photography | Cristina Colli

Oct

Student feature: Dana Frigerio

creativity / photography / visual storytelling / 5 Comments / October 14, 2016

I’m back with another student feature :) Today the spotlight is on Dana Frigerio, and her gorgeous inspiration journals.

Dana is the founder, art director, and editor of Blossomzine, a beautiful e-magazine focused on garden, travel, and anything plant and flower related.

Last June she took my e-course Visual Storytelling 1: create your story, find your voice, and I asked her a few questions about her experience.

Why did you decide to do the e-course? What did you want to learn and achieve?

Truth is, I was confused and just didn’t know my way forward…let me explain, I’ve been on Instagram for a few years, and at the beginning I only posted photographs of my daily life, with no caption and no hashtag. After a while I started to think about what I was posting, and found that I just wasn’t happy with my daily photos any more.

Because of my job I follow many Instagrammers, and look for potential contributors for the magazine, so at the beginning of this year I decided to use my account as a feature gallery, and repost all the images I loved…but even though I put a lot of thought into the gallery, making sure to choose a harmonious mix of colours and images, my followers weren’t really as interested as I’d hoped they would be.

That’s when I decided to do Cristina’s course, to dig deep into myself, and hopefully create my own visual story and find my voice.

How did you find the creative exercises?

At first glance, the exercises seem very easy, but in reality they prompt you to really look within yourself, and to be authentic, honest about your message and values. Sure, you could choose to do them quickly, just skimming through the various sessions, but if you don’t take the time to truly look within you’ll never find your story, your message.

What did you most enjoy about the course?

Doing the mindmaps – they really helped me focus on what I’m passionate about. I found myself writing words like theatre (I studied scenography and set design), abandoned houses, peeling walls, materials, textures and other things and objects that unfortunately are not easy to have on hand at home!

What changed, and how did the e-course help and inspire you? Tell us what you discovered about your story/message and how you’re applying these findings to your visual storytelling.

What changed? The way I now use Instagram.

Thanks to the exercises, I realized that what I need, and love… are pictures from magazines!

I’ve been collecting magazines for many years, I have subscriptions to Vogue, Marie Claire, Décor, and many other interior design and gardening magazines. Through the years I read them all so many times, with the wonder of a child, so that now I know them by heart: each page is imprinted in my memory.

So I asked myself, why not tap into that world, which feels so familiar?

That’s how my inspiration journal was born – a mix of words, drawings, and pictures from magazines, a daily journal with pages created from memories, recollections tied to something, at times far away in time, that each of us carries inside.

The funny thing is that now… I enjoy drawing, tearing pages, gluing pictures down, digging into my past, my feelings and my passions…and my followers are beginning to engage with me! They might not be many at the moment, but that doesn’t matter: they are interested in what I do and create every day, and that’s very rewarding.

A few days ago one of them asked me to illustrate a recipe, and you cannot begin to understand the joy I felt! I drew the illustrations in my inspiration journal and photographed the final recipe, and then gave my followers the opportunity to download it.

It was a beautiful experience, and it really made me happy. I had lots of positive feedback about the recipe, and I already have another one in the pipeline.

Why didn’t I think of inspiration journals before? Because I didn’t have the tools to dig deep within myself.

Cristina’s guidance was very inspiring, and her class a true revelation. I didn’t copy her, or her story. I looked within, and I found mine.

Thank you so much Dana for sharing your thoughts on the e-course, and for your kind words. I’m so happy that you found your own story, and I simply adore your bullet journal! I wish I could draw as beautifully as you…

To see more of Dana’s inspiration journal, follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, and don’t forget to read the last issue of Blossomzine (bilingual, English & Italian).

Learn more about my visual storytelling e-courses here.

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Sign up to get my monthly Creative Notes here and receive my ebook “The heart of Instagram – finding your peeps & building community” and access to my inspiration library.
If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, my account is @c_colli

All photos in this blog post © Dana Frigerio

Sep

This & that: September

photography / This & That / 4 Comments / September 16, 2016

This is just a quick update on my recent projects. I finally set up a YouTube channel and have uploaded a few videos of “flatlays in the making”.

