In the process of relocating the home studio and needing a break, thought I would attempt a studio setup in our cavern of moving boxes to attempt a demonstration video. Winter light under fog and interior light were exceptionally poor. To avoid breaking in (photo-bombing) the camera's view, in this tight space, I was compelled to sit at a very awkward 45-degree angle to the canvas surface.
Squeezed between over two dozen boxes, two exercise machines, and more,
I worked the surface at a tight 45-degree angle to stay clear of the camera.
Intentionally chose an untraditional, non-black backdrop, with a buff ground, whole-plant view.
Appreciating early to mid-century expressionism, I approached the subject with heavy brushwork.
The surface is thickly coated with multiple layers of paint applications.
So unsatisfied with painterly results, I am not hopeful I will salvage film footage.
After filming, I dramatized lighting and added seasonal lemons next to the subject.
FILM TIPS
A few things to consider when setting up an armature home film space:
1. Charge all device batteries before setting up.
2. Consider having two identical cameras, one for shooting and another for tests.
3. Choose an area with a plain/blank background that will not distract from subject.
4. Position cameras over your less dominant hand's side for unobstructed capture of brushwork.
5. Have adequate 3-tone (blue, yellow, white) lighting/lights, to position, as needed.
6. Position the camera as square as possible to the surface.
7. On same or an additional camera, include view of the palette.
8. Film at or just below viewer's eye-level.
9. Execute a test run and review the test before committing to the entire project.
10. Have more run/film time available than you believe you will need.
11. Check equipment, aperture viewpoint, and set, at every break to maintain consistency.
12. Take breaks/cut for easier data download/upload management and editing.
POINSETTIA
A perennial shrub that w
ill grow 10-15 feet tall, the Poinsettia originated from Mexico and is referred to as La Flor de la Nochebuena (Flower of the Holy Night, or Christmas Eve). In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the Poinsettia was called Cuitlaxochitl (from cuitlatl, for residue, and xochitl, for flower), meaning "flower that grows in residues or soil."In the United States, Poinsettias are named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who introduced the plant to the United States in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician, and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett sent cuttings of the plant he found in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person.
Colored parts of Poinsettias are actually colored bracts (modified leaves). The bract colors are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. On the other hand, once Poinsettias finish that process, the plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color. The yellow flowers, or cyathia, are in the center of the colorful bracts. The plant drops its bracts and leaves soon after the flowers shed their pollen. For the longest-lasting Poinsettias, choose plants with little or no yellow pollen showing. Utilizing pruning and forcing (causing greater bract yields), a Poinsettia is estimated to thrive for three or more years.
Poinsettias are not poisonous. Botanically, the plant is known as
Euphorbia pulcherrima. Many plants in the
Euphorbiaceae family ooze a milky sap. Some people with latex allergies have had a skin reaction (most likely to the sap) after touching the leaves.
