Yesterday was the kind of day that demands a bowl of cereal be eaten at 10:30 pm. We were away from home helping with a family move. Moving van, boxes, furniture, pictures, and so much more tired us out. Put a fast paced crawling baby into the equation and well, you can probably imagine our collective non-stop motion.

still life

When nap time finally came, I stole away to a quiet corner. Flipping through my worn copy of Henry Horenstein’s manual “Color Photography” I came across a stereo image by Auguste and Louis Jean Lumière circa 1899 titled Still Life of Fruit. Struck by the soft yet rich colors and textures in their image, I set up and shot this still life with my Polaroid Spectra.

The Lumière Brothers are known for their innovative work in photography and motion pictures. They experimented widely with various photographic processes before launching Autochrome, the first commercially viable color process that was used until the 1930s. For their stereo image, the brothers used gum bichromate and applied the color by hand using individual layers of an emulsion including gum arabic, potassium bichromate, and colored pigment.

When everyone woke, we set back to work. As we rearranged pictures and objects, I imagined a series of these photographs taken in each of the colored rooms. What is it about visiting another place that opens your eye to endless possibilities? Next time, we’ll bring extra fruit.

Nikki | Art & Lemons