I started making these videos last spring, but somehow I never got to tell you about them…well, now you can have a peek at how I create my still life images (hint: there’s a lot of moving stuff around!).

This is the last video I uploaded, I think it’s just perfect to post now, as September is in full swing and the leaves are starting to turn…not long before Autumn now.

This month you can also find me in two magazines: Blossomzine and Artful Blogging.

Blossomzine is a bilingual (Italian and English) e-magazine about gardens & travel. This issue is dedicated to all things British, with articles on Pettifer Gardens, Petersham Nurseries, Barnsley House, Beatrix Potter’s garden, the Chelsea Flower Show, and more.

As you can guess from the cover, Dana, the editor, went for lots of dark & moody photographs, including mine :) My article is about Autumn, and I also wrote a composition tip that you can find in this interactive page.

You can read Blossomzine online here, and also download the Issuu App to read the magazine on your iPhone or iPad.

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Finally, in the current issue of Artful Blogging you can read my thoughts on creativity, inspiration, and nurturing your voice.

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Seeing your work in print is always a big boost. When I got my own copy of Artful Blogging I felt humbled to be among so many talented contributors, and thrilled to see one of my images on the cover – a lovely surprise!

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The whole issue is packed with stunning photography, art, and inspiring articles – a must read! You can order your copy of Artful Blogging here.

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Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

Signing up also gives you access to my Inspiration Library, with free resources like my ebook “The heart of Instagram: finding your peeps and building community”, the creativity workbook “Creative Intentions”, desktop wallpapers, and more. Interested? Sign up here

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

Aug

Student feature: Beverly Cazzell

creativity / photography / visual storytelling / 7 Comments / August 30, 2016

Today I’m starting a new series of blog posts that feature students from my workshops and e-courses. One of the things that I love most about teaching is watch students be inspired, find their own photographic voice, and grow. It’s so rewarding, and it fills me with joy :)

My first guest is Beverly Cazzell. Beverly attended my e-course “Visual Storytelling 1: create your story, find your voice” in June, and this is what she has to say of her experience:

My initial reaction to the course was W O W!! Cristina did an outstanding and professional job of collecting and sharing all the information and tools for us, so that we can learn how to create our own Visual Storytelling images.

Before I started the course I was beyond excited, and all the course sessions showed me new ways to relate to my own photography. I enjoyed doing the exercises, making mood boards and inspiration boards, and finding clarity on my own photographic style.

July_26_Beverly Cazzell_spoons

I know it will be a while before all the information from the course comes naturally in my thought process, but….I can see that the results are going to make it so much easier and organized for me to create my photographic stories. I can also see that I need to downsize my prop closet (yes my props are in a large walk in closet!), and I say this in a very good way :)

DSC_6056_2016_August_05_Cazzell_phlox

This course has set me on the right path. I feel more confident in my style and work, and I’m learning not to compare my work with others. I now know what I like, and why I like it, and can put it all together creatively, in a pleasing style, and share the beauty I see. That to me is a wonderful thing, and Cristina’s course was the key for getting to this point of my creative journey.

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Prior to attending this course I felt torn when I wanted to photograph anything other than a still life, but the course information released me of those constraints. Finding my ”key words” was especially helpful. Using my key words helps me compose and organize a still life or capture a lifestyle image, such as a nature, street, or macro image, all styles I love and enjoy.

DSC_6105_2016_August_07_Cazzell_opera

Currently, I am processing my archived photos from the past 4-5 years, looking at them with new eyes, asking myself if I would print each image, in which case I keep it. If it’s not one I would print then I discard it. This has given me new boundaries, so I’m not maintaining a huge hard drive of useless images.

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When I look through magazines I am now looking with new eyes at color, composition, and storytelling. Along with the image culling, I hope to put together several photo books to have in print, and I already have a few ideas brewing.

Cristina’s course helped me turn the corner to go down a new path, and I love it! I now feel so confident and good about all of my photography styles/genres, and I look forward to her future classes.

Thank you Beverly for sharing your thoughts on my course, I’m beyond thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it and found it inspiring!

To see more of Beverly’s beautiful photos, check out her Instagram account, and her blog.

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Learn more about my e-course Visual Storytelling 1: create your story, find your voice here.

