Nothing Gold Can Stay

Today Hannah Taylor, Flo Best and Shanti Daffern joined me for a photoshoot at Peterhouse College. The photos centre around autumn and books. We had a few general ideas, but many of the photos were spontaneous. The one really planned photo was the magical cupboard photo, which you can see further down.

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

— Robert Frost, 1923

Hannah Grace Taylor sitting reading a book by the window.
We did a little walk around in the corridor around Shanti’s room to look for good spots. Here Hannah Taylor is reading by one of the old windows.
Shanti Daffern reading under a tree with lots of yellow autumn leaves around her.
We went to the deer park to procure leaves for the cupboard photo, but while outside we were distracted by all the beautiful colours and could not resist making a few photos. We experimented with flying leaves, and also recording a video to make into an animated gif. Here Shanti Daffern is enjoying her three favourite things: autumn, trees and books.
A thoughtful Hannah Grace Taylor surrounded by yellow autumn leaves at Peterhouse, Cambridge.
Hannah inside the leaf cover of one of the old trees. I am experimenting with a more low contrast editing of the photos, giving them a softer older look.
Flo Best reading a red book outside.
Flo Best also likes her books.
Hannah Grace Taylor wearing an elegant red coat in Peterhouse Deer Garden, with Flo Best in the background.
There are little paths in the garden behind the deer park. Hannah and Flo exploring.
Shanti Daffern reading perched up in a tree.
In the meantime Shanti is perched up in one of the trees reading Henry III.
Flo Best climbing barefoot in a tree.
Flo is also a tree climber.
Hannah Grace Taylor in a doorway at Peterhouse.
Doorways can provide beautiful light by restricting the direction of it, giving nice shadowing of the face and a dark background.
Flo Best and the magic cupboard.
We wanted to do a Narnia inspired magical cupboard photo. Here we rigged a hair dryer and a lamp in the cupboard that Flo opens.
Hannah Grace Taylor reading a classic by the window at Peterhouse.
Hannah reading a book by the window. It was cloudy outside giving a amazingly beautiful soft light.
Flo Best at Peterhouse
Back where we started, in the window outside Shanti’s room. Here Flo is posing for the camera, lit by a flash from the right.
Shanti Daffern reading a book at Peterhouse, Cambridge.
Shanti in her window spot like she has been sitting so many times before.

It was great fun to visit Peterhouse with these three. Many thanks to Shanit, Hannah and Flo for a great day!

— Johannes

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