For the love of the cottage favorite flower peonies that bloom late May and early June! Beautiful big blooms of baby pink and violet pink are bountiful in my Todd Creek Farm in Brighton, Colorado. I was inspired by the Old Masters of the Renaissance with using Rembrandt light for a dreamy romantic self portrait. This requires sophisticated lighting setup and advanced retouching skills to achieve a painterly portrait look that will look gorgeous professional printed on a museum canvas.
Fine Art Studio with Rembrandt Lighting for Heirloom Portraits
Styling: Styling the clothes are planned ahead of time to match the vision of this image a romantic, timeless and elegant feel with white and pink lace dresses and embroidery. This matches the textures and ripples of the peonies that have subtle layers.
Fine Art Education: The canvas background has a cloud blue, yellow and slight green to give a old world feel and a dreamy water color feel when the colors blend together when mixed with water. This is inspired by my experience and background in water color painting and to blend together in digital editing with the knowledge of graphic design skills.
Lighting: I use a 2 light setup with the lighting on the market Profoto. To make a photograph have depth, layers and old master feel you need to embrace the shadows that tell a story and add richness!
Retouching: I love cinematic background that has equal balance of dark and light to make the composition interesting. I expertly apply a dodge and burn technique that is similar to painting accentuating the areas in light and dark. In a portrait the people are the most important subject matter similar to actors on stage and they are the brightest part of the frame so your eyes focuses first on the emotion and love of the mother and daughters.
Connection: Emotion and expression are the most important aspect of an image to convey storytelling and to show the love of a mother for her daughters! I framed this image in my house and it’s heirloom that can be passed down through the generations! I hope when my daughters are adults they appreciate and take the time to smell the flowers and see the simple beauty of nature and to have the gratitude and appreciation! Lastly and most important that how much I love my daughters and they will have this love note keepsake!
Interesting Facts about Peonies
- Transplant: Peonies dislike being transplanted so much they will not bloom for 3 years! This requires a gardener to be patient but after 3 years time they will be rewarded with gorgeous pink blossoms with sweet perfume scent!
- Life Span: Peonies can live for 100 years! That means this flower can be enjoyed by multiple generations! Making them a symbol of longevity and prosperity in some cultures.
- Symbolism: Peonies are used in weddings because they symbolize romance with their beauty and full blooms!
- Fragrance: Many peony varieties have a delightful fragrance, ranging from sweet and floral to spicy and citrusy. The scent of peonies is often described as intoxicating and is highly prized in perfumery.
- Colors: Peonies come in a wide range of colors, including white, pink, red, coral, yellow, and even bi-color varieties. Some of the most sought-after colors are the rare coral and yellow peonies.
