Showing Off My Photographer
Charlotte Bell has photographed mosaics twice for me now and I want to show off her latest work here.
Charlotte* and her husband, also an artist (in wood), live in a neighborhood which is loaded with artists. Every year they band together and host a studio tour and sale- this is how I first encountered Charlotte.
The Story of NOLA Watters
Mosaic by Lynn Bridge, Photography by Charlotte Bell
I had photographed this piece from a distance, but because of its width, there was a curvature distortion from the camera lens. Charlotte shot the piece in sections, then stitched them together with Photoshop. (She also teaches Photoshop classes.)
Two Views of Texas Sunrise
Mosaic by Lynn Bridge, Photography by Charlotte Bell
This one was a ‘bear’ to photograph with its reflective surfaces and level changes within a short distance. These are a few of the many views Charlotte successfully made of this piece.
Field of Eggs– top view and details
Mosaic by Lynn Bridge, Photography by Charlotte Bell
We worked on this series of photos together- Charlotte was all of the brains and most of the brawn, I was some of the brawn. This piece only weighs 20 pounds, but it is pointy and pokey on the edges and requires two people for lifting and carrying.
I am particularly pleased that Charlotte’s photographs show off the variations in color and shading in the tiles and in the cement, as well as textural differences among the eggs!
*She also goes to Mexico and hauls back to Austin a multitude of hooked rugs, made by women who support their families through their craft. Charlotte sells the rugs here and sends the money back to the artisans.
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In the online blogging class I took last spring from Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris, I learned that online photographs should be no more than 72 dots per inch of resolution, and they need to be narrow enough to accommodate most every reader’s screen width. Therefore, I convert all photos to 72 dpi and 600 pixels per inch of width before I post them online. Thanks, Alyson and Cynthia!
You are lucky to have found such a fabulous photographer for your work. I certainly appreciate how hard it is to get good photographs. I love the Texas piece. Is it difficult to mosaic onto a round surface like the sunrise?
Claudine, the trick is, Charlotte has expertise in photographing products- you know, cans of stuff and other items which are small, shiny, and must be perfectly in focus on all their surfaces. THAT is what gives her the ability to photograph mosaics.
The Texas piece was a bit difficult. I mixed up my colored cement a little at a time, smeared it onto the sphere and poked things into it. I used a system of “guy wires” of painter’s tape and strings to hold long pieces in place until the cement set up.
Hi Lynne, how can we see the rugs that you are talking about? How can we find out about the artists’ studio tour and sale?
Love your creativity…beautiful photos.
All good questions, Debbie. Travis Heights Art Trail has a facebook page- it is the first weekend in December. I’m sure Charlotte will have rugs then.
My rug involves a sow and two piglets under the banner of “Yo y mis hijas no entender espanol”, which is sort of a non-sequitur.
Great work. There’s something about it that really makes the brain work! As someone pointed out above, it’s incredibly creative.
It seems like the two of you make a good creative team!
Thank you. I visited your blog about all things film and I’m amused and entertained. By the way, last week I saw “Catfish”, a new indie film here involving……. REALITY, which really is stranger than fiction. Be sure to see Catfish when it reaches your shore.
Thank you too. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for “Catfish” – In fact, I’ll go find it on imdb right now!