by Editor Michel Romaggi in collaboration with the author Shihya Kowatari.
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 14th of June 2023

The aesthetics and dreamlike appearance of Shihaya's plant-based photographic compositions are truly charming. She kindly agreed to reveal us some secrets about her work.

'Ephemeral Dreams'

What did inspire you to create these plant-based photographic compositions?

Usually people just notice plants when they are the most beautiful. But when they dry, one often even forget their existence.  The truth is that plants are not only beautiful when they are blooming.  If you observe them carefully, you will find discoveries and new impressions.  That fleeting vitality has a special charm. I always have been interested in photographing dead plants, seeds, etc.

Can you describe the different stages of this wonderful image titled 'Ephemeral Dreams'?

The stem part of the plant called "Thistle" used in this photo was harvested in autumn after the seeds flew and died. I stored it carefully so that I could take pictures any time.

The important model in this photo, the snail shell, is very small about 1 cm in diameter. I picked it up in my garden. Fallen snail shells usually have dirt on and inside. These stains must be removed to bring out the natural beauty of the shell. O soaked it in bleach diluted with water for about 3 ~ 5 days.  When the dirt disappeard, I washed it again remove the bleach. It is very fragile, one had to be extremely careful when cleaning it. I always keep them carefully.

Design: The most important thing about design is the brightness, strength and weakness, colours of the light. For the dead thistles and snail shells, I used warm lighting to create a warm atmosphere. The lighting angle went from left to right, which perfectly rendered the three-dimensional effect. I darkened the whole background and illuminated only the bokeh part with a cool colour light for which the angle is from the top right to the bottom. By combining warm and cool lighting, I was able to create a high-impact photo with excellent contrasts.

Preparation: Since it's a very small subject, I usually shoot with a macro lens. However, I used old lenses for the overall classic look and colours. I also prepared two small LED flash lights from 3 and 6 cm as diameter. I also made a DIY colours filter and attached it to a small LED flash light. For the background blur, I used wires with a diameter of about 1 mm bent in various directions.  When it is illuminated, a unique round blur appears. Other facilities are the same as for still-life photography.

Composition & realization: Normally, photos taken with old-lens lenses are sharp only in the centre of the image and moderately soft at the edges. For this photo, the main snail shell was placed on the left, and all the lighting and lens focus was on the snail shell, even if losing some sharpness. The thistle who occupies most of the screen, was only used as a supporting role. The distance between the wire in the background and the thistle in the foreground is about 20~30 cm, and I fine-tuned the distance while checking the size of the circular blur.

Equipment used：

Camera：Canon EOS 7D
Lens： Meyer Optik Trioplan 50mm f2.9 Red V Silver body
Canon Extension Tube EF12Ⅱ
PB mount to EOS mount adapter
Remote Switch 、Tripod、2 mini LED flash lights、DIY Colours filter

What triggers and inspires you to make your creations?

For several years, I have been taking pictures on the theme "snail jewellery". Most of them were taken with old lenses, and this photo is one of them. The creative sense of this photo shows a beautiful posture that is about to disappear, making us miss the beauty of time passing and the ephemeral nature of life while waiting for new hope to arrive.  One of the main problems in creating this photo, a combination of wilted thistles and snail shells, was to make the snail shell shine like glass in a classical atmosphere. It was a very difficult task, but I thought it was worth it when I was happy with the result.

'In my solitude'

Finally, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your photography practice?

A few years ago, I started shooting mainly indoors, and I have been designing photo compositions with various colour changes and soft bokeh effects, centering on "points, lines, planes, and circles." Conciseness, fantasy, soft colours, smooth curves, and transparent images are my consistent style. To pursue that consistent style, I use special leaves, Japanese paper, and Japanese-style glass as my own subjects.

I like old lenses, and several years ago I continued to take photographs with the theme of "Revive...Old lens." These works fulfilled the soft, classical imagery I wanted to pursue. I spend a lot of time looking at my subject before taking a picture, and I choose to manually manipulate all the lenses I use. I spend enough time finding the most beautiful parts of my subjects. It takes time and effort to prepare. If spend the same amount of time, I think it would be wiser to complete just one satisfactory work instead of dozens of failed works.

All my photography skills and knowledge are self-taught. In order to always bring out my own originality, I have sought out special subjects, used unique lenses, and added my own style.

Like all 1x users, I love life and nature. When I photograph flowers, I appreciate them, when I photograph butterflies, I observe their posture in flight, and when I photograph trees,  I listen to the sound of the wind. For me, photography is about enjoying nature, and photography is a kind of creative expression and enthusiasm, which makes my life satisfying and happy.

'White Dancer'

'Ephemeral Beauty'