www.kadenar.com

Go out into the world and collect interesting leaves and twigs. You can shoot close-ups of them in the field, but you will have better control over the images if you bring them to a place where you can photograph them against a neutral background, isolating the image. If you have the facilities to light the subject evenly you will save some trouble later. If you only have a front flash you will get a shadow, but it is not too hard to get rid of, and sometimes it is useful to include it. You may want to include stones or other natural objects placed so as to tell a story or suggest an idea.

I do this all the time and have come up with some results I like a lot. Here is one which looks something like a ladybug:

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/zo-bug-37.jpg

Another which looks like Grouch Marx. I did a certain amount of drawing on this one:

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/zo-leafstache.jpg

And here I have put together two leaves to suggest an exorcism:

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/zo-leefhood2.jpg

This is a really simple way to make pictures that are more than just photos. You don’t have to stick to leaves; you can use sticks, rocks, dirt, grass, tree bark, anything natural. Use them singly or in groups and illustrate a story for kids or adults.

You can see more of my manipulated leaf photos at the website below.

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Jack Wilson is a writer and artist in Tempe, AZ

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/leaves.html

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