Day 31 - A Knick Knack Knack

A collage in brown shades today in a photograph taken from the couch in our TV room. I wasn't feeling very well so a trip into the frigid world of New Brunswick to take pictures was out of the question, forcing me to settle for a knick-knack shot.

I'm not sure this is the most successful picture of this type but I still like it. The many shades of brown appeal to me as does the line of the shelf that dominates the lower left of the frame. Members of my family will recognise the fragile wood windmill that is the centre of attention, a family knick knack I've possessed since the beginning of my memory. And, of course, that is an unfinished wooden yo-yo beside it, creating a nice contrast between the brittle straight lines of the windmill and the chunky curves of the toy.

I like taking still-life photographs like this. They're not always easy to take, since it's the arrangement of the common-place objects that is the key. Also important, the way you frame the objects: the tendency is to shoot from straight on and to ensure that no part of an object is cut off. I think that's a mistake. You create interest, I think, by purposely reshaping the objects, pruning them, so to speak, with the camera.