Still Life and Objects

Morning Cup

"Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all." --David Lynch My morning cuppa on kitchen table. Long shadow courtesy of the sun. Day 102 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Watercolors II

"If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." --Edward Hopper That goes for photography as well! A tray of watercolors, brushes, and crayons on a weathered piece of old wood. Day 120 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com buymeacoffee.com/scottnorris

Water Colors

A watercolor paint tray on a white background. There is something about a set of these simple paints that just makes me happy. Perhaps it reminds me of the hours and hours I spent creating page after page of refrigerator masterpieces as a child. Perhaps it is simply the spectrum of bright colors. Whatever it is, the why is not important. It makes me feel good and smile. And that is all that matters. Day 118 of 365 Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com

Paint Brushes

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child." --Pablo Picasso Day 83 of 365 A glass jar of paint brushes on white. Copyright 2021 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Squirt Gun Painted

Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun." --Don Marquis A photography-based digital painting. Copyright 2018 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com

Paper Spiral II

"The spiral is a spiritualized circle. In the spiral form, the circle, uncoiled, has ceased to be vicious; it has been set free." --Vladimir Nabokov A spiral of white paper on a bright backlit white background. Day 121 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Builidng Blocks

Three white plastic toy building blocks on a white background. Day 129 of 365 Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com

Unzipping

I actually had a tough time coming up with something to say about this image beyond the title. I called it "Unzipping" for obvious reasons. And my goal in shooting it was very simple - I thought the graphic nature of the line of the zipper and the metal teeth coming undone would make for a very cool high contrast minimalist photograph. Beyond that, what was there to say? But after a bit of reflection, I thought the zipper could represent the undoing of civility and respect in our communities. It could also represent the opening of our minds to alternate realities. Or perhaps, if you turn things around, it could be symbolic of the coming together of two opposite sides to create a strong partnership. While all those interpretations of the photo are valid, in reality, not every image I create has a deeper meaning, at least at the beginning. Sometimes, I just thought it was cool.

Six Strings

One of the main reasons for undertaking this 365 Project was to force myself to think outside of the box but also to create images quickly. After all, each shot, for the most part, would be shot, processed, and uploaded in a day. For today, I wanted a shot of my electric guitar (which is just gathering dust these days). I envisioned something very minimal - I'm on a minimalist kick right now, if you couldn't tell - and not seen before (at least by me). After a bit of trial and error - well, mostly error - I ended up simply sliding a sheet of printer paper under the strings and shooting from straight above. That is good lesson learned - the solution to your creative problem is most likely very, very simple. Don't over think things.

Sky Blue on White

"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson A cyanotype print on a white background. The cyanotype was created with a sunlight print kit. Day 128 of 365 Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com

Leaf Bottle Rocks

A tiny empty glass bottle, three decaying leaves, and three lake stones on a wooden table. This was photographed with a single speedlight flash camera left, fitted with a homemade diffuser to soften the harsh light. Processed in Lightroom and Photoshop. Nikon D700, 50mm lens, ISO 100, 1/200, f/4. Copyright 2018 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com

Water Flower

I found this blossom on a cafe table in one of our local markets. I loved the colors - the yellows, pinks and whites of the bloom against the blue reflections on the glass. Day 324 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com

Partly Cloudy

The weather is partly cloudy with plenty of sunshine. Or at least it was in my office today. And I have pictures to prove it!

Picture of Hope

"We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon." -- Franklin D Roosevelt In the dark despair and loneliness, there is always beauty and hope - you just have to look for it.

Smoky Vintage Microphone

"You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the ass." -- Frank Sinatra A spotlight shines through the smoke filled room onto an old classic vintage microphone on the stage. The music is about to start. Grab a cocktail or a cold one, sit back and enjoy the evening. Copyright 2014 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com

Pickup Lines

The front pickup of my vintage 1968 Bartell-Hohner Fretless f-hole hollow body bass guitar. It was designed by former Rickenbacker employee Paul Barth of Bartell of California. Day 43 of 365 Copyright 2015 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com

Five String Banjo

I'm adding a five string banjo to the list of instruments I've shot for this project. This one hangs on the wall at the Urban Ecology Center just down the road from our house where they have quite a collection of stringed instruments. Hanging next to it is also a guitar, a mandolin, and ukulele all hanging ready to be played. While I've never actually seen this played, it certainly looks....well used. And it was the texture of the wear and tear on head behind the strings that caught my eye first. Then I noticed the complimentary colors from the various light sources. To ensure maximum dynamic range, I shot 5 bracketed exposures and created a 32-bit file. In processing, I enhanced both the color and textures of the banjo and rotated the image 90 degrees clockwise from the way it was shot. Day 348 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com

Global Guitar

"I just go where the guitar takes me." --Angus Young My first guitar, a 3/4 sized gut-string guitar. Day 67 of 365 Copyright 2021 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Edmund Gram Piano

Edmund Gram Piano https://bit.ly/3w7yCoS "The piano ain't got no wrong notes." --Thelonious Monk Day 220 of 365 This old Edmund Gram upright piano sits in the prayer room at Lake Park Lutheran Church on the East Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'm not sure if Monk ever played it, but I'm sure it has a lot of great stories to tell. Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com #photography #EdmundGram #piano #music #keyboard

Canon Demi Blue

The Canon Color Demi half-frame film camera with blue trim. I believe it was manufactured around 1963. Day 127 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Apple Box

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." --Martin Luther Two apples in an old, worn wooden crate. Day 144 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Paper Dragonflies

"Dragonflies are reminders that we are light and we can reflect light in powerful ways if we choose to do so." --Robyn Nola Paper hole-punch dragonflies dancing in the light on a aged wooden box. Day 135 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Needle and Thread

"By the needle you shall draw the thread, and by that which is past, see how that which is to come will be drawne on." --George Herbert Day 167 of 365 Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com scottnorriscreative.com

Lampshade

"You are the community now. Be a lamp for yourselves. Be your own refuge. Seek for no other. All things must pass. Strive on diligently. Don’t give up." --Buddha Day 325 of 365 See more of my 365 Project here: https://bit.ly/3ygWNlt Copyright 2022 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com

X Blocks

These are my son's old alphabet stacking blocks. And he loves playing with them. Well, I have to admit, that I love playing with them too. Spelling out words, seeing how high I can stack them, building pyramids - all the things a middle aged man is supposed to do, right? No, you say? Well, you are free to feel that way. I, however, will continue to play with toys. As George Bernard Shaw once said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." 63/365 Copyright 2015 Scott Norris Photography www.scottnorrisphotography.com