Craig Roderick
Photography
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It has been said that Flowers are Mother Nature’s fireworks. The same can be said for lightning, but we prefer the serenity of flowers as photographic subjects. It is also said that we look but we do not see. We believe this to be particularly true with flowers. A passing glance reveals brilliant colors, shapes as diverse as nature herself, and movement in outdoor environments. But, when we take the time to examine a single bloom, texture, structure, and the individuality of each bloom is seen, perhaps for the first time. The inherent distractions of backgrounds in natural environments can hamper appreciation for what can be seen with careful observation. For that reason we photograph our subjects in a studio against black backgrounds. By removing all distractions, focus is directed to the intricacies of the flower.
We use a technique called light painting to illuminate our subjects. LED flashlights are used to project pure white light from different directions. Flashlight technique is critical. Intensity, duration, and direction all impact the final image. The camera is on a tripod and cannot move as multiple exposures are taken. With each exposure light is projected from a different direction. As many as 50 exposures are taken.
These exposures are immediately loaded onto a computer for review. We then select from three to eight exposures, again each with different lighting, for a process called layering.
In Photoshop the selected images are stacked over one another. The number of exposures and the stacking order are altered until we either achieve the desired lighting effect or we determine that we need to re-shoot the sequence. We may go through many iterations before we achieve what we initially envisioned. The same flower can look totally different if light is projected from the front as it does when it is backlit. The brilliant colors you see in most of our images are due to the way the flowers were lit, not computer manipulation. We want you to see what is there naturally, not something contrived out of mid-air. Once we have a final image, we need to present it in the best way possible. For that reason we have extensively researched papers, inks, and printing techniques. We use only the highest quality materials such as pigment archival inks, fine art paper, and a satin finish conservation grade fine art canvas. Our images can be purchased as fine art prints for framing, framed or unframed canvases, or face mounted on ¼ inch acrylic.
So, the images you see at an art show or on our website are compositions involving discovery, sculpture, engineering, lighting, photography, computer based editing, and printing on carefully sourced materials that were years in the making.“ Bella Fiore” is Italian for Beautiful Flower. We hope you agree.