shed eleven

Back to photographing the Oxford Navy backdrop and what better subject than my Burgundy lockers?

Testing my backdrops in different parts of the house before they go off and live their best lives at the studio of

This is in our basement. Love, love the soft sideways light and concrete floor down here!

Love this colour combo too. I painted the chair a while ago. Frame is Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue and upholstery in Graphite and Old White stripes.

Backdrops are various shades of Olive, Honfleur, Graphite and a touch of Amsterdam Green. Also Annie Sloan. Gorgeous.

Hello! Not often I put my face out there, even if I never do actually look at the camera 🙈👋 Playing with natural light and my dark inky Oxford Navy backdrop. Love the atmosphere created by the light coming from behind.

Hand painted backdrops with furniture and a human (ish).

For lack of a model I used a portrait I painted years and years ago. And I mean years. I reckon I was 19. Sheesh.

My portrait photographer friend has introduced me to the idea of tonal backdrop layering. She’s going to have a play with them with humans as the subject but for now I’ve popped a lovely old set of drawers in front that I’ve painted in Annie Sloan Primer Red and Old Ochre.

Love how the furniture’s earthy warmth and straight lines contrast with the hand-painted textured greens and browns of the backdrop.

Hobart Botanic Gardens houses a wonderful collection of plants indigenous to Australia’s remote Macquarie Island. Over 100 species of lichen thrive across the island’s extreme subantarctic landscapes and I was quite taken with the beautiful array of colours.

Here I’ve used washes of Olive, Amsterdam Green, Graphite and Honfleur as a gentle nod to the patchwork of greens and browns that cling to the rocks.

I’ve popped in a photo of some of the lichen we saw, and also some failed attempts at selfies 🤦🏻. Thought it might be nice to see a human in front of the backdrop, but alas, I’m still very much a behind the camera kind of girl. Next time 🙂

Huon Valley night sky hand painted photography backdrop.

The deep, dark sky inky blues and mists of the Huon Valley in Tassie are something else. We did a lot of night wandering in the lovely town of Cygnet enjoying the absence of light pollution. Magical.

This backdrop was done using a combo of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints in Graphite, Oxford Navy and Aubusson Blue. Love how the camera picks up different colours in different light.

The colours of Australia vs the colours of Norway.

Hobart really, really reminded me of one of my fav places, Bergen, Norway. Probably why I fell for it so quickly!

Similar size, houses blanketing hills that edge a beautiful harbour snaking deep through the city. A bustling historical port.

A big difference is of course the geology. So interesting to compare the colours and elements of my treasures from each destination.

Aurora hunting and star gazing in Cygnet.

The camera picked up a little colour looking due south, could be a very faint aurora.

Either way we got some great shots of the Milky Way, I’m pretty astounded what detail my humble iPhone camera can capture.

A day in the life of the Huon Valley. Peaceful, beautiful and varied, and only 30 minutes from Hobart. What’s not to love?