Candice Milon

Ice photographer - captures frozen flowers which has left to be thawed revealing the subject inside.

L I N K S -

Candice Milon > Personal work > Bloom | Margot de Roquefeuil - Artist Management

Candice Milon > Biography | Margot de roquefeuil - Artist Management

Candice Milon is originally from the South of France, and is working in her own studio. She expresses herself through still life photography. Graduated from the fine arts of Marseille and from the Gobelins School of Image in Paris in 2008.

Her 'Bloom' series focuses on capturing frozen nature/flowers in a way which evokes feelings. Rather than keeping the whole flowers frozen, she leaves some areas untouched and exposed to capture two different views.

This photograph captures a block of frozen flowers, which have been broken into two pieces with the petals left exposed.

The lighting is shot in a low angle from behind, which creates this glowing like effect. It reveals different textures within the ice - the formation of the cracks to the scattered air bubbles trapped inside.

The dark background further highlights the lightness of the ice and the various colours illuminating from within.

Her photographs also reveal a subtle reflection against the dark flooring; creating a sense of illusion and mystic feel.

I will be experimenting with the placement of the flowers within the ice and exposing certain areas melting certain parts away or taking it out of the freezer before it fully freezes. I will also break away small chunks similar to their photograph to add more subject view.

With the assortment of flowers, I will mainly be using small bundles of flowers. I quite like how the smaller bundles of flowers are presented - leaving the petals unfrozen (exposed) to create this textural hill.

SETUP:

Equipment - Containers with lids, Flowers, Freezer, Glass panel, Black A3 paper x2, Directed light source, Tripod

Using two sheets of black A3 paper - placing one on the back and the other against the surface.
Added a glass panel on top of the back paper on the surface - so that the ice doesn't melt directly onto the paper.
Used tripod to get clear shots of the ice - also used a remote.

PROCESS :

Using a plastic container (with a lid), I arranged where I wanted the flowers and placed them in. Slowly adding water into the container.
Putting it in the Freezer and waiting 1 whole day or less so that the water has enough time to freeze.
Taking it out of the freezer and let it sit for a couple of minutes (up to an hour) so that some of the ice melts.
Take it out of the container and place it on the backdrop.
(Additional) Using a hairdryer to heat up certain parts of the ice to reveal some of the petals.
(Additional) Break the block of frozen flowers into sections.
(Changeable) Using a directed light source - place it behind at and angle.