmm. What if I tried to make a pond indoors for my toys to play in?

It ended up being easy to 'make' the pond and set it up. Photographing it so their were 'water reflections' was a bit harder.

But....

And of course, with the black background it seems a bit dark...but it worked!!! Now I know I can take this 'pond' out on the porch or into a flower garden to do the same thing.

But just one 'pond' shot is not enough. I had to get Glenda out in her Kayak and see if she'd like a spin through the pond.

I had to dry out the moss afterward, but gosh, it sure was a fun experiment. I could have worked harder with the lighting but I didn't do anything but use what was coming through the windows. 

I like to find the simplest way to photograph my projects. I didn't use the Lensbaby lens for these shots as I wanted most of the scenes clear and concise.

The day before it started to rain Charlie and I took a walk through my favorite forest 'next' door to see what the loggers had been up to.

I won't lie. I actually shed a tear when I saw this.

The loggers take the straight tree trunks and leave the tops lay where they fall. This particular spot is a place where I started my quest for local wildflowers in 2009. At the base of an ancient oak I found my very first Blood Root and the search began for wildflowers from March to first frost that year. All the flowers were photographed on my land or this 600 acres. 

I carefully logged the date and place I found each wild plant and flower. I spent hours studying the Wildflowers of Wisconsin and Great Lakes Region.  I did this without Google Lens and without the internet. 

That was the second year I worked as a Security Officer at an old Nuclear Facility  as it was being decommissioned.

It kept me busy on those overnight shifts and weekends when there was not much traffic in and out of the plant.

I made a photobook with notes for myself at the end of the year. It was one of the most satisfying projects I've ever done. I walked the land surrounding my cottage each day and learned to recognize places by the trees.

And now? My trees [not really my trees] have been taken down and the landscape has changed drastically.

I thought to myself, how can I use this? 

Of course, I can work it into my Princess Sara Saga. After all, most all the photos for this on and off again story occur in this forest.

Remember the Rock Monsters who stole the Magical Dragon Egg and hid it? They were going to open the egg and kill the Legendary baby dragon and steal the magic for themselves.

Princess Sara and the Forest People along with others had been assembling an army to save the Egg ....

Of course the Rock Monsters want to make things harder. So they are blowing up Trees and terrorizing the Forest to ward off Princess Sara's army.

[Well, that's how I imagine things anyway.]

The beauty of the forest may be diminished for now but with all the fallen logs and branches, I imagine new worlds of moss and fungi will grow and be out there to explore.

Even with all of the mess, I was able to find wildflowers blossoming and defying the ruin of the trees.

I'll be home for the Holiday Weekend, we don't generally go anywhere on bit holidays. We'll leave that to everyone else.