Jackalope Still Life Photos

Water Jugs

Arranged with a friend to meet her in Santa Fe so we could do Bandelier National Monument the next day. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity. But what turned out to be the best photographic challenge was the Jackalope Pottery store right next to the hotel where we stayed. I have featured these in my 365 Day challenge. But their popularity on Binford-Bell Studio Fan Page has been unexpected.

As I said in my last 365 Day Challenge blog here I love textures and patterns. Jackalope Pottery offered plenty of both. And after my concentration on still life photography in my studio I saw the immediate opportunity around every corner at this retail store.

Skull and Pottery

 The arrangement of a still life was basically in the post processing with these photos. There were electrical cords and price stickers that had to be removed with editing software. In fact I did not even consider the above photo for a while because of two electric cords and two stickers on the fountains and a hanging tag on the skull. Just seemed a bit much. In t he end I decided if nothing else it was great practice.

Exotic Window Grilles

Pottery Patterns

 The above picture had the most price stickers to be cloned out. Almost every terracotta jug had a white sticker. And there were almost as many in the Cross and Grills photo below. So many in fact I actually missed two. They are still in the photo. Can you find them?

Cross and Grilles

More pots

 The photograph above and the one below I could not resist playing with after I removed the price stickers. It is one of my favorite post processing treatments in my photo editing program. Beyond removal of stickers and unwanted objects none of my other Jackalope Still Life studies was post processed. The artistic enamel effect, however, seemed to really punch these two up.

Terracotta planters

 But accents in Blue and White was almost perfect as taken. It needed only a slight crop and the removal of a couple price stickers. I really am getting very good at that by now. Lesson learned: Do not pass up a photo because of something small but annoying.

Accents in blue and white

Photographers do develop favorite haunts. Followers of my work will know I have a couple ponds I return to again and again for their reflections. And some favorite trees which because of their placement or individual artistry I capture in all their season. Then there are the green house windows dripping with moisture distorting the flowers inside. No doubt I will go back to Bandelier. But odds have it I will be back at Jackalope before that.

I know I have not mined all the possibilities. Nor are all the photos I took there represented in this blog.