Photographing
Individual Objects
Individual objects may be more challenging to photograph,
depending on the lighting and the background, Say you
want a photograph of a single rose to include in your
mixed-media piece. Rather than shooting it in its natural
setting on the bush, cut one of the blooms, and place it on
a piece of paper in open shade to avoid harsh shadows.
Position yourself directly above the flower with the lens
parallel to the surface to keep everything in focus. With
your camera in the auto or program mode, press the
116 I C REATIVE PA I N T W ORKS HOP
shutter. If you are able to, select "Shade" as your white
balance setting. This will help you to avoid a color cast,
which might make the white background look yellow or
blue when you print out the image. With a white back-
ground, you won't have to laboriously cut out the rose. You
can glue on the whole piece of paper and paint over its
background later, making it easier to integrate it with other
elements. I recommend creating a copy in black-and-white,
giving more flexibility with paint
Look out for distinctive silhouettes against a still-bright
sky at dusk. These are easily converted to black-and-white
without having to alter the contrast.