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Sign up to get my monthly Creative Notes here and receive my ebook “The heart of Instagram – finding your peeps & building community”
If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, my account is @c_colli

All photographs in this blog post © Beverly Cazzell

Aug

Creating from the heart

creativity / Inspiration / photography / visual storytelling / 6 Comments / August 11, 2016

Creating from the heart is very important to me, and in fact it’s one of my core values.

Creating from the heart is an attitude, a process, and also an aspiration. It encompasses many things, but it stems from being authentic, true to yourself.

stages of a dahlia

From the moment we are born, our surroundings affect us. Our upbringing, education, places we live and travel to, people we meet, books we read, movies we see…it all pours into us, shapes us and makes us who we are. We’re all connected and we’re all part of the same humanity, but we all have our own individual experience, and see reality from our own perspective.
It’s only when we are brave enough to look within, and explore our story, our values, our vision of the world, that we can find our artistic voice. It’s our unique point of view that allows us to stand out and express who we really are. After all, the act of creating is an act of self-expression.

When I explore Instagram, the galleries that always catch my eye and make me stop and look closer, are the ones that show a glimpse of the artist’s personality – their voice. When this happens, it becomes easy to recognise a style. I can always tell, for example, when an image that pops up in my feed is by Sarah, Georgianna, Kim, Philippa, Mai, Yukiko…just to name a few artists whose work I admire. As you can see if you check out their galleries, flowers and still life scenes are a common feature for all these talented ladies, but their style, their artistic voice, is totally their own.

roses and dahlias in a bucket

In my e-courses and mentoring sessions I don’t teach how to recreate exactly what I do – what would be the point of that? My images tell my story with my voice, and I want each of my students to find their own. Why be a copy, when you can be an original?

I want them to look within, find their own story, and share their vision of the world with their own unique voice.
Creating is not just a matter of seeing something that works, be it a certain style or composition, and replicate it. Without looking within, and getting at the heart of who you are, and what your story is, you’re just someone who does what everyone else is doing…all your beautiful potential remains untapped, and the world is a little less bright because you didn’t shine your light…

It took me a long time to figure this out, mostly because for a long time I looked outside for inspiration, afraid that what was within wasn’t enough. It’s only when I started exploring, and trusting my Self that my story started to unravel, and my voice to develop.

air plant and roses

Creating from the heart starts with being authentic, but the process doesn’t end there. It’s also important to focus on the act of creating, and not on the end result. It’s about experimenting, enjoying the moment, going with the flow, and being open to what might happen…allowing yourself to make mistakes, and embracing imperfection. Being a “recovering perfectionist”, this is something I need to remind myself on a daily basis ;)

Creating from the heart requires courage: the courage to show your Self, to keep doing the work, and also the courage to try something new, and let your work evolve. When I started creating images using dark backdrops, I really enjoyed myself but I was reluctant to keep exploring low-key photography, and to share my “dark & moody” images on Instagram. I was afraid that, being so different from my usual bright and airy photographs, people wouldn’t like them as much… But then I realised that I was placing too much importance on what was outside of me, and I was letting other people’s opinion stop me from creating…and so I followed my heart, and decided to keep creating and sharing those moody images anyway.

moody summer flowers in a bucket

Creating from the heart means walking your own path, regardless of what others are doing. Forget about what’s “trendy” and popular! If it doesn’t reflect who you are, it’s just a waste of time. Instead, turn down the “noise”, tune in, be present, and listen to what wants to be created.

You won’t regret it, I promise.

***

Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

Jul

Still life: behind the scenes

photography / styling / 28 Comments / July 19, 2016

During my workshops and e-courses, I often come across students who are afraid that they won’t be able to create beautiful images unless they have a dedicated room for taking photos, or a gorgeous home, or a beautiful garden, or all of the above. This is absolutely NOT true, and today I want to show you where I create my images, and give you a few tips about setting up a space for your still life photography.

In an ideal world, I’d love to have my own studio: a light-filled space, with lots of room to work and create different types of images. This dream studio would be in the garden, close to a small greenhouse and potting shed, and a patch to grow flowers…in the dream, there’s also a house with wooden floors, airy rooms, a fireplace, and a beautiful view over fields and woodland…

The reality is quite different though. We are renting, so we’re stuck with beige carpet and slate flagstones, no fireplace, a small garden paved with ugly concrete slabs, large radiators in inopportune places, and views of a small court cramped with houses and cars…it’s a nice, comfortable house to live in, and I’m grateful for it, but alas it has no photogenic areas that are Instagram-worthy.

