I’ve been working an Outdoor Dinner Party photo series and have been trying to enrich the concept with references from literature. Since the premise is loosely based on George MacDonald’s Phantastes, I wanted to include some references to C.S. Lewis (who was deeply influenced by MacDonald) and Tolkien (who was one of Lewis’ close friends).
To help the narrative of the photographs, I wanted some foreshadowing elements and decided to use my terrarium (yes, I’m fixated on it right now) as a palantír-type object. (A palantír translates as a “Seeing Stone”; in LOTR, those looking in the palantír could communicate with others looking into other palantírs.) For purposes of my photo series, I’m tweaking the function some as a cross between a palantír and the basin of water that Frodo looked into at Galadriel’s guidance.
Technical details: I’ve had my eye on a location where I’ve been wanting to stop and shoot. Since today I had some “free” time (and I’m needing to finish this series for a submission), I shot this in just the perfect weather. Although it had rained this morning, this afternoon was partly cloudy providing a perfect mix of natural light. Not too overcast, not too sunny. Since I’m wanting a dreamy look to this series, I shot this with my M9 (of course!) and the 50 Summitar. The bokeh and rendering was spot-on. Shot wide open, 160 ISO, and PP with Silver Efex Pro. This was just one of the many shots that I took; now I have to decide which I’ll include in the series. Look here next week for a link to the finished series.
Oh, and a BIG “Thank You” to Steve Huff, whose site I devotedly follow, for linking to my Summitar images in his Links post. It made my day!
I love LOTR and your blog!
Thank you!!
He he! Guess I am the only non LOTR reader in the group. Sorry! And oh the memories of this shot – especially the braying donkey! You certainly have adventure on your shot escapades! I do really like the look of the overgrowth in the background – you truly captured the field look.
Thank you!
Hehe, the look on your face was priceless. Like one photographer calls his shots Dreamscapes, maybe I should call mine Escapades.
“The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read…/The Lord of the Rings/ and those who are going to read them.”
“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!…I pass the test…I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.”
Beautifully typed, Figgy.
And the first quote – the irony just struck me that I used the one person for this shot that has NOT read LOTR.
Thank you. I copied it out of wikiquote because I was too lazy to go downstairs and get my LOTR.
The irony of the first quote did not hit me till this moment. I’m brillianter than I thought. *pats self on head, misses, pokes self in eye*
I’m not impressed by this feat since I happen to know that you’ve managed to shut your head in the door at least once.
I also caught my hair in the vacuum and ceiling fan.
Sadly I was /not/ spun in circles by the fan.