Nettles

For a while now I've wanted to make some images of nettles. Nettle cordage seems important in the era of Maskwitches, and I keep seeing nettles on my walks. Nettles also loomed very large in my childhood, as perennial enemies, so they'r a resonant plant in a bunch of ways.

I could imagine images of nettles in smoke, strongly lit or silhouetted, and I wanted to make it happen. But gathering nettles needs some care, and once they're picked they almost immediately start to wilt, so some planning was needed. Let's go!

First I constructed my set - a neutral but textured backdrop of faux fur, and lots of logs between which I would sandwich the stems. I started on a more constructed nettle stem holder, but I could tell right away it wasn't going to work, and would very likely damage the stems and cause the likelihood of stings to skyrocket. So I gambled on squeezing them between logs, and them playing ball. I also set my lights ready, and got the smoke machine in the right place. It's an evil contraption, so I don't plug it in yet.

To the nettle patch! Just a short walk from my front door there's a good growth of nettles. Of course I think about the provision of necessities in the environment, and how we view them as weeds now. Hey ho, no time to be sad, it's time to get stung.

I figure a bag is probably the best way to carry them, and makes me look less like Morrissey of the Nettle Patch as I return at speed to the studio bearing my bunch of gladioli nettles. Gottem. Let's gooooo

The set up worked! I ended up with the stems a little more bunched together than I planned, but I think it's more naturalistic, and sometimes you gotta roll with it. It was time to fire up the smoke, and I really went for it.

It's not often I'll use a respirator with my smoke machine, but this time I felt it was necessary. There was a lot of smoke, and it's not healthy to breathe it in. The studio was also pretty hot, I knew the nettles were wilting every second, and I needed to work fast, so this was a very intense shoot. I really wanted to get the shot I had in mind, so I used every lens I have on hand, and took 135 frames. About 10% worked out, and I think that's good going. They won't all see use in the new book, but some certainly will!

I have a bunch more shots to sort through, and I'll continue to edit these to get the feel I want. Nearly there.

Oh hey, Don't forget to sign up for the ENnies Emporium, where you'll be able to get the new book, the Maskwitches GM's Companion!

Thanks, nettles! I will probably dry these out.