I have lots of ideas for images that I’d like to include in my visual storytelling, like larger still lives, and garden scenes too, but at the moment I can only work on a very small scale…and yet, that doesn’t prevent me from creating. Other things sometimes do, but that’s for another day and another post ;)

I thought I’d share with you where I work, to show you that you can indeed practice still life photography even in small spaces.

I shoot in my dining room by the glass door leading into the back garden, and my set up consists of a small folding table, my painted wooden backdrops, and a small selection of vases, teacups, and other props.

Every time I shoot I need to move the table and chairs, to have enough room for moving around, and when I finish taking photos I always need to move the furniture back and tidy up…and believe me, there’s usually quite a mess to clear up!

behind the scenes_001

Sometimes I find the thought of putting everything back a bit annoying, but overall I don’t mind it too much.

Let’s have a look at the set up for a simple, classical floral still life: I leaned my painted backdrop on the wall (well, on the radiator!) by the window, and placed a wooden tray on a wicker box to create my “table”. I then arranged the flowers and fabric, and took the photo.

Classical floral still life_001

When I edited the image, I cropped it square as that’s my favourite format.

floral still life © Cristina Colli

In this other image, I propped one backdrop on the wall, and placed another backdrop on the folding table.

Classical floral still life_003

After editing I cropped the image square, as usual.

Classical floral still life_004

When I set up a flatlay, I place the backdrop directly on the floor. Some people work on a table, but I prefer to work on the floor, even if that means doing a lot of crouching, because I suffer from vertigoes and I don’t want to stand on a chair to photograph my work.

Flatlay_002_setup

Flatlay_002

I don’t use a tripod when I take photos with my iPhone, but I do use it for my DSLR. I also always use a white reflector to bounce off the light from the window, and soften the shadows.

flatlay_001_setup

See, I wasn’t joking about the radiator – definitely not photograph material!

Flatlay_001

If, like me, you want to shoot with natural light, the most important thing is to find a spot in your home that has the best light for your style of photography.

A north-facing window will provide you with soft diffused light that won’t change much during the day, but if your only option is a south-facing window don’t despair: just use some white cloth, like a sheet or curtain, to cover the window and diffuse the light.

If you don’t have enough natural light, use a lamp with a daylight bulb, to avoid colour casts, or perhaps practice low-key photography a.k.a. dark and moody. In this type of photography, even a small amount of light will allow you to create beautiful, dramatic still life images.

moody floral still life © Cristina Colli
A small table, a portion of the floor by a window, even a windowsill can all be suitable for still life photography. Granted, you will have to work on a small scale, like I do, but limitations are actually a great way to stimulate creativity and improve your work.

Try different windows, and different set ups, until you find one that works for you and your style, and then keep practising and have fun!

So where do you take your photos? I’d love to know :)

***

Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

May

Visual Storytelling 1 e-course

photography / visual storytelling / 0 Comment / May 16, 2016

Hello, this is just a quick post to let you know that registration for my new e-course Visual Storytelling 1: create your story find your voice is now open – I’m so excited!

When I first started my photography journey, for a while I struggled to find a direction, because I lacked clarity. It’s only when I turned within to figure out my story, message and values that I finally developed my own photographic voice. I want to help as many of you to create your story and find your own voice, and that’s why I created this course.

Visual Storytelling 1 is packed with lots of creative prompts and guidance, and it’s based on my own experience: I did all the exercises that I share in the course, and they helped me build the foundation of my visual storytelling.

I can’t wait to share this new adventure with you, and I hope to see you in class when the course starts on Monday 6th June.

You can read more about the course here.

Have a lovely week!

