Interview by Editor Michel Romaggi  in collaboration with the author Lydia Jacobs 
Published the 21st of April 2021

'Crystal Green' by Lydia Jacobs

Lydia Jacobs'  harmonious marriage of colours and the judicious choice of flowers and vases, their arrangement, their lighting, give all her work a tremendous elegance. Her compositions are astonishing paintings that enchant us by their softness.

Lydia pas kind enough to share with us a few secrets how she realizes these magnificent still life images.

How was born your passion for still life photography, for those wonderful and delicate bouquets which seem to be your signature, Lydia ?
1X is my home base to promote my own photography and a wonderful learning platform for me. I always admire the many beautiful still life images on 1X. They have inspired me to develop my interest in this area. I was moved by the work of Ustina Green, Christophe Verot and many others.
Also, the subtle influence of my father laid the foundation for my interest in photography. He is a talented painter, and taught me how to observe and sketch still life scenes when I was young. These childhood experiences all led to my interest in still life photography.

'Graceful Prunus Cerasifera'

'Bright Mood'

How do you choose your subjects? The flowers, the colours, the vases and other props ?  You must have a huge collection  of them :-))
I see many subjects (flowers, vases, antiques etc.) in gardens or stores that inspire me to create a still life image. Based on colour scheme theory (complementary colours, analogous colours, triadic colours, monochromatic colour etc.), I like to experiment with various colour combinations. In this particular image titled 'Crystal Green', I created a monochromatic scene using the white lily, green chrysanthemum, green grapes, green frosted glass vase and bowl to compose this image. I do have quite a large collection of vases and props! After making my first still life image in 2018, I continue to search thrift stores, garage sales, etc. for useful items.

'Orange Lantern'

'Sweet Red Grapes' by Lydia Jacobs

What equipment do you use? Camera, lens? Which settings?
For 'Crystal Green' I used a Sony A7RIII and Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA lens.
The settings : F11, ISO100, 0.3s.

On what background do you place them? How do you light your subjects to get such wonderful contrasts?This image used a forest green texture fabric backdrop. In order to get the crystal backlight effect, I placed the light from the back behind the table. All subjects need to be placed near the back of the table in order to receive the light. On the table top, I used a black plexiglass panel to get the reflection.

In the post-production processing of this image, I used Photoshop Camera Raw, Nik collection Software, in order to mute colour and bring a particular atmosphere. I also use Topaz for the final touch for the artistic look.

Can you tell us a little more about your passion for photography? What part does it play in your life?
I started with landscape photography in 2016 and really have a passion for it. My interest in still life photography began when I wanted to create something in my home environment. My first still life image “Comfy” on 1X was created in May 2018.

'Comfy'

Still life enables me further control over aspects of lighting and composition that I don’t have in landscape photography. Having to stay at home during the 2020 pandemic, gave me more time to develop my still life interest and skills. It has become a very important and enjoyable part of my life. I have even started making my own garden to produce flowers and vegetables that I can use in my still life work.

'Red Mood'