Weather Report

It's a very rainy day here in Southeast Louisiana, but it was wonderfully cool and breezy working on the wheel today. Such a pleasant change from the heat. I wanted to thank jessi   from ruby studios  for including my sapphire blue bowl in the Spotlight she created.  You can view it at www.byhandgallery.blogspot.com/2009/09/sapphire-september.html  You can also see more of Jessi's beautiful  jewelry creations at www.rubystudios.etsy.com

Making Progress with Item Photography

I've taken longer than I expected to get back to this blogging project, but here I am and that's what counts.


Photographing and writing about our pottery was a bit of a challenge for a while, but I think I'm getting the hang of it, which is good because the photographer in the family is really working long hours these days. When he's not working his JOB, I'd rather he was glazing pots than photographing them, although he's better at both than I am.  Here's the funny thing to me. Right now I'm showing off my photo skills instead of my throwing skills! I never thought I'd be in this position at all.  What's even greater is that our pottery is starting to sell online, finally.  It's hard to sell something like pottery online, even if you do have great photos. Pottery is such a sensual, tactile art form.. You really need to pick up a piece, turn it over, stroke it, cradle it, really get to know how it feels. Then if it feels right, you're hooked. Hard to do that online. So here are some examples of some of my latest photo sessions.  The first photo is not one of my best, the light is too bright on the pots, but I do like the colors. 

These pots with the glossy,black glaze have been the  hardest.  They just aren't working outdoors with out some diffuse artificial light. I really do have to save these for my husband to do with his fancy equipment and skills. (To get the light bright enough to show all the variations in color in the waterfall glaze at the neck you need some tricks to keep from getting the bright glare on the pot.)

 I'm saving the rest of the black pieces to shoot at a later time. My photos just don't do them justice.

 

This little blue pot has the same waterfall glaze at the neck.  Amazing how different the same glaze can look in combination with different glazes!  This photo was shot using the flash point gear. Believe it or not, it's night time!

I have quite a few of the blue pieces, and just got some great shallow bowls and a vase  out of the kiln that have this blue and waterfall combo. They are waiting their turn for a photo session. This next piece is a wonderful fruit bowl.  I love the way the bright colors of the fruit contrast with the calm blue of the bowl.  By the way, the green fruit is a Louisiana satsuma, and this is the last one left til I go back to the grocer.  They were super tasty.  The gala apples were also very good.  These two were gobbled down shortly after performing their duty as models.  These were shot outside on a partly overcast day. (We've had a few of those lately, but usually it's hot and sunny.)

Initially, this blue vase didn't show up well in Etsy's gallery images because I cropped it too close (so the glaze could be seen better.) But it was too tall for the space allowed in the gallery view. So I uploaded  a photo that's not cropped as tight.

The lovely fall colors of gold and orange-rust (and the magenta cockscombs, too) are such perfect compliments to the blue of this vase. I can't get enough of these colors!

This little altered pot was easy and fun  to shoot.  It looked different from every angle.

Another little altered vase.  This white is so crisp and clean and yet it blends so well with the fall foliage behind it, thanks to the totally awesome waterfall glaze at the rim.



The last little vase is in cinnamon roll cream icing, again with a waterfall flowing from the rim.  Love that waterfall!  These last two were also shot when it was overcast.  No glare!

To see more of our pottery, visit our website at www.HurricanePottery.etsy.com