***

Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

Apr

A day of creative connection

creativity / Inspiration / photography / 12 Comments / April 8, 2016

A few weeks ago Natasha of Candy Pop and Rosie of Kinship of Oxford called in, and we spent a few hours together drinking tea, chatting, and making flat lays. We first met last year, at the Oxford Instameet they organised, and then at another one a few months later. We got on quite well, and kept in touch via email and Instagram.
I’m an introvert and being on my own for most of the day suits me just fine, but I also love connecting with other fellow creatives, so when Natasha mentioned that it would be nice for the three of us to catch up over a cup of tea and some cake, I happily said yes, and couldn’t wait to see them again.

The best thing about spending time with fellow creatives is that they “get you”. They know about the drive to create, to keep doing what you do because it’s your calling, and you just can’t help it. They understand that taking hundreds of photos of the same subject, until you finally get it right, is a perfectly acceptable way to spend a whole day, and certainly not an obsession – just practicing, and learning the craft ;)
You can talk for hours about what others may perceive as quirks, and be met with a sympathetic nod rather than a blank, or sometimes pitiful, stare.

Connecting with other creatives is good for the soul, and encourages growth for all the people involved. We are part of the same tribe, we often encounter the same challenges, and it feels great to bounce ideas off each other, and share possible solutions.

Rosie, Natasha and I had a really good chat about what it means to run a creative business, how we structure (or not structure in my case!) our days and weeks, how we overcome our challenges, and how we try to keep a balance between online presence and “real” world (tip: regularly take time off internet, email & social media).

We discussed how important it is to search for inspiration not just online, looking at other people’s work, but also offline. Visiting new places, being in nature, reading, going to exhibitions, learning new skills, are all excellent sources of creative inspiration, and help us find new ways to express ourselves. Nothing is truly original – we do stand on the shoulders of giants – except for our own unique voice, and it’s important to nourish it and expand it through our life experiences.

After all this talking, we also found the time to create some still life images. We all used one of my backdrops, and took it in turns to create one or two flat lays using props from a stash that we’d all contributed to.

Natasha had brought some lovely vintage props, including her delightful pink camera, silk thread spools that were family heirlooms, and some beautiful, delicate sea urchin shells. She also brought some pink scrabble letters, and even though they weren’t the right colour for the flat lay I chose to create, they inspired me (and Rosie) to add letters to our still life. I rummaged in the cabinet that hosts all those miscellaneous odds and ends that don’t really belong anywhere (we all have one at home, I’m sure) and found some tiny B&W magnetic scrabble letters that, though a tad too small, could go with the other props.

This is Natasha’s flat lay – I love the flow, the colours, and the simplicity of her visual storytelling:

Flat lay by Natasha - Candy Pop

Image by Natasha

Rosie brought some lovely buttons, party decorations, plates and napkins made with pretty Liberty prints, and other fun objects that she sells in her shop. This is her flat lay – her composition is flawless, the colour palette gorgeous, and the owl jug makes me smile every time I see it:

Flat Lay by Rosie - Kinship of Oxford

Image by Rosie

I created two flat lays, with flowers and some favourite props. In this one I couldn’t resist the beauty of the sea urchin shells – I have managed to stop myself from buying one or two for myself so far, but I don’t know how long I’m going to resist the temptation ;)

spring flat lay by Cristina Colli

In this other flat lay I used scrabble letters to spell the word “Create”, and a heart-shaped lavender lemon cake, to encourage everyone to create from the heart – the symbols might be a tad obvious, perhaps, but I can assure you that the encouragement is genuine.

spring flat lay by Cristina Colli

Flat lay by Cristina Colli

There’s always a great hype about collaborating with brands, but very little is said about collaborating with other creative people, not for the money, but just for the sake of connecting, inspiring each other, growing, and having fun.

I had a fabulous time with Rosie and Natasha, and I definitely look forward to more days of creative connection.

Natasha and Rosie also wrote a blog post about our day together – read Natasha’s blog post The Inspiration and Joy of Creative Friendships and Rosie’s blog post Creative Community.

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Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

Mar

February

CCseasonal / photography / visual storytelling / 0 Comment / March 2, 2016

February just flashed by, despite having an extra day…looking back at my planner, I actually managed to work on quite a few projects, have interesting discussions with lovely people, and fine tune a couple of ideas – not too bad for such a short month!

