When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open.
Bob Marley

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Bamboo-Not just for Pandas

I wanted to shoot some photos of roses. I thought I would try a few things until my new studio equipment arrives (Buying items from the Chinese version of eBay is easy, except the payment portion of the transaction.)

There is a little stand right outside my building. The woman sells fresh flowers, goldfish, and ready-to-eat pineapple. Alas, when I arrived yesterday she was having an altercation with security guards and the police. No roses for me, or anyone else. Long-stem roses are cheap in China, about $0.45 US each.  Yunnan Province grows a lot of roses, and supplies most of Asia with fresh flowers.

I searched the market next door to find a replacement for the wayward roses. Bamboo, I wondered? Why not. It’s tasty, when cooked with hot peppers and pork.

This was shot against a white wall with a low shutter speed, window light to the left, off-camera flash to the front. ISO 100, 1/3 sec, f/9. Should my stands, umbrellas and flash ever arrive I’ll delve into the world of food photography because:  a) food is very cheap; b) I can eat the subjects when the shoot is over. The same can not be said for portraits.

I found a great site for cheap frugal photographers like myself.  DIY Photography has a great list of projects you can do at home using materials from art or hardware stores. I am considering building this DIY backdrop stand instead of buying one.