The icing on the cake was finding a florist in a village close by who sells a nice variety of flowers by the stem. I love buying flowers by the stem, rather than in bunches, because it gives me more flexibility in the choice of colours, textures, and shapes for my floral flat lays. So last Saturday I spent at least half an hour choosing my palette for the week, and came back home with a huge grin and a spring in my step – what can I say, I’m easy to please ;)

With the winter being so unusually mild, February showed many signs of the coming spring, from the pretty blossoms that I haven’t managed to get hold of yet, to the many cheerful spring bulbs starting to bloom in the sunniest spots of gardens and flower beds.

I found some gorgeous double tulips, and fell in love with their unruly grace:

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I even managed to find some mimosa! It’s the first time in 4 years, and the scent reminds me so much of spring in Italy.

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The image below sums up all the flowers that I played with in February, including a snowdrop and primrose from my garden – such sweet pretty seasonal colours!

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Speaking of seasons, I just scrolled through the #CCseasonal gallery on Instagram, and it was such a pleasure! So many beautiful images, thank you all for joining in and sharing your photos inspired by February.

My favourite four photos all capture the first signs of spring so well:

FebFaves_CCseasonal
TL – @lingyeungb
TR – @thatcornishbird
BL – @lunaa80
BR – @koko_secretrainbowpath

The amazing beauty of a magnolia tree in full bloom against a pretty London house…the simple joy of some grape hyacints and primroses in a jug…the first cherry blossoms of the seasons….and some more magnolia blooms in a row, just because you cannot have too many magnolia flowers…or too much pink ;)

If you’d like to take part this month, simply use #CCseasonal to tag your still life images inspired by March, and I’ll share four favourites on 1st April. Here’s a link to the #CCseasonal gallery, so many gorgeous photos! Have a lovely March :)

***

Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

Feb

Making a spring flat lay

creativity / photography / styling / 10 Comments / February 25, 2016

Earlier this month I wrote an article for the Spring issue of Blossomzine magazine, the first of a series.

Blossom zine Spring 12 2016 COVER BH
Blossomzine is published every three months – spring, summer, autumn, winter – and since the seasons have a huge influence on my work it made sense to write about seasonal inspiration, starting with spring.
Dana, the director, decided to take full advantage of the fact that the magazine is digital, and thought of adding links to videos and other media to the articles.

I loved her idea, and I created two videos showing a floral still life in the making, and a composition tip. Actually, I recorded three videos, but in the first one I positioned the iPhone at the wrong angle and ended up recording just my back, shoulder and arm…oops!

CristinaColli_spring_ flat lay 1
I’m happy with how the other videos turned out though, especially because they show two different scenarios: one where the still life seems to happen on its own, and every flower or object seems to find its place almost by itself, at first try, and one where there’s a lot of moving stuff around before I can actually feel satisfied with the result.

Talking to students, and colleagues too, I realised how many people think that once you know how to compose a still life, they all come to you easily. Well, that’s not the case. I wish it were, but sometimes the muse just isn’t there, and I might spend a whole afternoon trying to create a still life, only to end up frustrated and not liking any of the shots I took…and that’s ok. If this sounds familiar, please don’t think it’s just you: it happens to everyone.

We all have good days and bad days. The important thing is not to beat yourself up because you “wasted” an hour/a morning/a day and didn’t create anything you like. That’s what I used to do, but it only made it more difficult to get back into the flow of creation.
So when you have one of those days, please give yourself some slack. Take the bad days as part of the creative process, and just keep trying, without expectations, without the pressure to create the “perfect” image, but simply for the sheer joy of creating. Keep trying, until you stumble across a good day again :)

So, here are the videos: the one where everything falls into place very quickly

CristinaColli_spring_flatlay 2

and the one where I keep moving stuff around

I hyperlapsed the video, and cut all the parts where I just kept staring at the composition scratching my head, so that you wouldn’t be bored to death, but know that it took me at least 30 minutes to get the still life right!

CristinaColli_spring_flat lay 4

Finally, here’s the composition tip about negative space, and its importance in an image.

NegativeSpace_note_Cristina_Colli

I hope you like the videos, and do have a look at the magazine – there are some lovely articles, as usual, and the cover is gorgeous!

***

Once or, occasionally, twice a month I send out a Creative Note to my readers, with my thoughts on the creative process, inspiring links, and course news.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to follow me there, my account is @c_colli

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